Connecticut Hospital Malpractice Attorneys

What Is Hospital Malpractice?

Visiting the hospital is never a fun experience, yet we trust hospitals to provide an expert level of care when we need it most. Those who go to the hospital or the emergency room typically require immediate, intensive care and a higher level of treatment than one would receive at a doctor’s office, urgent care center, or another medical facility. Unfortunately, hospitals do not always provide patients with an acceptable standard of care—often with disastrous results.

Since 1955, the Connecticut hospital malpractice lawyers at RisCassi & Davis, P.C. have represented people who were injured, experienced worsened conditions, or who lost loved ones due to hospital negligence and malpractice. We are ready, right now, to help you fight for fair compensation for any harm you have experienced at the hands of a negligent doctor, nurse, or staff member while hospitalized.

To learn more, contact us at (860) 245-2412 for a free, no-obligation consultation. We can travel anywhere in Connecticut to meet with you if necessary. 

Examples of Hospital Malpractice

Hospital malpractice can involve both general negligence and mistakes made by individual doctors and nurses in hospital settings. The key factor in determining whether an individual has a claim against a hospital is whether the hospital is responsible for the act of negligence under “vicarious responsibility” (discussed further below).

Some examples of hospital malpractice include:

• Failure to diagnose/treat (including failure to diagnose/treat a heart attack)
• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
• Delayed treatment
• Anesthesia errors
• Surgical errors, including unnecessary surgery
• Medication mistakes (including under- and overdosage)
• Birth injuries
• Premature discharge
• Failure to provide proper follow-up care
• Defective or poorly maintained facilities
• Defective medical equipment and/or tools
• Negligent hiring of hospital doctors, nurses, and other personnel
• Unsanitary conditions
• Failure to take disciplinary actions against negligent personnel
• Failure to conduct background checks
• Improper training/supervision

These and other examples of hospital negligence and malpractice can have devastating and even fatal consequences for patients. At RisCassi & Davis, P.C., our hospital malpractice attorneys in Connecticut are committed to holding negligent medical providers and facilities accountable and seeking the justice our clients deserve.

When Is the Hospital Liable for Negligence?

Medical malpractice claims are often brought against hospitals or other institutions in addition to or instead of physicians.

Hospitals can be found legally responsible in several different ways:

• The hospital may be found to be vicariously responsible for malpractice by hospital employees, including incompetent physicians or nurses with repeated past accusations/instances of negligence or malpractice.
• Most medical malpractice claims against hospitals in Connecticut are based upon claims that the hospital is legally responsible for malpractice by one of their staff under the legal doctrine of “vicarious responsibility.” This doctrine states that employers are typically liable for their employees’ conduct except in certain specific scenarios, such as when an employee violates workplace regulations or breaks the law.
• A hospital can also be held liable for negligent hiring. That is, under certain circumstances, a hospital may be legally responsible for hiring or retaining an incompetent physician, or one who lacks proper credentials.
• In some cases, the actual facility is not properly maintained or sanitized, leading to infections, transmitted diseases, and other complications. In such cases, the hospital itself can be held legally liable for failing to provide a safe environment for patients.

It’s important to remember that a doctor is not necessarily incompetent just because he or she has had prior medical malpractice claims or has graduated from an unimpressive medical school. Some otherwise excellent doctors may make errors from time to time, which may make them liable for medical malpractice in that particular instance. However, when doctors have demonstrated a pattern of poor care or incompetence of which a hospital should have been aware, but they were hired by the hospital anyway, a claim against the hospital for negligent hiring or negligent retention may be considered.

Our hospital malpractice lawyers in Connecticut are ready to fight for you. Call (860) 245-2412 or contact us online today to request a free, no-obligation consultation.