QUESTION

Is it possible to sue the hospital for medical malpractice?

Asked on Jul 17th, 2015 on Medical Malpractice - Illinois
More details to this question:
I was supposed to be prescribed an antibiotic after reconstructive surgery on my jaw. However, I was never given that prescription, as shown on my discharge paperwork and prescriptions which is also verified by my Pharmacy. Now I have an infection and may need additional services, including a duplicate surgery to reconstruct my jaw all over again. The doctor had requested another healthcare worker to include the antibiotic on my prescriptions, and it was "not his fault." So if it was another health worker, would that person be responsible? Or would the hospital be responsible? And how would the case process be different when suing the hospital rather than a professional?
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1 ANSWER

Catastrophic Injury Attorney serving Roseland, NJ at John J. Ratkowitz
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At face value, it appears you have a potential medical malpractice case. To know which providers are responsible, an attorney will have to secure the medical records and determine who was responsible for the lapse in care. If the Order for the antibiotics was made, evidence of that should be in the chart.  If you want to investigate a case, you should contact a local medical malpractice attorney (one in your state).  They take these cases on a contingency basis which means you only have to pay if you succeed.  Additionally, initial consultations are usually free. You can use the "Find a Lawyer" service through this website to research medical malpractice attorneys.  Then, visit each attorney's website and look for a firm that has a record of successful verdicts.  Below are some articles you may find helpful.  They are written for a New Jersey audience (where I practice) but the ideas discussed in these articles usually apply in most other jurisdictions as well.              Click here for an article that discusses the three main questions I ask when deciding whether to investigate a potential medical malpractice case. This discusses the issue of financial viability. Click here for an article that explains what you can and should expect when pursuing a medical malpractice case. Click here for an article that explains how and what clients are charged when they hire an attorney to pursue a medical malpractice case. Click here for an article about damages and how we come to conclusions about what a medical malpractice case is worth. Click here, here  and here for more information about me. Click here for summaries of some of the cases that I have litigated. Click here to review articles that I have published. If you found this information helpful, I would appreciate it if you would click here and take a few seconds to provide some feedback online. Please understand that by answering your question in this informal forum I am not acting as your attorney. I am not doing anything to protect any legal rights that you have.  Medical malpractice cases need to be thoroughly investigated and to know whether you have a viable case, an attorney usually has to obtain and review all of the pertinent medical records and consult an expert.  John Ratkowitz, Esq. 105 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland, NJ 07068 Office: (973) 830-8441 Cell: (732) 616-6278 Fax: (973) 226-0031 Email: jratkowitz@starrgern.com.  Click here for my website. 
Answered on Jul 19th, 2015 at 10:08 AM

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