Hospital Nurse Neglect

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Corpus Christi, TX

When a patient is under the care of a hospital, their doctor(s) and/or surgeon(s) are not the only medical professionals who bear responsibility for their health and well-being.

Nurses are charged with a number of responsibilities to ensure that patients receive the proper care and attention for their conditions, including but not limited to:

• Monitoring the patient after surgery
• Administering medication at appropriate dosages and intervals
• Caring for wounds and/or surgical incisions as they begin to heal
• Coordinating with other medical staff to ensure the patient is properly cared for throughout their hospital stay

Hospital nurse neglect cases—which fall under the general categories of medical malpractice and tort law—occur when a patient is injured, falls ill, or is otherwise traumatized by negligence on the part of one or more hospital nurses.

Contact the Corpus Christi medical nurse neglect lawyers at Bandas Law Firm, P.C. for a free consultation regarding your potential claim; (361) 238-2789.

Examples of Hospital Nurse Neglect

Not every accident or medical incident that occurs in a hospital can be deemed medical malpractice. However, if you suffer harm due to the negligent action or inaction of a nurse while you are in the hospital, you most likely have a hospital nurse neglect case. Cases like this include instances when a competent nurse acting diligently could have prevented the injury or other harm from occurring.

Some examples of hospital nurse neglect include:

• Failure to intervene when action is necessary – After surgery and/or while in hospital care, your nurses are your “front line.” They are responsible for responding to sudden patient emergencies or changes in condition, and they must take immediate action when a patient is in distress, including taking such steps as calling for medical help or administering proper medication.
• Improperly administering medication – Nurses are responsible for properly administering the correct medications in the appropriate dosages. If a nurse fails to follow doctors’ orders and injects medication improperly, uses the wrong medication or dosage, or administers the medication to the wrong patient, this is considered negligent behavior.
• Misuse of medical equipment – If a nurse’s misuse of a piece of medical equipment results in injury or harm to a patient, this is considered malpractice and is a case of nurse neglect.

Who Is Responsible in a Hospital Nurse Neglect Case?

In most medical malpractice cases involving negligence on the part of a nurse, either the hospital or the attending doctor will be considered responsible. If the attending doctor was present at the time of the incident and able to prevent it—as in the case of a nurse leaving a sponge inside a patient during surgery—they will be considered responsible.

If the attending doctor was not present and/or did not have the ability to prevent the incident, the hospital will likely be held accountable for the nurse’s negligence.

For the hospital to be responsible for negligence, three factors must be true:

• The nurse was employed by the hospital at the time of the incident
• The nurse was on duty, fulfilling responsibilities for the patient when the patient was injured or otherwise harmed
• The nurse was not being overseen or supervised by a doctor not in the hospital’s employ

Call an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney Today

If you believe that you or someone you love has suffered an illness, injury, or other harm due to hospital nurse neglect, you may be owed compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and/or other damages. To be awarded compensation, however, you must prove that negligence occurred and that the incident could have been prevented by competent nursing care.

For a free case analysis and consultation, call Bandas Law Firm, P.C. today at (361) 238-2789 or fill out our online contact form and we will respond to you as soon as possible.