When Are Doctors and Hospitals Responsible for Wrongful Death

Wrongful Death Attorney

Losing someone you love because of the negligent actions of hospital staff or a doctor can be traumatic. To put your loved one into the hands of someone you trust and have them fail you is almost incomprehensible, yet it happens more often than anyone would like to admit. With the number of negligent deaths by the incompetent actions of doctors and hospital staff on the rise, it is understandable that you may have questions about what happens when a doctor or hospital is the one responsible for a wrongful death. You may also wonder what steps can be taken to make sure it doesn’t happen to someone else.

Proving Fault

Before you can make a claim for wrongful death, you must have an actionable cause that proves there was a fault by the organization, person, or staff that led to the death of your loved one. This could be in the form of actions, inaction, inattention, wrong information, or ignorance. However, the person or entity must contribute to the death in a way that proves they are unquestionably at fault.

Negligent Hospitals

Many people work in hospitals, and most of the businesses and corporations operate like a well-run clock. There are, however, some staff member, doctors, pharmacy staff, or nurses that may sometimes fail to give the standard of care expected by a trained professional in their field. If a hospital employs negligent health care providers, provides insufficient supervision or training, and fails to maintain equipment, the business can be assumed to be responsible for a contributory portion of the patient’s death. This is due to the expectation of a high standard of medical care and supervision expected at the hospital.

Liable Doctors

Whether a doctor is employed by the hospital or is an independent contractor, he or she can make mistakes that lead to a patient’s death. The doctor can make medication mistakes, commit surgical errors, misdiagnosis health issues, or be inattentive to problems related to childbirth. When someone’s death occurs due to the negligent actions or inaction of that doctor, he or she can be considered responsible.

Although society would like to hold doctors and hospitals to an extremely high standard of care, the truth is that they can make mistakes. When the negligent actions of a doctor or hospital contribute or cause the death of your loved one, contact a wrongful death attorney, like a wrongful death attorney in Longwood, FL from David & Philpot, P.L., and find out what legal recourse you have available. You can help keep it from happening again to someone else!