Brevard County Hospital Error Attorneys

What Is the Difference between Medical Malpractice and Hospital Errors?

Hospital errors fall into a particular subcategory of medical malpractice. Rather than suing a specific doctor, clients pursue a lawsuit against the hospital as a whole.

The quality of care you receive at a hospital is hugely influenced by the training, education, supervision, and resources provided to their employees. Unfortunately, because most hospitals in the US are owned by corporations and run as businesses, cutting costs is often prioritized over providing optimum care. Hospitals can cut corners to speed up diagnosis and treatment. If doctors, nurses, or staff members do not have the resources to treat or manage a patient’s condition, or are overworked, they are more likely to make mistakes. 

While a doctor or nurse should be liable for their actions, often it is a hospital-set restriction that is ultimately responsible. Hospital error lawsuits can consequently secure compensation for patients harmed by errors and penalize poorly run hospitals. If necessary, a client can pursue lawsuits against both the doctor and the hospital for a harmful medical error.

Common Hospital Errors

Some of the common problems caused by hospital errors include:

• Bedsores or pressure sores
• Surgical mistakes
• Anesthesia errors
• Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose
• Prescription or pharmaceutical errors 
• Improper use of a medical device
• Failure to recognize or communicate a patient’s change in condition
• Performing procedures without adequate training

While hospital errors may cause only minor problems, they can also lead to considerable damage. Surgical mistakes can leave patients with significant blood loss or severe infection, while an anesthetic error can cause allergic reactions or worse. Misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose, or even a failure to update fellow doctors or nurses on a patient’s situation can result in the difference between recovery and a deteriorating condition.

Elements of A Successful Case

Like medical malpractice suits, a successful hospital error case must prove that:

• The hospital made an error
• The error caused a client’s injury, condition, or suffering

While straightforward, the second point is usually difficult to prove. An experienced hospital errors attorney can present a compelling case on your behalf, and help you secure the compensation you deserve. Your attorney will likely call in one or more experts to testify that, in the same situation, they would have acted differently.

It is important to keep in mind when considering a malpractice suit that there may be caps on the amount of compensation you can receive. In Florida, this cap is limited to non-economic damages. Pain or suffering, mental anguish, anxiety, loss of companionship, and scarring or disfigurement are difficult to quantify, and compensation is limited to $750,000. However, no cap is placed on economic damages. 

Get Help From Our Expert Medical Malpractice Attorneys Today

Stephen Charpentier and his team of personal injury attorneys have the resources and experience to provide victims of negligent conduct with the apt representation necessary to collect. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can go through hospital records to establish negligence or a deviation from normal protocol, giving you a strong chance of claiming compensation. Reach out today to set up a consultation and discuss your case with a member of our team.