Whether you are getting a regular checkup with your primary care physician or receiving emergency care in a hospital or urgent care clinic, it is very likely that you will be interacting with nurses during your visit much more often than any other type of medical professional. However, just like those other kinds of practitioners, nurses can sometimes be reckless and careless on the job in ways that lead to their patients suffering preventable and potentially life-altering harm.
If you were seriously injured or became seriously ill due to a nurse’s misconduct, you may have grounds to file suit. With a skilled malpractice attorney’s guidance, you could seek out fair and prompt compensation for the losses you unjustly suffered. Our Stratford nursing malpractice lawyers at Berkowitz and Hanna LLC have experience handling—and winning—claims like yours in the past, so do not hesitate to reach out and discuss your options.
Nurses perform a huge number of vital tasks in medical facilities of all shapes and sizes, from taking and tracking patient vitals to providing medication to even making initial diagnoses in certain situations. No matter what a nurse is doing on the job or which specific patient they are assisting at the time, they are always expected to meet the same “standard of care” that any other equally qualified nurse would provide under similar or identical circumstances.
This is notably different from the more broad “duty of care” that applies to most other people in other injury claims, since it cuts medical professionals a bit of slack for minor mistakes if another professional working under the same conditions might have made the same error. That said, if a nurse does something obviously irresponsible, like failing to maintain sanitary practices, giving a patient the wrong medication, or grossly misdiagnosing a patient’s condition, a Stratford nursing malpractice attorney can help hold them civilly liable for the consequences of their actions.
Another complicated element of Connecticut malpractice litigation that qualified legal counsel can help navigate around is the “reasonable inquiry” requirement. As per Connecticut General Statutes §52-190a, any person who wants to sue over harm they suffered through the medical malpractice of a nurse or any other healthcare provider must make a “reasonable inquiry” with at least one qualified medical expert to establish that their case has merit.
As a nursing malpractice lawyer in Stratford can further explain, this specifically entails contacting a medical expert as defined in C.G.S. §52-184c, sharing all case-relevant evidence with them so they can review it, and getting them to sign a written affidavit affirming that they believe the evidence indicates that a legally actionable act of malpractice occurred. There are also strict time limits applicable to this stage of the legal process and to formally filing suit for malpractice, so time is of the essence when it comes to speaking with and retaining legal assistance after a medical injury.
You have a right to expect that you will receive compassionate and high-quality care from any medical professional whom you seek assistance from, including registered nurses and other people assisting doctors, surgeons, and specialists. If you have been injured through a nurse’s negligence, you have limited time to understand and then proactively enforce your right to civil recovery.
A Stratford nursing malpractice lawyer from Berkowitz and Hanna LLC will be the steadfast ally you need to achieve the favorable case result you want. Call today to set up an initial meeting.
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