Although there are always a number of circumstantial factors, here are a few reasons why a hospital is liable for your infection.
When you are admitted to a hospital, you trust that the medical professionals will be able to treat your condition, not make it worse. But you could contract a potentially life-threatening infection from the hospital. Although there are always a number of circumstantial factors, here are a few reasons why a hospital is liable for your infection.
Informed Consent
Unless it’s an emergency, a doctor usually cannot treat you without your informed consent, which means that they explained your condition and the risks involved in treating it and that you give them permission to perform the medical procedure. If you were not warned of the risks of infections such as MRSA and Sepsis, which is are very dangerous infections regularly found in hospitals, then the hospital could be liable.
Source
It is often difficult to pinpoint the exact source of your infection. But, the most common causes are from procedural errors during surgery or a lack of sanitation. A hospital cannot usually make a case for contributory negligence on the part of a patient. Because of the challenges in identifying the source of the infection, and whether or not the doctors involved were employees of the hospital or independently contracted it can be harder to determine who is at fault.
Properly Treated
After the infection is discovered, the hospital should do everything in their power to treat it and prevent further harm to the patient. Failure to do so gives you a stronger case for medical malpractice. Regardless, all hospitals have a strict sanitation protocol that they must follow at every step of your treatment so if you received an infection while under their care then it hospital is the first place to look for placing liability.
Have you contracted an infection during your stay at a hospital? The Snyder Law Group can help.
The Snyder Law Group, LLC, proudly represents clients throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our experienced Baltimore attorneys understand the frustration that comes with an insurance company, medical professional, or other party that refuses to accept liability for negligent or reckless behavior. You can take heart in knowing there are talented and experienced lawyers ready to work for you. We are experienced in handling personal injury claims of medical malpractice or injury resulting from serious car and truck accidents, and have secured hundreds of millions in verdicts settlements*. Please visit our website,www.410thefirm.com, for more information and follow us on Facebook,Twitter, and LinkedIn.