When you check into a hospital, you put your trust in the doctors and staff for your medical care and safety. Unfortunately, in many instances that trust is misplaced as hospital errors committed by staff during the course of your stay can lead to worsening of your illness and in some cases result in death. Washington DC medical malpractice attorney Stuart Plotnick helps victims of hospital errors understand their rights and legal options to pursue compensation for their injuries.
Hospital errors can take many forms – from doctors failing to wash their hands between patient procedures and interactions, to the use and re-use of unsterilized equipment, to nurses and other staff failing to monitor patients. Bacterial and fungal infections to the blood, urinary, and respiratory systems of the body, such as the MRSA virus, are a is leading cause of many hospital injuries and deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated roughly 1.7 million hospital-associated infections, from all types of bacteria combined, cause or contribute to 99,000 deaths each year. Other estimates indicate 10%, or 2 million, patients a year become infected, with the annual cost ranging from $4.5 billion to $11 billion. In the USA, the most frequent type of infection hospital-wide is urinary tract infection (36%), followed by surgical site infection (20%), and bloodstream infection and pneumonia (both 11%). Over one-third of these events are largely preventable, however they commonly occur because many hospitals do not provide the resources that doctors and their staff need in order to care for patients in a safe and effective manner. Hospital employees may lack:
- Sufficient training
- Effective supervision
- Necessary resources
Without these, the level of care you receive can fall way below the accepted standard of care that a hospital should provide. Often this is the result of the owners of the hospital trying to increase their profits.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of a hospital error, please call 301-251-1286 today or contact the Law Offices of Stuart L. Plotnick, LLC for your consultation with an experienced Washington DC medical malpractice attorney. We represent clients in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC.