What Happens When Nurses or Technicians Cause Harm in a Hospital?
When you think about medical malpractice, doctors, surgeons, and specialists may come to mind. The truth is, however, that the same legal principle applies to nurses and technicians. And both the hospital and the individual healthcare provider can be held legally responsible. If you’ve suffered an injury from a nurse or technician’s medical negligence, it’s time to consult with our experienced Cherry Hill medical malpractice attorneys at Ginsberg & O’Connor.
Nurses, Techs, and Medical Malpractice in NJ
When a patient is harmed by a nurse’s or tech’s professional negligence, they can seek compensation through a medical malpractice claim. For medical malpractice to apply, the medical provider must have breached the standard of care accepted by the medical profession.
This translates to doing something other than what their professional peers would have done in a similar situation. A professional peer in this context means a medical professional with a similar level of experience or training.
Vicarious Responsibility
Hospitals employ the nurses and technicians who work for them. The legal doctrine of vicarious responsibility holds medical facilities legally liable for the negligent acts of their employees in the course of their work.
This means that, if you’re harmed by a nurse or technician’s professional negligence, you can hold both the hospital and the individual responsible. And doing so can strengthen your claim.
Your Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
You’ll file your medical malpractice lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, in Camden County. New Jersey law allows you to file a claim against both the hospital and the nurse or technician in question, and the advantages of choosing both include the following:
- You can count on the hospital’s insurance coverage to be comprehensive, which means you can seek compensation for your complete losses.
- By naming the hospital, you address the systemic nature of the issue that caused you to be injured. Medical mistakes are rarely made in a vacuum, and addressing broader accountability can support broader improvements.
It’s also a good idea to include the nurse or technician’s name in your case. Doing so can help preserve key testimony, which your seasoned medical malpractice lawyer will acquire via a deposition that’s taken under oath. Failure to name the individual medical provider could shield them from specific discovery procedures and from certain liabilities, which could weaken your case.
The Kinds of Errors that Often Qualify as Medical Negligence
The kinds of harmful errors that often qualify as medical negligence on the part of nurses and technicians include all the following:
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Administration of the wrong drug or the wrong dosage
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Failure to adequately monitor the patient
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Failure to communicate troubling changes in the patient’s condition to the attending physician
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Failure to properly assess the patient’s risk of falling or failure to provide them with the level of assistance required
Our Experienced Cherry Hill Medical Malpractice Lawyers Care About You and Your Case
Our reputable Cherry Hill medical malpractice attorneys at Ginsberg & O’Connor will spare no effort in pursuit of the compensation you deserve. For more information, don’t delay contacting us online or giving our firm a call at 856-727-1991 today.