Who is Responsible If I’m Injured During a Hospital Visit?
Q: I had to receive surgery, but something went wrong and my health is declining. Who is responsible?
Medical malpractice is a type of personal injury in which a doctor, physician, nurse, or any other medical professional who you interacted during your time in the hospital could be held responsible for a mistake that was made. You could either file a claim against the hospital or an individual. In some cases, the pharmaceutical company or pharmacy may be to blame for the decline in your health.
Generally speaking, hospitals can be held responsible for a doctor’s mistakes, but it is not always the case. Some doctors, however, are not employees of a hospital. They can be considered independent contractors, which means that the hospital cannot be responsible for medical malpractice. There are some exceptions to this, though. If a doctor is an independent contractor, but the hospital knew that the doctor was incompetent, a patient can sue the hospital.
An experienced Virginia personal injury lawyer can sit down with you to help determine who could be at fault. There will be an investigation, so it’s important to try and remember as many details of your hospital stay as you can.