Indianapolis Hospital Negligence Attorneys

Every year in America, over 100,000 people lose their lives due to hospital negligence. This alarming statistic serves as a stark reminder of both the potential severity and frequency of malpractice in hospital settings. Patients should not have to worry about the quality of care that they will receive when they are ill or injured enough to require a hospital visit. Medical professionals have a significant responsibility to the persons in their care, and when they fail in this duty then the consequences can be disastrous for an individual whose health was already compromised.

If you or your loved one has been harmed due to the negligence of hospital staff, whether doctors, nurses, administrators, or others, then it may be in your best interest to pursue financial compensation through a civil lawsuit. Contact the Indianapolis hospital negligence attorneys of Hankey Marks & Crider, at 317-634-8565 to speak with a skilled and experienced lawyer about your legal rights in this matter.

Do I Need a Hospital Negligence Attorney?

Hospital negligence cases have many variables, including the large number of healthcare professionals who are involved in your care and the numerous ways that a medical error can occur. Although it may seem obvious that the doctor or nurse who made the mistake is responsible for your injuries, the hospital itself may also be held responsible in certain cases. Hospitals must hire competent staff, train them properly, keep the building and all equipment clean, have procedures in place to keep patients safe, and more.

The large number of factors involved means that hiring an experienced hospital negligence attorney is necessary to sort out who was liable for the error and to obtain the compensation that you deserve. Additionally, it is important to understand that since negligence can occur in a wide variety of ways, not every instance of negligence will result in a successful medical malpractice suit. A knowledgeable, skilled attorney can help you to decide whether or not it is worthwhile to pursue a lawsuit in your particular situation.

Why Choose Hankey Marks & Crider to Handle My Case?

The attorneys at Hankey Marks & Crider are highly-rated, experienced legal advocates in hospital negligence cases. Our firm’s lawyers have over 75 years of combined experience in medical malpractice cases that involve clients injured by healthcare professionals in a hospital setting. We bring our decades of experience to every case, whether it results in a negotiated settlement or a trial. We will also strategically use experts to determine the most likely cause of your injuries and hold the responsible healthcare professionals accountable.

At Hankey Marks & Crider, we are devoted to assisting patients who have been injured through no fault of their own. If you have been injured due to hospital negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. We are strategic legal professionals deeply-invested in helping you recover the compensation you are entitled to. Our experienced and compassionate attorneys are here to provide you with the best possible representation during a very difficult time in your life.

Types of Hospital Negligence

The variety of ways in which hospital negligence may come to pass is only matched by the variety of illnesses and injuries that its doctors and nurses are expected to treat. The following kinds of dangerous errors made by these professionals can be severely adverse for a patient’s health:

  • Failure to Diagnose: A failure to diagnose can lead to a delay in treatment, which can make complications worse. In proving a failure to diagnose, the attorney must show that a competent doctor in the same situation would have correctly diagnosed the issue.
  • Improper Diagnosis: Misdiagnosis can occur when a doctor observes symptoms as being related to a different condition than the one the patient is actually suffering from. At other times, misdiagnosis can arise when test results are misinterpreted or a test was performed incorrectly. In proving that a healthcare professional has given the patient a wrong diagnosis, the attorney must show that a doctor in the same specialty would not have given an incorrect diagnosis of the condition.
  • Improper Treatment: This can result where a doctor selects the wrong course of treatment. Similarly, a doctor may choose the same course of treatment that a competent doctor would choose, but may administer it incorrectly.
  • Surgical Errors: Whether it involves operating on the wrong body part, operating incorrectly, or leaving an object behind in the body after an operation, there are many ways that a surgical error may take place.
  • Prescription Errors: An error in medication can occur when the wrong medication or the wrong dose of a correct medication is administered.
  • Anesthesia Errors
  • Equipment and Supplies Malfunctions

If you have been injured due to a hospital negligence, you may be able to bring a successful medical malpractice claim. Your attorney must demonstrate the four elements of negligence in order to be successful in your case. These four elements include:

  • Duty: When a doctor-patient relationship is established, the doctor has a duty to treat you according to the standard of care. This means that the doctor must treat you in the same way that another reasonably competent doctor in the same or similar situation would treat you.
  • Breach: A breach of duty occurs when a doctor or other healthcare provider fails to ensure that your medical treatment meets the standard of care. Proving this usually requires testimony from other medical experts.
  • Causation: The breach of duty must be the direct cause of your injury. You must show that you would not have been injured if the breach of duty had not occurred.
  • Damages: The breach of duty that caused your injury must result in significant damages. Medical records and bills can demonstrate that your injuries caused you significant expenses and physical pain.

In a successful hospital negligence malpractice lawsuit, you may recover the following:

  • Medical expenses: If you have been injured by hospital negligence, you will likely have additional medical expenses to address the issues that arise from negligent medical care.
  • Lost wages: If you were employed and are unable to work because of your injuries, you may be entitled to compensation.
  • Lost earning potential: If you will be unable to return to work at the same pay as before, you can be compensated for future lost wages.
  • Pain and suffering: This is a measure of the physical and psychological effects you have suffered as a result of your injury.

If your loved one tragically passed away as a result of hospital negligence, you can seek compensation for the following through a wrongful death claim:

  • Death benefits: These include compensation for funeral and burial expenses.
  • Lost future wages: These include what the deceased individual would have been expected to earn in the future.
  • Lost benefits: These include things such as insurance benefits.
  • Lost companionship: This is the loss of a family relationship, and it is called the loss of consortium when it applies to a spouse.

Regardless of the nature of your hospital negligence case, when you or a loved one has been injured, the effects can be serious. At Hankey Marks & Crider, we understand that an injury requires you and your loved ones to face adversity, and we are here to help.

Contact Us

If you or your loved one is a victim of hospital negligence, you should report your case and speak to an Indianapolis hospital negligence attorney today. You may be entitled to compensation. By holding a negligent doctor or facility, you may be able to assist in preventing others from suffering the same fate. Contact the Indianapolis hospital negligence attorneys at Hankey Marks & Crider, today at 317-634-8565.