Liability in a Hospital Negligence Case
The “medical profession” is, in fact, a complex industry of many layers and many players. If you suffered harm because of health care negligence in a hospital, the source of liability may lie with one or more of the following:
- A physician employed by the hospital
- Nurses
- Technicians
- A diagnostic laboratory
- A specialist
- A clinic or treatment center
- A therapist
- A psychiatrist
- A pharmacist or pharmacy
- An emergency room or other area of a hospital where you were treated
- Hospital Administration
If you suspect that your injury or loss was from hospital negligence, Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, encourages you to have your case evaluated by one of our experienced experienced charlotte, NC medical malpractice attorneys.
The sooner you ask for a lawyer’s advice, the better. This may be especially true in the case of suspected hospital negligence. Hospital personnel may destroy key evidence if an investigation into your medical negligence case is delayed.
For example, after a foreign object was left in your body during surgery, it is important to keep that foreign object or a photograph of it. This evidence can help pinpoint who was to blame: the surgeon, the nurse or surgical technicians. Premature destruction of evidence can weaken your case for compensation.
Examples of hospital negligence include the following:
- Failing to put up bed rails to protect people who may be disoriented due to medication
- Failure to respond to patients’ requests for help (via room call buzzer)
- Administration of wrong doses of medication
- Medication errors
- Emergency room errors
- Failure to follow patient safety standards
- Inadequate training of hospital medical personnel
- Inadequate supervision of medical personnel within the hospital
Understanding Elder Abuse in the Hospital
Elder abuse can occur in hospitals. When most people think of elder abuse, they think of situations involving nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. However, elderly people are regularly admitted to the hospital, and this opens them up to abuse at the hands of doctors, nurses, nurse aides, and other hospital employees.
Elder abuse in the hospital can occur in many ways, including the following:
- Physical abuse: This includes any contact with an elderly person intended to cause them harm, such as punching, slapping, kicking, biting, burning, shoving, etc.
- Sexual abuse: There should never be any sexual contact between hospital staff and elderly patients, particularly if an elderly patient is unable to give consent.
- Emotional and psychological abuse: This type of abuse can include name-calling, harassment, isolation, and more. In some cases, emotional and psychological abuse is coupled with physical abuse, but not always.
- Neglect: This includes hospital staff failing to provide for the basic necessities of an elderly patient, including clothing, bedding, nutrition, and medical care.
According to the National Council on Aging, an estimated five million older adults experience some form of abuse each year in this country. Statistics show that nearly one out of every ten Americans over the age of 60 have experienced elder abuse. This type of abuse is unacceptable, and when it occurs in the hospital setting, it is crucial that the perpetrators of the abuse be held accountable.
Contact a North Carolina Hospital Negligence Attorney
The specifics of your potential hospital negligence case may vary, but you are advised to discuss your case with a Charlotte hospital negligence attorney. Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, is an established North Carolina medical malpractice law firm offering free initial consultations to patients suffering because of medical mistakes.
Contact a Charlotte medical malpractice lawyer: Call toll free 800-948-0577 or contact us online.
