Hospital Acquired infection Lawsuit Lawyers

A person seeking care from a healthcare provider places a great deal of trust in the level of care that they expect to receive.

Unfortunately, many people suffer when the doctor or other medical professional makes a preventable error. Some of the most severe forms of harm result from a patient contracting an infection that could have been prevented through adhering to the medical standard of care applicable to the type of treatment being provided.

A person also may have been injured when a doctor or other medical professional failed to diagnose an infection, leading to a progression of the issue to the point where additional harm is done to the patient. In far too many cases, these infections led to the tragic death of a person who sought treatment for a highly treatable ailment.

There are many different ways in which a person can be impacted by an improperly treated infection.

Many times, these individuals may have been victims of medical malpractice. Negligence that exists in the causation and treatment of infections may take many forms, including:

• The doctor or other healthcare provider failed to diagnose an infection or delayed the diagnosis for a lengthy enough period of time that there was additional harm done to the patient;
• The doctor’s office or healthcare facility was not properly sterilized in accordance with established industry standards to minimize or eliminate the risk of a patient contracting an infection while seeking care. This type of protocol often is referred to as an infection-prevention plan;
• The doctor or other medical professional did not direct the proper type of treatment after diagnosing the infection;
• The wound that became infected was not treated adequately or was not addressed quickly enough; or
• The doctor did not engage in a comprehensive discussion with the patient about the various types of treatment available and any reasonable alternatives to the care being recommended.

In many cases where a person is impacted by infection as the result of malpractice, it involves a patient who goes into a hospital for a course or treatment or surgery. The infection may have been transmitted to the person through the use of improperly sterilized medical tools including those used on successive patients without intervening sterilization. In other situations, the patient may have come in contact with an infected surface while receiving treatment or recuperating in the facility after the treatment.

In order to bring a medical malpractice action, it is necessary to demonstrate the following:

• That there was a legal obligation for the hospital, healthcare facility, or doctor’s office to provide a sanitary environment in which the patient could receive treatment;
• That the facility was not maintained in a sterile manner and/or equipment was not sanitized through the use of proper protocols;
• That the breach of its duty to provide a sterilized environment was the direct and proximate cause of the patient contracting an infection; and
• That the infection caused serious harm that could be set forth by a medical expert and which could be compensated by monetary damages.

Developing a case based on medical malpractice that led to a serious infection is a very complex process that requires thorough analyses of medical records and the retention of a medical expert who can establish the applicable medical standard of care, how the care that was rendered deviated from that standard, how the deviation was the direct and proximate cause of the harm done to the patient, and the extent of that harm.

Medical malpractice cases that arise from preventable infections are extremely difficult to prove in a courtroom, which is why they require attorneys who understand how to gather the necessary documentary evidence and testimony, retain a medical expert with the expertise to form an opinion on the elements of negligence and testify as to the facts that satisfy these elements, and convince the trier-of-fact that medical malpractice occurred.

Stern Law, PLLC Represents Those Impacted by Medical Malpractice

Devastating and debilitating infections are one of the worst types of unnecessary harm that may behalf someone who goes into the hospital for a fairly routine procedure. These infections may lead to long-term or permanent harm, or even death, and often are completely preventable with the proper sterilization procedures. At Stern Law, PLLC, our attorney has worked to get the right results for our clients for more than 30 years, drawing upon our skill and tenacity to get the best results possible. In addition to advocating for those who have been harmed by preventable errors, we also serve as a resource, providing compassionate and committed staff to answer questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for those who have been impacted by medical malpractice. Call us at 1-844-808-7529 or fill out an online contact form in order to learn how we can help you get through this difficult time.