Indiana Hospital Malpractice Attorney
Representing Injured Patients Throughout Indiana
Our Hospital Malpractice Lawyers Can Help You Recover
If you were harmed while receiving treatment in an Indiana hospital, compensation may be available to help pay for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. We encourage you to reach out to the hospital error attorneys at Langer & Langer to see if you qualify to file a medical malpractice claim or lawsuit. Our medical malpractice lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience helping victims like you hold negligent medical professionals, hospitals, and surgical centers liable when their acts or omissions cause harm to their patients.
Contact the Indiana hospital errors attorneys at Langer & Langer to learn more about filing a claim. 219-464-3246
What Constitutes Hospital Negligence in Indiana?
Hospital negligence occurs when an employee or agent of a medical facility deviates from the professional standard of care owed to the patient by the facility, and the patient suffers injury or death as a result of that deviation.
It is common for corners to be cut and standards to be ignored in Indiana hospitals. Unfortunately, negligent acts and omissions by medical professionals and hospital administrators can be deadly. Over 400,000 deaths in the United States are linked to negligence that occurs in medical facilities. The number of non-fatal medical mistakes that cause serious injuries is even more alarming.
Common Types of Hospital Errors
- Communication Errors
- Delayed Treatments
- Failure to Inform
- Medical Records Mistakes
- Medication Errors
- Misinterpreting Imaging
- Missed or Mistaken Diagnosis
- Surgical Errors
Hospital Malpractice Happens for Various Reasons
Medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the United States, surpassing strokes, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reports that one in seven Medicare patients in hospitals are injured by medical errors. There are various reasons that hospital errors are common.
- Communication Breakdowns
- Inadequate Follow-up on Test Results
- Inadequate Information Flow
- Inadequate Supervision
- Inadequate Training
- Lack of Coordinated Care
- Medical Equipment Failures
- Misidentification of Patients
- Misuse of Medical Equipment
- Policies, Processes, or Procedures Not Followed
- Staffing Shortages
Who Can Be Held Liable When Hospital Errors Occur?
In most cases, when a patient seeks treatment in a hospital, a team of medical professionals monitor, medicate, and otherwise treat the patient. Other hospital staff members may be involved in the flow of treatment as well, however. Anyone whose negligence contributes to the harm caused to the patient may be able to be held liable for damages. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Midwives
- Nurses
- Physician’s Assistants
- Radiologists
- Staffing Agencies
- Surgeons
- Midwives
- Nurses
- Physician’s Assistants
- Radiologists
- Staffing Agencies
- Surgeons
Should You File a Hospital Malpractice Claim?
Filing a claim against a hospital or other medical facility in conjunction with the negligent healthcare professional can help relieve you of the financial burdens you are facing because of your injuries. An injury settlement or jury award can help you pay for medical bills, replace your lost income, and compensate you for the pain, suffering, mental anguish, and inconvenience that you would not have endured but for the hospital’s negligence.
The following elements must exist for your hospital negligence claim to be viable, however.
- Duty of Care
Your hospital errors attorney will need to prove that a patient-provider relationship existed when the injury occurred, and that the medical professional or facility owed a duty to provide you with the standard of care expected of a competent medical provider faced with the same or similar circumstances.
- Breach of Duty
The healthcare professional, hospital, pharmaceutical company, or device manufacturer must have deviated from the standard of care expected through negligent acts or omissions. Examples include misdiagnosing cancer, failing to monitor you after surgery, or failing to inform you about the risks involved with a medication or procedure.
- Causation
A link must exist between the medical provider’s negligence and your injuries. A hospital cannot be held liable for damages just because an error occurred and a patient suffered injuries. The negligent act or omission must have played a role in causing injuries to the patient.
- Damages
You must have suffered significant harm because of the medical care provider’s negligent act or omission. If a doctor made a mistake that could have caused you harm but didn’t, he or she and the hospital cannot be held liable because there are no damages to recover. Your hospital errors attorney may use medical records, expert testimony, and other evidence to prove you suffered harm.
Hospital Malpractice FAQs
What is the statute of limitations for lawsuits involving hospital errors in Indiana?
Injured patients in Indiana typically have just two years from the date of the occurrence. But, a minor less than age six has until the minor’s eighth birthday to file a claim.
How much does it cost to hire Indiana medical malpractice lawyers for hospital errors?
Most medical malpractice lawyers who handle cases in Indiana accept cases on a contingency-fee basis. This means the law firm collects percent of the recovery, plus reimbursement of litigation expenses if successful, if unsuccessful there is no fee and you owe nothing.
Can I sue the hospital for an infection?
Maybe. If you acquired an infection because of contaminated medical devices or tools, infected blood products, exposure to infected people, or other contamination, you may be able to sue the hospital for negligence.
Call our medical malpractice lawyers at Langer & Langer at 219-246-4759 or contact us online to see if you have a case