Nurses have a key role in a patient’s health and care. Nursing negligence can lead to serious injuries or even wrongful death of a patient.
When a medical malpractice incident occurs, the first person we probably look to blame is our doctor. However, there are quite a few people that can be responsible for medical malpractice. Nurses play a vital role in ensuring that we get the proper care we need. Here is some more information on nursing negligence and medical malpractice.
Standard of Care
Every doctor and nurse are under oath to follow a reasonable standard of care when dealing with patients. This means that they are providing the best care possible to the patient in any given situation. Nursing negligence comes into play when the standard of care is violated. This means that in the same situation, another competent nurse would have done things differently and avoided the malpractice that occurred as a result.
Common Examples
Nursing negligence can occur in many different ways, but here are some of the most common forms:
- Failure to properly monitor the patient’s vitals or communicate changes to the doctor
- If the nurse doesn’t take immediate action when unexpected emergencies take place (i.e. giving medication or calling the doctor)
- Giving the wrong dosage of medicine or the wrong medication altogether
- Not properly filling out the patient’s medical chart
- Medical equipment errors
Liability
Nurses are often employees of the hospital so when nursing negligence occurs, the hospital itself is typically the defendant. If the patient was injured during the nurse’s care or while the nurse was being supervised by a doctor employed by the hospital can be held liable. However, if the supervising doctor is an independent contractor and not a hospital employee, then the doctor can be held responsible. The doctor’s liability depends on if they were present during the incident and the authority that they had.
In order to successfully prove nursing negligence and receive damages, you must prove that the malpractice occurred, that there is a party liable for the malpractice, and that the victim suffered injuries as a direct result of the negligence.
If You or a Loved One Suffered Injuries as a Result of Nursing Negligence, Contact The Snyder Law Group Today
The Snyder Law Group, LLC, proudly represents clients through 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 negligence 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 that result from medical malpractice or injury resulting from serious car or truck accidents and have secured hundreds of millions in verdict settlements. Give us a call at (410)-843-3476 for a free case evaluation. You can also visit our website www.410thefirm.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and LinkedIn for more information.