March 24, 2014

Injured Hospital Patients Don’t Have to Fight for Compensation Alone

New York medical malpractice lawyers say there is legal help available for those who have sustained a hospital acquired injury.

Patients who entrust their care to hospitals seldom anticipate a visit to a hospital causing them harm. Yet, hospital acquired injuries occur at far more frequent rates than many may assume.

CMS Releases Hospital Error, Injury Data

“The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General estimates that 13.5% of hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries experienced adverse events during hospitalization.”

For more information about the CMS hospital error, injury data, please visit http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Medicare/25816.

Among the most common types of injuries that occur in hospital settings are falls.

Preventing falls and fall-related injuries in hospitals

“Falls are a widespread concern in hospitals settings, with whole hospital rates of between 3 and 5 falls per 1000 bed-days representing around a million inpatient falls occurring in the United States each year. Between 1% and 3% of falls in hospitals result in fracture, but even minor injuries can cause distress and delay rehabilitation.”

For more information about fall-related injuries in hospitals, please visit http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20934615.

What is even more disturbing is that in many instances, reimbursement from patients, insurance providers, or government medical assistance programs is typically sought by hospitals for injuries a patient sustained while in their care. The problem has become so widespread that in recent years Medicare and Medicaid programs have taken steps to stop the practice of hospitals billing them for preventable injuries linked to hospital errors. This; however, still leaves patients who aren’t under the protections of this type of program to be subjected to undue medical costs as a result of a hospital’s negligence.

Say the New York medical malpractice lawyers of The Law Firm of Jonathan C. Reiter, help is available for patients faced with undue financial burdens caused by hospital injuries. Many of these injuries present a valid cause for filing a claim of medical malpractice. In pursing this type of legal action, not only can one be reimbursed for medical expenses, but also pain and suffering and other damages they have incurred from being injured by a hospital’s error.

New York hospital patients who have been injured as a result of events such as a fall or trauma, foreign object retained after surgery, air embolism, hospital acquired infection, receiving incompatible blood, advanced stage pressure ulcers, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and poor glycemic control can contact the New York injury law firm today for a free case evaluation.



Source: Jonathan C. Reiter
Release ID: 5140