Hospitals can be held accountable for the negligence caused by the doctors, practitioners and administrative personnel staffed on their premises. Hospitals have a standard of care and rules and procedures for the staff to follow. If physicians or other hospital employees were careless, lacked proper skills or disregarded established rules and procedures, the hospital can be held responsible.
Mistakes occur not only in hospitals but in surgery, nursing homes, outpatient clinics and home care. The incidence of surgical mistakes is reported to be alarmingly high. Surgical mistakes refer to wrong-site surgeries such as negligent procedural mistakes, like leaving a tool inside the stitched wound or incorrectly administering anesthesia.
Civil and criminal lawsuits have been filed when some breach
of care or procedural rule has occurred in a hospital. An
experienced attorney can help evaluate the circumstances
surrounding hospital negligence and medical malpractice. A lawyer
evaluating hospital negligence can advise each individual if they
have a possible case.
