Medical malpractice is usually associated with physicians who make significant errors when treating a patient or fail to accurately diagnose or treat a patient. Many incidents of negligence result in medical malpractice in the nursing profession.
The medical malpractice that occurs in the nursing profession can have the same devastating results as it does when physicians commit glaring medical errors with their patients because of their negligence.
Did you or a family member experience nursing negligence and malpractice? Contacting a Philadelphia nursing malpractice attorney at Wapner Newman helps you start the process to recover damages for your losses that occurred because of the nursing malpractice.
We understand that nursing malpractice may occur at any stage of medical treatment. Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and nurse practitioners (NPs) are all capable of committing acts of negligence by providing care to patients that is incompetent, unsafe, unethical, or in violation of applicable rules or laws.
How a Nursing Malpractice Lawyer Can Help You
Assigning fault in a nursing malpractice case is a complicated matter, which is why you should speak to a nursing malpractice attorney. The complex procedures involved in bringing a claim for nursing malpractice are not something that most people know how to approach or follow through on when they have been injured by the negligence of a nurse.
Were you injured by the negligence of a nurse? Did a loved one experience nursing negligence that was life-altering or that proved fatal to them? The nursing malpractice lawyers at Wapner Newman can review the facts of your case and let you know if you may have grounds to seek financial compensation for nursing malpractice.
Nursing Negligence and Malpractice
Nurses have a standard of care to perform, but they sometimes fail to adhere to standard clinical practices. Negligence and malpractice occur at all levels of nursing. Some examples of how nursing malpractice occurs include:
- Performing an inadequate patient assessment
- Providing inappropriate nursing care or intervention
- Administering an incorrect dose of medication or the wrong medication
- Improper use of equipment
- Failing to notify a physician of changes in a patient’s condition
- Failing to follow facility safety protocols.
Other examples include documenting care that was never provided and failing to document or report status findings or communications.
The nursing malpractice lawyers at Wapner Newman know the requirements for proving nursing malpractice. Let our experienced attorneys help you to get the best possible settlement. Contact us at (215) 569-0900 to start pursuing your malpractice claim today.
The Prevalence of Nursing Malpractice
A landmark study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examined 168 Pennsylvania hospitals. The study concluded that for each additional patient over four in a nurse’s workload, there was a seven percent increase in the likelihood of death occurring in surgical patients from serious complications. Several sources indicate that nurse staffing shortages are a factor in many unanticipated events with patients that lead to injury, permanent loss of function, or death.
Researchers published findings that indicate that malpractice cases are increasing in frequency over time against nurse practitioners. The highest percentage of malpractice claims against nurse practitioners included 41.46 percent of claims that were diagnosis-related, and more than 30 percent of the malpractice claims were treatment-related claims.
The Nurses Service Organization (NSO) published findings from a report that includes that addiction was the second most frequent injury and grew substantially when compared to an earlier report. Wapner Newman’s nursing malpractice lawyers know how to aggressively pursue a nursing malpractice claim when addiction is an issue.
Poor communication contributes to many injuries to patients. A nurse who fails to communicate all important patient information and data to a physician, a nurse who fails to communicate important assessment findings to nurses on the oncoming shift, or a nurse who fails to communicate relevant discharge information to a patient are all potentially liable for any resulting harm to the patients.
Who Can Be Held Accountable for Nursing Malpractice?
Any health care professional who provides nursing care can be found liable in a nursing malpractice case. An individual nurse is liable for committing acts of negligence.
A nurse manager may be liable for a malpractice claim if a nurse has not been properly supervised and commits acts of negligence. Hospitals, clinics, or other healthcare facilities can be held liable in a nursing malpractice claim if they hire an unqualified nurse to provide patient care and treatment.
Why Choose Us
Nursing malpractice is difficult to prove in many cases. Most people are unlikely to have the knowledge, skills, or experience needed to handle a nursing malpractice claim on their own. A nursing malpractice attorney needs to prove that negligence occurred because of a nursing professional’s action or inaction.
Did the nurse fail to exercise care that another nurse or other health care provider would have done? Did you experience injuries or harm because the nurse breached a duty of care to you or your loved one? The nursing malpractice lawyers at Wapner Newman have experience representing clients who experienced harm, injuries, or death because of nursing negligence and malpractice.
We provide personalized representation to every client. We treat you with respect and keep you informed at every step of your nursing malpractice claim. Our lawyers fight to get clients the highest possible settlement in a nursing malpractice claim.
FAQs
Should I accept an offer from the insurance company or the medical facility where the nurse is employed?
Do not speak with anyone about the negligence that you experienced or about your nursing malpractice claim without first speaking to a nursing malpractice attorney. Any offer made by the other party is likely to be a low offer. Speak to our attorneys to maximize your nursing malpractice claim.
How long do I have to file my nursing malpractice claim?
You have two years to file a malpractice claim in the state of Pennsylvania. If you try to file a claim later than two years, the court will likely not hear the case.
Do you treat all nursing malpractice claims the same?
The attorneys at Wapner Newman understand that there are unique details or facts related to every nursing negligence and claim situation. We work hard to prove negligence on the fault of the nursing professionals so that every client gets fair compensation for the harm and injuries that they experienced because of nursing malpractice.
A nursing professional who harms you or your loved one by their actions or inactions may be a cause for a nursing malpractice claim. Your Philadelphia nursing malpractice attorney holds negligent nurses accountable for their acts of malpractice. Call us now at (215) 569-0900 to start your nursing malpractice claim.