Just as you would trust a bank to handle your money, or a post office to manage your mail, you would trust a hospital to provide skillful care while you are recovering from an injury or illness. Unfortunately, even though hospital patients are entitled to a high level of care, hospital systems do not always deliver on their promises to patients. Regardless of whether a hospital is operated by a private company or a public agency, issues like systemic disorganization, misuse of funds, failure to provide adequate employee training, and failure to maintain safe and sanitary premises can all contribute to poor patient care, ultimately resulting in personal injury or wrongful death.
If you, your husband or wife, your son or daughter, or another family member developed an infection or suffered an injury while hospitalized at a nonprofit or for-profit hospital anywhere in the Miami metropolitan area, Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA can fight aggressively on your family’s behalf to hold the facility accountable and pursue financial compensation. Depending on the specific facts of your case, it may be possible to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, reduced earning capacity, and other losses caused by your hospital infection or injury.
For a free legal consultation concerning a hospital negligence claim, contact Prosper Shaked at (305) 694-2676. Prosper Shaked is proud to give a voice to injured patients in Miami-Dade County and throughout the rest of Florida.
Can I Sue a Florida Hospital for Negligence?
Negligence is a fundamental concept in personal injury and wrongful death claims. In law, “negligence” is broadly defined as the failure to exercise due care, resulting in preventable injury, illness, death, and/or financial loss. In order to recover compensation following an injury, or the death of a loved one, the plaintiff or claimant must generally show that the parties at fault acted with negligence.
However, it is not only individuals who can be negligent. A facility or business entity, such as a hospital, can also be negligent. While doctor negligence typically involves medical errors like making a misdiagnosis or surgical error, hospital negligence is a broader concept that extends to factors like how properly the staff conducts their duties, how safe the premises is for patients, and how medical equipment is allocated, stored, maintained, and used. For example, if a patient was injured in a slip and fall accident that occurred in the hospital’s parking lot, the hospital facility itself, rather than an individual doctor, would likely be the negligent party.
You may have grounds for a claim or lawsuit against a hospital if you were injured, developed an infection, or developed an illness due to the actions of a doctor, nurse, administrative worker, maintenance worker, or other hospital staff members. Prosper Shaked will sit down with you to discuss your injury in detail, and make a determination as to whether you should file a medical malpractice claim, misdiagnosis injury claim, birth injury claim, hospital negligence claim, or other type of injury claim involving negligence in a healthcare setting.
Common Injuries, Infections, and Accidents at Hospitals in Florida
Hospital negligence can result in a wide array of injuries and medical conditions. For instance, it is common for both admitted patients and hospital workers to develop painful, sometimes life-threatening infections due to bacterial exposure from contaminated surfaces, linens, or medical instruments.
One of the most serious examples of this is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which can strike employees, patients, and visitors alike. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “In a healthcare setting, such as a hospital or nursing home, MRSA can cause severe problems including bloodstream infections, pneumonia and surgical site infections. If not treated quickly, MRSA infections can cause sepsis and death.”
MRSA, though incredibly dangerous, is far from being the only type of infection, illness, or injury that can occur when a hospital is poorly managed, organized, or maintained. Other common accidents and injuries associated with hospital negligence include:
- Injury and illness caused by preventable issues like failure to consult with specialists, failure to order the necessary lab tests, failure to prevent the retention of surgical objects (such as gauze) after surgery, failure to use medical equipment properly, failure to stabilize patients who are in critical condition, and failure to prioritize or manage patient care appropriately.
- Neglect of patients, which can rapidly lead to bed sores, dehydration, starvation, or other life-threatening medical conditions.
- Physical or sexual abuse of patients, potentially related to inadequate supervision or training, or to the hospital’s failure to perform adequate background checks on employees and job applicants. Bedbound and sedated patients are at highest risk.
- Slip and fall accidents in parking lots, parking garages, or common areas like hallways, lobbies, and cafeteria spaces. Accidental falls in hospitals can lead to bone fractures, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), spinal cord injuries (SCI), soft tissue injuries, dislocated joints, broken teeth, facial injuries, and other injuries.
Miami Hospital Negligence Attorney Representing Malpractice Victims
Hospitals are required to provide a high standard of care for visitors, patients, and their own employees. If you became seriously ill, or sustained a serious injury, while you were working or being treated at a hospital in Miami or the Miami area, you may have grounds to file a claim against the facility where your accident occurred.
If you or a loved one was harmed due to hospital negligence, Prosper Shaked can fight for compensation while working to hold the facility accountable. For a free consultation concerning a hospital injury in the Miami area, contact our personal injury law firm right away at (305) 694-2676.