A hospital is not the place most people want to be. If you are a patient and hospitalization is required it usually means that your condition is dire and the specialized tools, equipment and higher level of staffing provided in the hospital setting are needed to ensure that the highest standard of care possible is delivered.
Not all of the negative outcomes that occur in hospitals are the result of negligence or recklessness on the part of doctors, nurses or technicians. But when an error that could have been prevented does occur and injury or death results, the hospital and its staff should not be surprised if patients or their loved ones seek to hold them accountable.
To appreciate the potential of harm all one has to do is take an inventory of the different areas of care and treatment that may be involved with a stay at an Oregon hospital.
The first point of contact might be the emergency room. If you enter the ER, you have a right to seen. Patients have been known to be “dumped” for lack of insurance or an inability to pay. Dismissive care might result in a diagnosis being missed or a patient being discharged too early.
If you are admitted to the hospital, tests or scans might be called for. Surgery might be deemed necessary. If test results are misread or the surgeon operates on the wrong part of your body, the consequences could be dire. If prescribed medications are administered incorrectly, it could be deadly.
The Law Office of Robert A. Miller has a depth of experience in dealing with the array of medical malpractice issues that can arise when care teams don’t collaborate, when hospital policies and procedures are ignored or delays in care result in medical errors that cause injury or death. If you suspect you have been a victim of malpractice, you may wish to be in touch with us.