Can You Sue For A Hospital-Acquired Infection?
Whenever you’re at a hospital, you expect to get the treatment you need and fully recover. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Accidents like hospital-acquired infections affect 1 in 31 patients, costing billions of dollars in additional medical costs each year. If you or someone you know has been a victim of this situation, you can file a claim and get compensation for damages.
What Is A Hospital-Acquired Infection?
Also known as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), hospital-acquired infections typically happen as soon as or after you receive medical treatment. Hospitals and other medical institutions are crawling with bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens due to the sheer number of sick patients visiting each day. Even if medical professionals need to follow safety protocols, an HAI can develop at any time and be incredibly challenging to treat.
Most Common Hospital-Acquired Infections
There are many types of HAIs that affect patients, but some of the most common ones you could see in healthcare settings are:
- Surgical site infections (SSIs)
- Pneumonia
- Skin And Soft Tissue Infections
- MRSA infections
- Sepsis
- Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP)
- Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections
Who Can Be Held Liable For An HAI?
Proving liability can be one of the most challenging parts of a medical malpractice case, especially for HAIs. These infections can attack anyone, even if hospital staff follow safety protocols. For this reason, you may not end up receiving any compensation for additional damages.
However, you could have a case if you make the connection if the hospital staff’s negligence was the main reason for the infection, such as a nurse not using gloves or a hospital not having appropriate safety protocols. Always have all relevant medical documentation that details your time in the hospital and what led to your infection.
What Could Impact Your Settlement?
Every medical malpractice case is different, including the compensation you might receive. Here are a few factors that could affect your final settlement:
The Accident’s Details
The evidence you present about the infection plays an important role. This includes how and when you contracted your illness, the type of treatment, and whether medical staff could’ve prevented it. The more relevant information you have, the greater your chance of a successful claim.
Hospital Protocol
Every medical professional and facility has a duty of care and strict regulations they need to follow with each patient. If they failed to do this, the court might perceive this as negligence. Additionally, failure to follow basic protocols like isolating sick patients or using sterilized equipment could further strengthen your case and lead to higher compensation.
How The Infection Affected Your Life
The severity of an infection could determine how much they end up receiving in the settlement. Depending on your case, you could receive compensation for:
- Physical damages
- Additional medical treatments
- Loss of income
- Long-term health complications
- Pain and suffering
The bigger the impact these factors have on your life, the more compensation you could receive.
We’re Here To Help
Have you experienced a hospital-acquired infection and are seeking justice for your injuries? Our New York medical malpractice lawyers are here to help you. We’ll guide you through the entire process and help you win the compensation you deserve. Please contact us using our online form or call us at (866) 442-0513 to schedule a free consultation with one of our legal experts today.