When going to the hospital for medical attention, you should be able to trust that the health professionals will provide you with diligent and considerate care. Therefore, when a care provider breaks this trust and harms you instead, you might have grounds to pursue comprehensive civil recovery.
Unfortunately, filing suit against an employee of a hospital, facility administrator, or a combination of both for medical negligence can be a uniquely complex process. Thankfully, an experienced New Haven hospital malpractice lawyer is here to help. As one of the top three medical malpractice firms in the state of Connecticut, Berkowitz Hanna is the call to make when faced with hospital negligence. Contact our firm today to discuss your unique case with a dedicated malpractice attorney.
Just like workers at any other healthcare facility, hospital employees must meet a certain “standard of care” with all their patients. This standard is based on what another practitioner with equivalent training and experience would do under similar or identical circumstances. If a doctor is reckless or careless in a way that no other responsible physician would be, they have likely breached the applicable standard of care and may bear civil liability for any harm that comes to a patient as a result.
Unfortunately, miscommunication among staff members is one of the most common types of negligence found inside hospitals. For example, a nurse mishearing a physician’s instructions or a physician misreading test results provided by a technician can have dire consequences for a patient. Other common ways negligence in a hospital can cause harm include:
A New Haven attorney can offer more specific guidance about whether a particular hospital malpractice situation might give rise to litigation.
If a hospital directly employs a healthcare practitioner who then causes harm to a patient through breaching the standard of care, that hospital’s owner(s) and/or administrator(s) may bear vicarious liability for their employee’s negligence. Alternatively, hospital ownership and management may be directly liable for injuries stemming from issues like understaffing or poor facility maintenance.
In many situations, hospitals can also be held liable for injuries caused by the negligence of independent surgeons and physicians. This is because a hospital should have undergone sufficient screening processes to ensure they only hired competent and responsible physicians on a contract basis. A hospital malpractice attorney in New Haven can clarify who might bear fault for a specific injury and what legal action might be possible.
Hospitals can be chaotic places, even when managed effectively and with appropriate diligence. Because of this, it is essential for anyone involved in operating or working within a hospital to be thorough and careful when it comes to patient care. Any misconduct on the job can dramatically increase the risk of severe, life-altering harm.
In a situation like this, guidance from a seasoned New Haven hospital malpractice lawyer can be vital in effectively enforcing your rights and pursuing fair restitution for your avoidable harm. While compensation cannot make up for what happened to you, it could help cover the costs associated with your injuries. Call Berkowitz Hanna today to start building a comprehensive claim for damages.
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