Unsanitary Conditions

Whenever we go to hospitals, we expect them to be the most sterile and sanitary places to be in. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case, as medical malpractices lawsuits filed by patients who suffered a hospital-acquired infection due to unsanitary hospital conditions have been on the rise in Philadelphia and all across Pennsylvania in recent years.

“The issue of unsanitary conditions at hospitals has become a widespread problem not only in Pennsylvania, but also all across the country,” says a Philadelphia unsanitary conditions attorney at The Weitz Firm, LLC.

In the vast majority of situations, unsanitary conditions, which often lead to hospital-acquired infections and other health complications in patients, are the result of negligence and carelessness on the part of nurses, surgeons, physicians, doctors, and other members of hospital staff.

You may be surrounded by unsanitary hospital conditions

Even if your doctor washed his or her hands before the examination, wore gloves and used medical tools that he or she convinced you to be “sterilized and disinfected” there is no guarantee that your doctor washed his or her hands properly and thoroughly, these same gloves were not used on other patients, and the medical instruments were actually sterilized and disinfected in compliance with established healthcare facility protocols.

These three steps – handwashing, wearing gloves, and sterilizing medical tools – are not the only elements of sanitary hospital conditions. Our experienced unsanitary conditions attorney in Philadelphia explains that you can be surrounded by hazardous viruses and bacteria throughout your stay at a hospital.

Causes of unsanitary conditions at hospitals

Causes of unsanitary hospital conditions, which can cause serious health complications and even death in patients whose immune system has been weakened by their pre-existing injury or illnesses, include but are not limited to:

  • Failure to properly and thoroughly wash hands before examination, treatment, or surgery;
  • Failure to properly sterilize and disinfect work surfaces;
  • Failure to use properly sterilized and disinfected medical tools and devices;
  • Failure to change unclean bed sheets, chair covers, and curtains, among other elements;
  • Failure to store hazardous materials in a safe manner;
  • Members of hospital staff who are sick and contagious treating patients; and
  • Not wearing clean medical garments such as gloves, masks, and clothing.

How unsanitary conditions can lead to a medical malpractice suit

To prevent hospital-acquired infections and other complications in patients, there are specific and strict state and federal health codes and regulations that require members of hospital staff to follow them in order to ensure a sanitary environment at hospitals free of any hazards and minimize the risk of exposure to dangerous bacteria and viruses.

Violations of these state and federal health codes regulating sanitary hospital conditions can lead to serious injuries, illnesses, and even fatalities. If you have reason to believe that a hospital or doctor failed to ensure a sanitary and sterile environment during your stay or treatment, you may be able to pursue monetary compensation by filing a medical malpractice claim.

If you have contracted a preventable hospital-acquired infection and require additional medical treatment, you should be compensated for your medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering, future medical expenses, and other damages. Speak to our Philadelphia unsanitary conditions lawyer from The Weitz Firm, LLC, to determine the value of your medical malpractice claim. Get a free consultation by calling our offices at 267-587-6240.

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