Augusta Hospital Negligence Lawyer
As a result of negligence or malice, accidents that occur in hospitals are common. Something as simple as providing a patient with incorrect medication, a nurse who makes a mistake inserting an IV line, or a doctor who improperly diagnoses a heart attack could lead to potentially deadly complications. However, other incidents that result in injuries while visiting a hospital are more mundane. Slips and falls in corridors or trips down flights of stairs could also result in serious injuries.
An Augusta hospital negligence lawyer could help you if you have endured an injury while in a hospital. While almost all hospitals contract out their physician staff, and in doing so make suing them exceptionally challenging, an attorney could vet the responsible parties for your accident and hold independent contractors responsible. This includes pursuing cases on the theory of medical malpractice as well as helping people who suffer injuries because of hazards on the property.
Claims Based on Malpractice
The most obvious examples of hospital negligence that result in an injury are those involving medical malpractice. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. §51-1-27 requires hospitals, doctors, and nurses to practice their craft with appropriate skill and care. A failure to provide this care that results in an injury is medical malpractice.
However, the mere fact that a person’s care does not go as planned is not malpractice. Instead, a victim must show that a significant failure on the part of a medical professional made a condition worse or resulted in a new condition. Examples of these failures may include:
- A late diagnosis or a misdiagnosis,
- A failure to order required tests,
- An inability to perform a procedure according to established protocols, or
- Medication errors in type or dosage.
To prevail in these cases, a victim must hire and rely on the testimony of a medical expert. According to O.C.G.A. §9-11-9.1, these must be medical professionals who have experience with the procedure or treatment at issue in the case. For example, an error during kidney surgery requires the input of a surgeon with expertise in renal procedures. An Augusta hospital negligence lawyer could help people to pursue medical malpractice claims against the parties responsible for an injury by placing a victim’s needs first, working with an in-house doctor, and using cutting-edge courtroom technology to demonstrate a claim.
Simple Negligence Claims in Augusta
Whereas claims that center around the concept of medical malpractice are always complex, claims that allege simple negligence may be relatively simple. Hospital employees have a duty to maintain the property in a way that does not place visitors at an unnecessary risk of harm.
Of course, this includes ensuring that patient rooms, walking corridors, and even showers contain appropriate safety equipment. However, it also includes taking steps to ensure that visitors to the hospital do not sustain injuries. Something as simple as not placing hazard cones around a recently buffed floor may indicate negligence if a person slips and falls on a slippery patch of flooring. An Augusta hospital negligence lawyer could help people who suffer injuries because of a defective condition on hospital property to pursue cases that allege simple negligence against the appropriate wrongdoers.
An Augusta Hospital Negligence Lawyer Could Help People Injured Because of Hospital Negligence
Injuries that result from hospital negligence are all too common. These could be the result of medical errors that constitute claims of medical malpractice, but may also involve allegations that the hospital administration failed to keep its premises safe for patients or visitors.
In either event, a negligent contractor or employee working for a hospital is liable to provide compensation for your losses. However, the legal procedures that these varying types of cases require are vastly different. A victim may prove a slip and fall case by introducing evidence on his or her own, but a medical malpractice case requires the input of a qualified expert.
An Augusta hospital negligence lawyer may be able to help you to prove your case using a variety of legal theories. Simply put, a negligent party, regardless of the exact nature of that negligence, has an obligation to compensate the injured party for her injuries. Let an Augusta hospital negligence lawyer take the lead in pursuing your case and call at any time to speak with an attorney for a free case review.
