Hospitals in New Jersey and around the country faced a variety of challenges in 2020, which led to increased medical malpractice lawsuits. Mistakes and other problems could happen when a hospital’s staff becomes overwhelmed, but no excuses suffice to dismiss negligence and poor care. Today, many hospitals and their staffs feel stressed about increased medical malpractice lawsuits. However, the victims might suffer worse.
Medical malpractice troubles
Several reasons factor into the increase in malpractice claims. Overfilling chaotic emergency rooms with numerous patients may confuse overworked staff members. They might mix one patient up with another, prescribe the wrong medicine or forget about a patient’s allergies.
The need for more staff could lead to hiring less experienced persons. These new hires could become prone to making mistakes. Such mistakes could lead to a patient losing their life. Expect surviving family members to take legal action in such situations.
Legal consequences
Medical malpractice claims involve negligence that could take many different forms. Misdiagnosing a condition is not the same as failing to diagnose an illness, but both results could lead to adverse consequences. A physician who mistakenly fails to order a blood test could face a lawsuit if the oversight leads to harm.
Malpractice claims could extend to a hospital’s management and others contributing to the victim’s harm. A lawsuit may seek compensation from all the parties involved.
Physicians and hospitals may fall under the coverage provisions of a medical malpractice insurance policy. Filing a claim against the insurance provider could result in an agreeable settlement. That said, the insurance company might be more concerned with its best interests and attempt to settle for a lower amount.