Whether you are recovering from an illness, going in for surgery, needing emergency care, or obtaining a lab test, you depend upon hospitals to care for you. Hospital negligence is a form of medical malpractice and includes both the broad category of improper care and the specifics of errors in judgment by medical and other staff in a hospital setting. As the governing body that certifies the abilities of its employees and the quality of its equipment and facility, the hospital can often be held accountable for the actions of its employees.
If you think you have a hospital negligence case, we’ll evaluate your case at no-cost to you. Contact Perey Law Group, PLLC today for a free consultation.
Types of Hospital Negligence
The term “negligence��? indicates that the action taken in a particular circumstance was a choice made by someone—in this case, an employee of the hospital—and that any consequences suffered were largely preventable. Some of the more common types of hospital negligence occur as a result of:
· Misdiagnosis, which can lead to inappropriate treatment, medications, and procedures
· Surgical errors such as wrong site surgery, wrong patient, and wrong procedure
· Mismanagement, including failure to act on available information in a timely manner
· Emergency room errors
· Inadequate or unqualified staff, which can lead to errors in judgment or incorrect use of medical equipment
· Laboratory mistakes, including confusing patient test results or misinterpreting tests
· Failure to properly maintain medical equipment
· Prescriptions errors
· Hospital sanitation
· Deviation from standards of care for doctors, nurses, and medical support staff
Hospital Negligence and the Law
Although hospitals are held accountable for the actions of their medical, technical, and administrative staff, there are special laws that govern hospital malpractice suits. To recover your rights and receive compensation for hospital negligence you must act within the statute of limitations, obtain an expert witness, and prove the culpability of the hospital and its staff for you injury.
At Perey Law Group, PLLC we offer a free consultation with a lawyer experienced in hospital negligence and medical malpractice. Contact us today so we can review the circumstances of your case and help you recover the compensation you deserve for your losses and suffering.
If you, or a member of your family, have been hurt by medical negligence at NORTHWEST HOSPITAL, SWEDISH HOSPITAL, VIRGINIA MASON HOSPITAL, OVERLAKE HOSPITAL, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON HOSPITAL, HARBORVIEW MEDICAL CENTER, CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, EVERGREEN HOSPITAL, GROUP HEALTH HOSPITAL, HIGHLINE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, STEVENS HOSPITAL, PROVIDENCE HOSPITAL, AUBURN REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL, VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER, TACOMA GENERAL HOSPITAL, or any other hospital or nursing home in the State of Washington, call us for a free evaluation of your claim for damages.
· Over 100,000 people die each year due to preventable medical mistakes. That is the equivalent of 390 jumbo jets full of people dying each year due to preventable medical errors, making medical mistakes the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. behind heart disease and cancer.
· The first and foremost duty of a hospital is not to harm you or make your condition worse. Remember, if you walk into a hospital, you should be able to walk out.
· If anything feels wrong while you are a patient in a hospital or nursing home, ask for a “care conference��?; don’t wait or you may regret it forever. Demand to see your doctor, the charge nurse or your medical chart anytime you have questions.
· Ask for a simple and complete explanation of the risks, benefits and alternatives to any procedure recommended for you. Ask your doctor how many times he or she has done the procedure and the probability of a successful outcome. If a specialist is called in on your case, demand to see the typed consultation report.
· Hospitals are required by law to screen out bad doctors and nurses, so you have every right to expect quality care. Only hospitals know if the doctors or nurses are competent; you have no way to find out until it is too late.
· Hospitals and nursing homes can be dangerous places. When you enter a hospital or nursing home, you put your health, your trust and your life in the hands of strangers. Be cautious, be careful, ask questions and demand answers in plain language that you understand.
· If something goes wrong in a hospital or nursing home, expect silence or a cover up-- no one will tell you the truth or explain what happened because there is no legal obligation to do so. Only a trial lawyer and a lawsuit can uncover the truth through the power of subpoena & sworn depositions.
· In hospitals and nursing homes, you have no advocate, no representative and no power, but you do have the right, if you are injured, to seek compensation and answers through a civil lawsuit. Hospitals and nursing homes purchase liability insurance to pay claims for injuries they cause, just like you purchase automobile insurance.
· If a loved one dies in a hospital, immediately demand that an autopsy be conducted to determine the cause of death.
· Fortunately, most American hospitals and nursing homes are safe and staffed by doctors, nurses and other employees who are competent, caring, conscientious and dedicated professionals committed to helping patients, and most of us survive our experience there. Request a complete copy of your records (including EEGs, EKGs, EFMS and X-rays) and bring them to us for a prompt and comprehensive professional review by our lawyers, doctors and nurses.
We have successfully prosecuted claims for damages against many major hospitals, medical centers and nursing homes in the State of Washington. Most cases we take on settle; some go to trial. Contact Perey Law Group, PLLC today to speak with a qualified lawyer.
Please fill out the form below to contact one of our experienced attorneys.
Perey Law Group, PLLC
1606 8th Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: (206) 443-7600
Fax: (206) 443-4785