Hospital Negligence

Pittsburgh Hospital Negligence Lawyer For Victims Of Medical Negligence By Nurses, Interns, Residents And Lab Techs

Hospitals are responsible for the behavior of the people they employ. If the doctors, nurses, interns, residents and laboratory technicians that work for the hospital commit medical malpractice, hospitals can be held accountable for the injuries and damage done.

Unfortunately, it is not unusual for mistakes to be made in hospitals, and there are many different ways that serious errors can happen. Many hospitals and treatment facilities are understaffed these days, especially in states like Pennsylvania where we have an aging population. Lack of adequate staffing leads to all kinds of other problems, such as poor training, overworked and overly stressed employees, and a disorganized and chaotic work environment. All of these factors make hospital negligence more likely to occur.

If you or a loved one has been injured because of hospital negligence, contact the attorneys at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C., to learn about your options. For half a century, our attorneys have been fighting for injury victims in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and throughout United States. Our firm focuses exclusively on personal injury and related areas of the law, and we have a successful track record with even the most complex cases.

When we take on a case, we go to work immediately to thoroughly investigate the facts and gather all of the important pieces of evidence. This is especially important in hospital malpractice cases where evidence has a tendency to disappear rapidly over time. We work hard to hold those responsible for our clients’ injuries fully accountable, and we have the experience, skills, knowledge, and resources to help ensure that our clients are in the best possible position to recover maximum compensation.

Examples of Hospital Negligence

There are numerous ways that hospital negligence and malpractice can occur, some common examples include:

• Doctors misdiagnosing a medical condition or failing to diagnose a condition altogether.

• Failure to order imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs that could have helped diagnose and effectively treat a medical condition.

• Nurses failing to properly monitor women in labor.

• Hospital laboratories substituting one patient’s results for another.

• Prescribing the wrong medication, giving the patient the wrong dosage, or mixing up prescriptions and giving the medication to the wrong patient.

• Medical residents failing to read test results before they act.

• Interns and nurses that fail to communicate their findings and information to the treating physician.

• Hospitals discharging a patient prematurely.

• Failure of the hospital to provide proper follow-up care.

Some forms of hospital negligence involve a wrongful act by an employee, while others involve a larger issue of corporate negligence, such as a hospital procedure or protocol that leads to a patient getting injured. Either way, the hospital can be held liable as long as the following elements are proven:

• The hospital owed the patient a duty of care (this is already implied if the patient sought care from the hospital);
• The hospital and/or one of its employees violated the applicable standard of care;
• There is a causal connection that can be established between the negligent conduct and the resulting injury to the patient.

Hospital Malpractice Claims for Negligent Acts by Non-Employee Medical Providers

If a patient is injured by a hospital employee’s negligence, the hospital can clearly be held liable. But what if the injury occurred because of the actions of a non-employee, such as a surgeon who is an independent contractor? In cases like this, things are not as clear-cut.

If a doctor who is an independent contractor is guilty of medical malpractice, then you might only have a case against the doctor. However, there are some instances in which a hospital could also be held responsible under the legal theory of “ostensible agency”. To sue a hospital under this theory, you would need to prove that a reasonable person (i.e., the patient who was injured) would be justified in believing that the care which caused them harm was rendered by the hospital or its agents.

The hospital could also be held responsible (for a non-employee doctor’s negligent actions) if it can be shown that they knowingly contracted with and continued to employ the services of a doctor who was known to be incompetent or dangerous.

Holding All Hospitals to The Same Standard

In hospital malpractice cases, the standard of care is a very important legal concept. In order for you to succeed in your case, your attorney must show that the hospital involved breached the accepted professional standard of care — the level of care, skill and treatment that is recognized as appropriate by health care providers in similar situations.

Under Pennsylvania law, every hospital is held to the same standard. Whether they are a small, rural hospital or a large urban complex, they are legally obligated to treat patients in the same manner. The law recognizes that technology makes this possible. Due to advances in communication, if there is no specialist on staff at a rural hospital, there is no reason one cannot be found. Failing to seek the guidance of a specialist can be considered medical malpractice in certain situations.

Damages Recoverable in Pennsylvania Hospital Malpractice Cases

The injuries and deaths caused by negligence on the part of hospitals and their staff can take an enormous toll on victims and their families. When a facility that they trusted to provide professional medical care violates that trust, the impact can go far beyond just the physical harm that was caused.

As a result, hospital negligence victims are frequently able to recover damages not only for direct monetary losses such as the medical costs necessary to correct the injury (that the negligence caused) and lost earnings, but also for noneconomic losses such as pain-and-suffering, mental anguish, psychological distress, diminished quality of life, and permanent injury. Each case is unique, and our attorneys thoroughly assess the specific circumstances around the injury to determine the amount of damages our client is entitled to.

Contact Our Experienced Pittsburgh Hospital Negligence Attorneys

Regardless of the nature of your experience in the hospital, if you have suffered a life-changing injury or the death of a loved one, talk with our attorneys about your legal options. Contact the lawyers at the Pittsburgh law office of Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, L.L.C., by calling us at 412-391-9860 in Pittsburgh or Western Pennsylvania, or toll free at 866-466-5789. You may also complete our online contact form. Initial consultations are free and confidential.