Colorado residents may be aware that malpractice lawsuits are not limited to surgeons and physicians but can brought against a wide spectrum of health care workers and related organizations. Potential defendants in a medical malpractice claim may include but are not limited to pharmaceutical companies, health care facilities, anesthesiologists, nurses and chiropractors.
Hospitals too may be held liable, both directly and ‘vicariously,” when patients suffer damages on account of a health care provider’s negligence. For example, because hospitals bear the responsibility of making reasonable inquiries into the history of potential members of their medical staff, they may be held liable in the event that an incompetent or unqualified staff member injures a patient during treatment.
Nor are pharmaceutical companies exempt from lawsuits. For instance, a company might be held liable in civil court if a patient were to become injured or ill on account of a prescription medication whose potential hazards had not been duly disclosed by the company.
When patients spend time in a hospital, medical center or nursing home, they typically interact with multiple caregivers. In the event that a medical care provider’s negligence proves to be the cause of a patient’s injury or illness, a consequent medical malpractice suit may possibly name multiple defendants, including several members of the health care team and the supervising organization.
Victims of medical malpractice often retain a personal injury lawyer to review their case. The lawyer may help victims navigate the thickets of medical malpractice law and identify all potential defendants in a lawsuit. Because such lawsuits are often abstruse and highly adversarial, a personal injury lawyer’s counsel and representation may prove to be essential.
Source: Findlaw, “Medical Malpractice: Who Can Be Sued?“, September 10, 2014