When The Hospital Itself Is The Problem
We expect hospitals to be safe places for sick people, but hospitals often make patients sicker than they were when they came in through the door. A study by the Institute of Medicine (To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System) has shown that hospital errors cause catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. Hospitals are working on improvements, but the same problems keep occurring.
A medication error — the wrong medicine, the wrong dose, the wrong patient, the wrong timing — can be serious and even fatal. Paperwork errors can mean a misplaced or misfiled report that the doctor never sees. Failing to follow cleanliness and sterilization protocols can cause hospital-acquired infections.
At The Law Offices of Salazar, Sullivan & Jasionowski, our Albuquerque hospital negligence attorneys have the in-depth experience and knowledge it takes to challenge hospitals in court when their actions or negligence harms patients.
Hospital Staffing, Hiring And Training Problems
Understaffing is a chronic problem at many hospitals. Whatever the reason — inability to find qualified staff, cost-cutting concerns, poor management — not having enough staff places patients in danger. Nurses, aides and orderlies simply do not have the time to check on every patient on a regular basis — and that may constitute hospital negligence.
Inadequate training can mean there are people taking care of patients who do not know how to safely transfer those patients, how to notice and report problems, or how to prevent bedsores. When a hospital has a high rate of errors, it may be because of negligent hiring — failing to check credentials or notice red flags in an applicant’s background.
Learn What You Can Do After A Hospital Error
Hospital negligence, doctor negligence and medical negligence from other health care professionals can place patients in danger. If you or a loved one has concerns about injuries caused by hospital negligence, contact The Law Offices of Salazar, Sullivan & Jasionowski today to learn more about how our lawyers can help you.