Hospitals may be liable for medical malpractice in different ways that are important for victims of medical malpractice to be familiar with. Medical malpractice legal protections can help victims and families who have been harmed by medical negligence in a hospital or otherwise.
Hospital negligence
Hospitals can be liable for their own negligence if they provide negligent medical care and treatment that injures or otherwise harms victims. Hospital negligence can include not adequately staffing a facility; not adequately training staff; not providing for the safety and security of patients; or negligent selection or maintenance of hospital equipment or the hospital facility.
Hospital employee negligence
In addition, hospitals can be liable for the negligence of their employees. If an employee was acting within the scope of their employment and provided negligent care to the patient, the hospital may be liable for the harm they caused. This can include doctors, surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and other medical care professionals employed by the hospital. Hospitals can also be considered liable for negligently hiring and retaining an employee.
Medical malpractice can include misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose, delayed diagnosis, medication errors, surgical errors and other types of medical malpractice as well. It can be traumatic for victims and families to experience medical malpractice.
A medical malpractice claim for damages can help victims with the physical, financial and emotional damages suffered as a result of the medical negligence they have suffered. For that reason, victims of medical malpractice should be familiar with the their legal rights and the legal resources and remedies available to them.
