Going to the hospital, whether for an emergency or a chronic condition that you or a loved one needs help with, is not fun. That said, one thing many at least assume is that they can trust the medical professionals there to care for you and help make you feel better.

This is generally a fair assumption. Those in the medical field tend to be held to strict professional standards regarding patient safety. However, there are instances when medical care providers are negligent. Patients can be harmed as a result.

What happens if you go to the hospital and contract an infection because of the carelessness or negligence of the people who work there?

You may be surprised to find out just how common hospital-acquired infections are. The consequences of these infections can be severe.

Depending on the severity of an infection acquired at a hospital, addressing it will likely require costly medical treatment. It can also negatively impact your ability to perform at work, which might itself cause you to lose your source of income, at least temporarily.
You deserve to be compensated accordingly if you developed an infection during a hospital stay because someone was not careful. Pursuing the compensation to which you may be entitled will involve filing a medical malpractice insurance claim or lawsuit

Proving that you deserve the compensation you are seeking can be challenging if you don’t have the proper training and experience. To maximize your odds of success, strongly consider enlisting the help of a legal professional specializing in sepsis and infection cases like yours.

If you need a Philadelphia sepsis or infection attorney, you can count on The Weitz Firm, LLC to be by your side, working to get you the compensation you deserve. The team at our Philadelphia medical malpractice law firm will leverage our experience to negotiate for a fair settlement on your behalf.

Why Is This Common?

Medical mistakes account for more than 250,000 deaths annually in the US. That may even be a conservative estimate. Some estimates say it could be as many as 440,000. Many of those deaths happen as a result of patients acquiring infections, most of which are preventable.

Why is it that someone admitted to a hospital has a five percent chance of contracting an infection? Although hospitals should be kept as clean as possible, quite simply, when you’re in an environment where many others are receiving medical treatment, your odds of being exposed to hazards that may result in infections are greater than they might be in other environments.

Various factors may also influence one’s chances of contracting sepsis or an infection at a Philadelphia hospital. For example, someone who spends a relatively long period of time at a Philadelphia hospital has a greater chance of being exposed to a hazard than someone who is only at the hospital for a brief visit.

Unfortunately, contracting an infection at a hospital can also increase the amount of time a person spends in the hospital, which will increase the cost for the patient. In the best-case scenario, a patient who gets an infection while in the hospital will be treated and released.

The worst-case scenario is a patient dying. Nearly 100,000 people die each year from hospital-acquired infections. In fact, the CDC says that nearly 1 in 3 people who die in a hospital have sepsis, a form of infection that spreads throughout the entire body.

GUARDING AGAINST SEPSIS & INFECTIONS AT PHILADELPHIA HOSPITALS

Someone developing an infection during a hospital stay is the type of occurrence that is always unavoidable. Again, most of these infections are preventable. When a healthcare professional is dealing with central lines, IV sites, catheters, open or recent wounds, or a surgical site, they should be vigilant and ensure that all measures are taken to keep infections from developing and spreading.
One of the main ways that we know many infections happen due to a medical professional’s negligence is the fact that hospital-acquired infections happen at higher rates outside of intensive care units. Once a medical emergency is perceived to be over, it seems that doctors, nurses, and aides are less careful with patient care.
Specific reasons a negligent medical professional may allow a patient to be exposed to a hazard that causes an infection include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Failing to properly sterilize equipment
  • Not following proper steps when disposing of medical waste
  • Not washing hands frequently
  • Not monitoring patients for indications that they may be at risk of developing infections

There are also instances when the “medical professionals” who allow a patient to develop an infection are those responsible for ensuring the premises of a Philadelphia hospital are thoroughly cleaned and ventilated. This highlights one of the many reasons it is smart to hire a Philadelphia sepsis and infection attorney when seeking compensation. Because you must properly identify the cause of your infection to show it was the result of negligence, it is helpful to have assistance from a legal professional who understands how to investigate your case.

What Happens Now?

If you are suffering because a healthcare professional was negligent in their duties, you need to seek legal assistance. We know that dealing with the treatment from a hospital-acquired infection can really set your recovery back. There is no reason it should become a financial burden, especially when it was not your fault.

When you need a medical malpractice attorney in Philadelphia, you can count on The Weitz Firm, LLC to be your advocate, working to get the compensation you need for all of your expenses relating to this incident. You can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 267-587-6240.

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