Patients depend on hospitals during their time of need to receive medical treatment for their injuries and illnesses. When a hospital fails to uphold its obligation to provide adequate medical care, it can potentially be held liable for patients’ resulting injuries and death. If you have been injured or lost someone you love in a hospital, do not hesitate to contact a Cincinnati hospital negligence lawyer from O’Connor, Acciani & Levy to schedule a free, no obligation consultation to find out if you may be entitled to compensation from the at-fault party. We are experienced malpractice attorneys dedicated to helping victims of negligence obtain the justice and compensation they deserve. With more than 200 years of combined legal experience, our accomplished injury lawyers have recovered millions in verdicts and settlements for our clients. We have the resources and commitment you need to bring a claim against large medical institutions and will not hesitate to pursue the maximum compensation you are entitled to recover. All of our services are provided on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid when you obtain the compensation you deserve.
When Is A Hospital Liable For Malpractice?
Hospital negligence occurs when a hospital staff member or employee fails to meet the medical community’s standards while treating a patient and causes the patient to suffer an injury or death. In many cases, hospitals can be held liable for medical malpractice under the doctrine of vicarious liability. This means that although a patient suffered an injury because of an individual employee, a hospital can be held liable for the employee’s actions or inactions. Hospitals can be held liable for the actions of:- Physicians
- Nurses
- Anesthesiologists
- Therapists
- Surgeons
- Physician assistants
How A Legal Team Can Help You
Often, bringing a claim against a hospital is a complex process that most victims find difficult to handle on their own. These types of claims often require the help of a Cincinnati hospital negligence attorney who has extensive knowledge of Ohio’s liability and medical malpractice laws. Your attorney will work to help you identify the at-fault party and prove the hospital where you received substandard treatment is liable for its employee’s negligence. An attorney will also help you build a case that supports your claim by:- Investigating the operation or procedure in which you suffered an injury or lost your loved one
- Reviewing the credentials of the health care providers who gave you medical treatment
- Obtaining copies of your medical records
- Consulting with expert witnesses who can testify why the hospital is negligent
- Examining the hospital’s hiring process and whether its employees are adequately qualified to perform medical procedures
- Reviewing the hospital’s procedures regarding patient care, administering medications and determining the proper procedure a patient will undergo
Compensation For A Hospital Negligence Claim
Injuries caused by medical negligence can result in serious adverse side effects that cause long-term or life-threatening damage. Often, this requires patients to undergo additional medical treatment that can be expensive and time consuming. For this reason, victims of hospital negligence may be entitled to compensation for the injuries and financial losses they suffered after the accident. This can include compensation for:- Past and future medical treatment
- Additional hospital visits
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Prescription medication
- Rehabilitation
- Corrective surgery
- Medical assisstive equipment
- Cost for a caregiver
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement
- Loss of reputation
- Loss of companionship
Proving Healthcare Negligence
There are several acts of negligence where a Cincinnati hospital negligence attorney may be able to help you pursue a claim against a hospital, such as:- Failing to properly monitor a patient
- Misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose the patient’s condition
- Neglecting to check a patient’s medical history or list of medications he or she may be prescribed
- Making anesthesia errors
- Failing to anticipate and appropriately respond to birth complications
- Failing to provide patients food and water, which can result in patients suffering malnutrition or dehydration
- Failing to respond to patients needs
- Neglecting to maintain a sanitary area for patients or sterile operating rooms for medical procedures
- Failing to hire an adequate number of staff members
- Hiring unqualified health care providers or staff members
- Failing to establish safety protocols
- Duty of care: The hospital had an obligation to ensure your safety after you were admitted as a patient and received treatment from one of its employees.
- Breach of duty: The hospital or its staff breached its duty of care by failing to provide you adequate medical treatment or acting in a manner that deviated from the medical community’s standards.
- Causation: Your injuries are a direct result of the hospital or its staff failing to uphold its duty of care.
- Damages: You suffered financial losses as a result of the hospital’s or staff member’s failure to uphold its duty of care. This can include additional medical treatment to heal your injury and wages you lost while recovering from your injury.
Injuries Resulting From Hospital Carelessness
Injuries resulting from hospital negligence can have a serious effect on a patient’s health and well-being. Often, these injuries are painful and result in long-term debilitations that may affect a victim’s overall well-being. Some of the most common injuries our Cincinnati hospital negligence attorneys have seen patients suffer include:- Birth injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Organ perforation
- Viral infections
- Sepsis
- Blood clots or pulmonary embolism
- Urinary tract infections
- Flesh-eating diseases
- Internal bleeding
- Staph infections
- Pneumonia
- Respiratory infections
- Infection at the site of the surgery
- Bloodstream infections
