Can Hospitals Be Held Responsible for Their Employees’ Mistakes?
There is no question that a Connecticut hospital can be held responsible for medical negligence committed by its employees while they perform work within the scope of their employment. It’s not uncommon for both the provider and the facility to face legal action after a medical error.
Hospital liability can become complicated because not every doctor, specialist, or other provider who treats a patient at a hospital necessarily works as a hospital employee. At Slager Madry, we can determine these employment relationships and help you understand who can be held liable for negligent care.
When Is a Hospital Responsible for an Employee’s Medical Mistake?
A hospital can generally face responsibility when an employee acts negligently while performing duties within the scope of employment. This form of liability can apply even if hospital administrators did not personally participate in the mistake.
Hospitals rely on many different healthcare workers to provide patient care. Depending on the employment relationship, those workers include not only doctors but also pharmacists, nurses, and many other medical professionals.
The key question is not whether the mistake happened inside a hospital, but also the employment relationship between the negligent party and the facility.
What Types of Employee Mistakes Can Lead to Hospital Liability?
Many types of medical errors can support a claim against a hospital if an employee’s negligence causes an injury. The specific mistake matters less than whether the employee failed to meet the applicable standard of care and whether that failure harmed the patient.
Medication errors are one of the most common examples. A healthcare worker could administer the wrong drug, give the wrong dose, give medication to the wrong patient, or fail to account for information in the patient’s chart.
Monitoring errors can also cause severe injuries. Hospital employees may need to monitor vital signs, laboratory results, neurological changes, surgical wounds, or other indicators of a patient’s condition. A delay in recognizing deterioration can also delay treatment.
It’s helpful to remember that not every medical mistake or bad outcome is malpractice. Some procedures carry risks, and injuries can happen despite a doctor’s best efforts. Our attorneys’ job is to identify when negligence occurred.
Can a Hospital Be Liable for Its Own Negligence?
Medical malpractice claims involving a hospital or other facility aren’t always about whether it is liable for an employee’s mistake. Sometimes, the hospital or its administrators are also to blame.
For example, some errors occur because of issues the hospital controls, such as how it hires, trains, or fires employees. Understaffing is also a major issue that can lead to negligent care. If there aren’t enough nurses, or if the professionals on the floor aren’t adequately trained, this can lead to poor patient outcomes.
Hospital policies can also play a role in these cases. Written procedures can address medication administration, patient monitoring, fall prevention, infection control, emergency response, and many other aspects of care. An investigation may examine both the policies themselves and whether employees actually followed them.
What Must a Patient Prove in a Hospital Malpractice Case?
A patient generally must show that a healthcare provider failed to meet the appropriate standard of care and that this failure caused the injury. That means just proving that things went badly during treatment won’t be enough on its own.
That’s because medical treatment isn’t guaranteed to be successful. Complications can occur even when every member of the team provides appropriate care. A malpractice case focuses on whether negligent care caused or worsened the patient’s injury.
Causation is at the center of most of these cases. While it’s usually straightforward to prove that a patient was hurt or something went wrong, showing that a physician made a mistake and that the error caused the injury can be less clear. Our attorneys will review medical records and speak with experts to better understand whether your care providers cut corners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a hospital automatically responsible for every doctor who works there?
No. Doctors can have different employment and contractual relationships with hospitals, and sometimes the facility isn’t on the hook for a physician’s conduct.
Can you sue a hospital for a nurse’s mistake?
Yes, a patient may have a claim if a nurse negligently causes an injury while acting within the scope of employment.
Is a bad medical outcome enough to prove hospital negligence?
No. A poor outcome or known complication does not automatically mean malpractice occurred. To succeed, you’ll generally need to show that your doctor violated the basic standard of care.
Can both the hospital and an individual healthcare provider be responsible?
Yes. Depending on the circumstances, a malpractice case can involve claims against more than one person or organization.
How Can Our Firm Help With a Hospital Malpractice Claim?
Our team of medical malpractice attorneys has a track record of success with these claims, and we can help you maximize your recovery in many ways. We work tirelessly from the moment we take a case to help you get the justice you deserve. Some of the ways we can help include:
- Obtain and review hospital records
- Determine who participated in the patient’s care
- Investigate the relationships among the providers
- Consult qualified medical professionals
- Explore settlement options
- Take your case to trial when necessary
Reach Out to Slager Madry Today
If you suffered an injury because of a mistake at a Connecticut hospital, the team at Slager Madry is ready to help. We will work to identify how the error happened and hold accountable those professionals who failed to uphold their obligations. Contact us as soon as possible for a free consultation.