If a nurse fails to provide a patient with competent care and this failure results in patient harm, the nurse can be found guilty of medical malpractice. Nurses have a very active role in patient treatment and care, so there is a variety of ways that a nurse can harm a patient, including failing to administer the correct medication dosage and failing to notify a doctor when something is wrong. In nursing medical malpractice cases, one of the primary issues that consistently arise is whether the doctor or hospital also shares responsibility in the nurse’s actions.
Identifying Nursing Medical Malpractice
If a patient has a sudden medical emergency, it’s often a nurse who is responsible for administering medication or calling for help. At the same time, nurses are responsible for monitoring their patients’ condition and noting anything that is of concern. If a nurse fails to follow the doctor’s orders in administering medication, he or she can be held liable for subsequent patient injuries.
Determining Responsibility
A hospital can be held liable for nursing malpractice if the nurse was acting as an employee of the hospital, the nurse was fulfilling the duties of his or her job, and no other independent doctor was in control of the nurse’s actions. If an attending doctor is supervising the nurse at the time and could have prevented the nurse’s negligence, then the attending physician can also be held liable.
Seeking Help
Medical malpractice laws vary in every state, so it’s important for anyone considering a medical malpractice claim to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer in his or her area. In addition, medical malpractice law involves a complex body of rules, so it’s essential that patients speak to their lawyers about their rights in bringing a medical malpractice claim.
The personal injury lawyers at Sussman & Simcox: Attorneys at Law understand all sides of a legal issue, so we can help explain the realities of a case to a potential client. We take on only personal injury law, including auto accidents and medical malpractice claims in the state of Maryland. For an assessment of your case, call (301) 840-0404.
Disclaimer:
The materials available at this website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use and access to this website or any of the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship. The opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual author and may not reflect the opinions of the firm or any individual attorney.
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