hospital malpractice lawyer Salt Lake City UT

A dedicated hospital malpractice lawyer Salt Lake City UT residents trust of Rasmussen & Miner understands that when a patient is a victim of malpractice, it can be devastating to both the patient and their family. Our attorneys have successfully represented many medical malpractice victims and their families to obtain the financial compensation they deserved for injuries they suffered.

Incorrectly diagnosing, overseeing a critical detail, prescribing the wrong medication, and surgery mistakes are among the many reasons that medical malpractice happens. But, the list doesn’t end there, so anyone that is wondering whether they have a case for medical malpractice is welcome to speak with a lawyer from our law firm as soon as they are able to make a phone call.

Medical malpractice occurs more frequently than people realize, and some victims may not even know they have the right to seek compensation for their injuries. While receiving negative news isn’t necessarily cause for a medical malpractice lawsuit, it can bring a peace of mind to at least know whether you have grounds to bring litigation forward.

Our team is ready to speak with you, so don’t hesitate to reach out. You can trust you are in good hands with a dedicated lawyer from Rasmussen & Miner.

Medical Errors

One of the most common and deadliest types of injuries are malpractice or medical errors. According to several national studies, medical errors should be labeled as the third leading cause of death in the United States, with only cancer and heart disease claiming more lives. There are approximately 250,000 patients killed each year because of mistakes by medical personnel. Medical errors kill more people annually than all respiratory diseases combined.

A seasoned lawyer knows that some of the most common medical errors that occur to patients in hospitals include:

Misdiagnosis: This is the most common type of medical error that seriously harms or kills patients. A missed or incorrect diagnosis may lead to a delay in treatment, causing a patient’s condition to worsen, often with tragic consequences.
Medication Errors: More than 60 percent of patients who are hospitalized do not receive their regular medication while they are in the hospital. Even more frightening, every year there are more than 1.5 million patients who are seriously injured because they are given the incorrect dosage or medication.
Unnecessary Tests, Treatments, and Procedures: Multiple studies have revealed that patients are all too often exposed to tests, treatments, and procedures that are not needed and can expose them to dangerous risks that often lead to serious or fatal injuries. For the medical industry, this contributes to their annual profit of $700 billion.
Infections: Hospitals are full of germs, but failure of medical staff to maintain the correct sanitary and sterilization techniques leads to 1.7 million patients catching hospital-acquired infections each year. These infections kill almost 100,000 people annually.
Never Events: Never events are incidents that occur that should never have occurred, such as operating on the wrong limb or leaving sponges in a patient’s body after surgery. The consequences of these events can be horrific for patients and result in severe infections, amputations, or even death.
Anesthesia Errors: When too much or too little anesthesia is given to a patient, or their body doesn’t respond well to it, things can go awry. In general anesthesia, a patient is not conscious or aware of their sensations. Regional anesthesia numbs a certain part of the human body. And for local anesthesia, a small area is numbed through a local anesthetic. Misuse of or failing to observe potential complications can cause a person to be aware during a procedure, feel sensations, or succumb too deeply into the anesthesia which can result in injury or death.

Examples of misuse of anesthesia include administering the incorrect type of dose, providing it too late, failing to put the patient fully under anesthesia, or not properly managing the administration of fluids and medications.
Emergency Room Errors: Emergency rooms tend to be choatic, however, medical professionals must be trained to handle difficult situations and have to provide a high standard of care regardless of how hectic the environment. Negligence committed on behalf of a nurse, doctor, or other medical staff member can cause serious, long-term, and debilitating injuries for the patient. Emergency room negligence can entail the following:
Failing to monitor a patient after treatment
Misreading x-rays, MRIs or charts
Failing to observe and diagnose a condition
Medication errors
Failing to observe and/or treat infections
Making the wrong medical diagnosis

Doctor Negligence
When we go to the doctor, we have a general feeling that we will be taken care of. When our doctor fails to provide us with quality medical attention, it can rattle us. We were taught from a young age that doctor’s save lives, in which they surely do, but there are instances where a mistake results in severe harm or death to a patient. If this happens, the patient or the surviving family members can pursue legal action. If you feel that any of these elements apply to your situation, we urge you to call Rasmussen & Miner today:

You were not listened to. It is the doctor’s duty to listen to your symptoms and assess what could be going on. A doctor should not shrug off symptoms that are important to you or other concerns that you express.
Your key symptoms were not recognized. Doctors are trained to make diagnosis conclusions based on the patient’s symptoms. Not making a diagnosis, even though certain symptoms indicate a condition or illness, may constitute as hospital/medical malpractice if injury was caused because of it.
Your medical history was not examined. Doctors are to examine their patient’s medical histories, including illnesses that have been present in the family. A condition may worsen that would have otherwise been identifiable.
Tests were not ordered or results were not interpreted correctly. It is the responsibility of the doctor to perform diagnostics, order the appropriate tests, and then interpret the results accurately.

What Does Filing a Hospital Malpractice Case Entail?

A hospital malpractice claim is a kind of personal injury claim. Essentially, an experienced UT hospital malpractice lawyer in Salt Lake City at our firm will ask you questions about your situation and begin investigating your circumstances in order to start building a case on your behalf that is as strong as possible. Personal injury claims generally need to prove that the individual and/or entity that harmed a victim owed that victim a so-called “duty of care” under the law.

For example, if you were a patient on a particular service within a hospital setting, the healthcare providers on that service are duty-bound to provide you with the same kind of care you’d receive from other knowledgeable healthcare providers practicing on that service elsewhere in the country. If they “breach” that duty and you suffer injury or illness as a direct result of that breach, you will likely have strong grounds to file a hospital malpractice claim.

The experienced legal team at Rasmussen & Miner has extensive experience representing the interests of hospital malpractice victims. Therefore, we know what kinds of questions to ask and evidence to obtain to accurately assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of any particular case. Too often, malpractice victims believe they have no options for recourse because their healthcare team has not admitted to any wrongdoing or even explained that a mistake has been made.

If you are unsure of whether you have grounds to file legal action, that’s okay. You don’t need to know for sure that any particular individual or entity was at-fault for the harm you have suffered in order to explore your legal options in a risk-free, confidential consultation setting. In fact, you’ll likely be doing yourself a favor by scheduling a consultation. Even if it turns out that you don’t have strong grounds to file a legal claim, you’ll have clarified your situation and won’t be left wondering, “What if?” well into the future.

Should I Speak with Hospital Administrators First?

It is generally not a good idea to speak with hospital administrators before you speak with our firm. Why? Hospital administrators will likely have hospital lawyers present when they meet with you. Those lawyers will be present to better ensure that the hospital’s interests are well-represented as administrators speak with you – a patient who may have suffered harm as a result of the hospital staff’s actions. You need to have an experienced advocate present who can better ensure that your interests are represented in such a meeting. If you don’t have a lawyer present, you may unintentionally say something that could devalue your case.

Alternatively, you could feel pressured to accept a settlement offer that is worth far less than the compensation to which you may be entitled. If you haven’t already spoken with hospital administrators, please try to avoid doing so until you’ve spoken with our firm. It would be our honor to protect your rights and interests at this time.

Our Firm Is Here to Help

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a medical error, please call our office today. The legal team at our law firm are available to meet and discuss your case and help you decide what legal options you have available. Call a compassionate Salt Lake City, UT hospital malpractice lawyer today by dialing (801) 363-8500 to set up a free consultation at Rasmussen & Miner.