N.C. Personal Injury Attorney
Hospital Malpractice
Patients go to hospitals trusting that they will receive prompt, effective care to improve their medical condition. But in the rush to deliver care, thousands of patients die preventable deaths due to hospital malpractice each year. A landmark 2009 study of patient safety in U.S. hospitals estimated that hospital errors caused 92,982 preventable deaths of Medicare patients from 2005-2007, and that represented only a fraction of the overall avoidable patient deaths in hospitals. Medical errors occur at an alarming rate, the study said. Many of those avoidable errors represent hospital malpractice.
If you or a loved one has been harmed while a hospital patient in Western North Carolina, you may be a victim of hospital malpractice. Talk to a trusted Asheville, North Carolina, medical malpractice lawyer about your legal rights. Hospital malpractice is a common form of medical malpractice. The Elmore Law Firm, based in Asheville, will review your case free of charge and advise you about your legal rights to seek compensation from the hospital or health care provider that harmed you.
Contact us at 1-828-253-1492 or 1-888-775-7876 or online at info@theelmorelawfirm.com.
Many Forms of Hospital Malpractice
Hospitals are hectic places where health care professionals must take quick action to treat patients and save lives. Medical treatment involves risks, and some patient injuries and deaths are unavoidable. But too often, mistakes occur because hospitals are understaffed or do not have adequate safety protocols to avoid preventable mistakes. A 2010 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine of hospital admissions in ten North Carolina hospitals found that 18 percent of patients experienced at least one safety-related incident. When a hospital or hospital staffer deviates from the recognized standard of care in treating a patient, it may constitute hospital malpractice.
Hospital malpractice takes many forms. Hospital malpractice in Western North Carolina may be caused by a surgical error, misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis, emergency room error, birth injury, medication error, complication of anesthesia. hospital-acquired infection or lack of monitoring.
- Diagnostic Errors—Misdiagnosis and delays in diagnosis are among the most common medical errors. A Harvard Medical Practice Study found that diagnostic errors such as misdiagnosis accounted for 17 percent of preventable errors in hospital patients.
- Emergency Room Errors—The number of visits to emergency rooms has decreased, putting more pressure on medical staffs and increasing the risk of emergency room errors. North Carolina had 453 emergency room visits per 1000 population in 2009.
- Medication Errors—Medication errors are common. Since 2000, the Food and Drug Administration has received more than 95,000 reports of medication errors. Computerized systems for ordering drugs can reduce medication errors, but only 17 percent of hospitals have such systems.
- Lack of Monitoring—Post-operative infections, internal bleeding and blood clots can go undetected and lead to serious problems, including wrongful deaths, unless hospital patients are monitored carefully. Lack of monitoring often occurs when hospitals are understaffed.
- Birth Injuries— When an inattentive doctor or hospital delivery room team fails to recognize potential birth complications and respond to them promptly, a baby may suffer a preventable birth injury
Unfortunately, the health researchers who did the study of 10 North Carolina hospitals found that the incidence of harm to hospital patients did not improve over the six-year interval of the study. Hospital malpractice remains a serious problem in North Carolina and across the nation.
Contact an Experienced Asheville Hospital Malpractice Lawyer
If you believe that your health has been harmed by hospital malpractice in Western North Carolina, contact a trusted Asheville, North Carolina, personal injury attorney for help. Turn to the Elmore Law Firm.
For more than three decades, the Elmore Law Firm has been assisting victims of hospital malpractice, including misdiagnosis errors, emergency room errors, birth injuries and medication errors in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Hospitals should be held accountable when they harm patients who come to them for help. We represent victims of hospital malpractice on a contingent-fee basis so you pay no legal fee unless we obtain money for you. We will review your case free of charge and discuss with you your legal options.
Contact us at 1-828-253-1492 or 1-888-775-7876 or online at info@theelmorelawfirm.com.
