Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a major public health issue. They affect millions of patients every year and can lead to serious health complications, including death.
The most common types of HAIs include urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections and pneumonia. These infections mainly occur when healthcare workers fail to follow proper infection control protocols, exposing patients to bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.
Hospitals owe patients a duty of care
Hospitals and healthcare providers are legally obligated to provide their patients with reasonable care. This often involves protecting them from any foreseeable harm, which includes ensuring hygienic conditions at the health facility. Failure to do so in ways that indicate that providers are upholding professional standards of care may be a breach of the duty of care. If so, the offending healthcare provider could be held liable for the resulting harm suffered by the patient.
Proving negligence is crucial to getting justice
You may be entitled to compensation if you acquire an infection while receiving treatment or from a healthcare provider who failed to follow the proper safety procedures. However, you’ll need to prove how negligence or another form of substandard care led to your HAI.
If you would not have acquired the infection had you sought treatment in a different health facility, this reality could point to negligence. Still, it may be difficult to prove this situation accurately, which is why medical experts may have to be called in to shed further light on what could have led to your HAI.
Get help with your medical malpractice claim
Medical malpractice claims can get complicated due to the intricate nature of healthcare professional standards and the challenges associated with gathering evidence to support a case. Proving negligence is perhaps the most challenging bit of a medical malpractice claim. Individuals who have suffered preventable harm must also observe specific deadlines and follow the laid-down procedures for filing such a claim. Therefore, it is in your best interests to have strong legal representation in order to better ensure that your case is as solid as it can possibly be.