Who is liable for Medical Malpractice?
When we think of medical malpractice, the image that immediately comes to mind is probably a surgeon making some surgical error, like leaving a sponge or clamp sewn up inside a patient after surgery, or a doctor misreading a medical chart or missing an important diagnosis. There are many ways in which doctors can commit malpractice and be held responsible for harm they inflict on patients. But doctors are not the only ones who can commit malpractice or be held responsible to injured patients. At Lee Cossell & Feagley, LLP, our experienced medical malpractice attorneys thoroughly investigate any medical-related injury and determine which party or parties may be responsible. We help people injured by any of the following parties:
- Nurses and Lab Technicians – Nurses, physician assistants, x-ray operators, radiologic technologists and others are licensed by the state and must meet certain requirements and practice according to certain standards. Misconduct or lack of competence can mean the loss of a professional license as well as civil liability to the person injured by the malpractice.
- Hospitals – Hospitals and other medical facilities can be held responsible for the negligent acts of their employees, including nurses, technicians and orderlies. Hospitals should take care to hire qualified individuals and supervise them appropriately. Procedures should also be in place to keep so-called “never events” from occurring, such as sending the wrong baby home, performing surgery on the wrong patient, or letting dangerous infections spread.
- Pharmacists – Pharmacists, pharmacy techs and the pharmacies that hire them may be liable for injuries caused because a prescription was filled improperly with the wrong medicine or the wrong dosage, or mislabeled with incorrect or incomplete information about how to take the drug, side effects, and interactions with other medications.
- HMOs – Taking over the physician’s role to some extent, Health Maintenance Organizations often act as gatekeepers to health care, deciding what tests are necessary and when a patient can see a specialist, all in an effort to keep medical costs down. If a patient does not receive the necessary test or treatment because of HMO cost concerns, there may be liability for any harm that results.
Fight Medical Errors with the Help of Experienced Indianapolis Medical Malpractice Attorneys
If you or a loved one have been harmed by medical malpractice at a doctor’s office or in a clinic, hospital or other facility, contact Lee Cossell & Feagley, LLP at 317-631-5151 for a free consultation on your claim. You could receive compensation for the harm done to you, including medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.
