Minneapolis Hospital Infection Lawyers
Many hospitals are extremely diligent when it comes to front-end care. That’s especially true at day surgery centers, where there are no walk-ins and few surprises. But many hospitals badly neglect back-end care, like surgical recovery. Hospital administrators, many of whom are not physicians, believe that once surgery is over, the patient is out of the woods and just needs a quiet place to rest. But that’s usually not the case. In fact, the possibility for injury often increases at this point in the process. Many doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals let their guard down as well.
In contrast, the diligent Minneapolis hospital infection lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman never let their guard down and never take anything for granted. Instead, we zealously advocate for our clients in every court appearance or negotiation session. As far as our team is concerned, there is no such thing as a “procedural” hearing and no such thing as an “empty”negotiation session. These things are an opportunity for us to advance your cause. We do not let these opportunities pass us by.
What Causes Hospital Infections?
In the COVID-19 era, many hospitals see sudden spikes in admissions. There is little or no way hospitals can brace for impact in these situations. And, under Minnesota law, they cannot deny treatment to patients who need it, regardless of their medical status, economic status, or anything else.
Crowded places, like hospitals, are breeding grounds for infections, be they bacterial infections, like pneumonia, urinary tract infections, blood infections, and surgical site infections. These infections are especially dangerous for patients with pre-existing conditions.
Medical negligence, usually a failure to monitor the patient or a failure to properly respond to an infection, frequently causes injury in these cases.
A defective device could be responsible for injury as well. The Bair Hugger Warming Blanket is a good example. This device uses a vacuum to suck air from the floor, an engine to heat the air, and another vacuum to expel the warm air onto a blanket. A warm blanket sounds like a welcome item in a cold hospital.
However, the air near the floor is usually much dirtier than the air elsewhere. Heat multiplies any bacteria in the air. Then, the compressed air discharges near an open wound.
Usually, manufacturers are strictly liable for the injuries their defective products cause. The issue could be a design defect, which is the problem with the BHWB, or a manufacturing defect. Usually to save money, manufacturers frequently cut corners during the manufacturing process, perhaps by using cheap components or poor manufacturing techniques. These things often hurt people.
Respiratory infections, like the aforementioned COVID-19, are also a serious problem at crowded hospitals. Recovering patients are very susceptible to such infections. As we have seen, all the masking and social distancing in the world does not completely prevent these infections. Overall, respiratory infections are one of the top five causes of preventable death in the United States.
Damages in a medical malpractice case usually include compensation for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages are usually available in these cases as well.
Work With an Experienced Hennepin County Lawyer
Injury victims are usually entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced hospital infection lawyer in Minneapolis, contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman LLC by going online or calling 410-567-0800. Virtual, home, and hospital visits are available.
