Were You Injured At A New York Hospital?

Attorney Jonathan C. Reiter holds medical professionals accountable

Faced with an unforeseen illness or injury, you went to the hospital for help. Unfortunately, all too often, patients leave the hospital with a new injury or illness because of errors made by hospital staff. In some cases, a hospital-acquired infection or injury can be worse than the medical condition that needed hospital treatment in the first place.

Doctors, nurses and hospital staff owe their patients a high standard of care. When they fail to meet that standard, Jonathan C. Reiter Law Firm, PLLC holds them accountable. Attorney Reiter and his team have extensive experience standing up for patients and getting compensation from negligent hospitals.

Some of the most common causes of injury in hospitals include:

• Infections: Hospitals are full of people with infectious diseases. That’s why doctors, nurses and staff are expected to take appropriate steps to avoid spreading infections to other patients. These steps include properly sterilizing equipment, wearing gloves and washing their hands when entering or exiting rooms. Infections acquired in hospitals can be especially dangerous because they are often resistant to antibiotics, and complications with these infections can be life-threatening.
• Discharge: When a patient is discharged, the hospital is required to provide detailed instructions for the patient and his or her primary care provider. Unfortunately, in many cases those instructions are inadequate, inaccurate or not properly shared with care providers, leading to medication errors and other injuries. In addition, many patients are put at risk when they discharge from the hospital too early – often because the hospital prioritized cost over providing safe, effective care.
• Surgical Errors: Many errors during surgery are called “never events” because they should never happen at a hospital that takes reasonable care to protect patients. For instance, leaving a surgical tool inside a patient or operating on the wrong part of the body are “never events.” Some of these errors could be prevented if hospitals took very simple steps, such as implementing checklists in the operating room. Surgical errors cause serious injuries that often require additional surgery, which can result in further hospital fees for the patient. Hospitals that don’t take care to prevent these errors must be held accountable.
• Falls: Hospitals are busy places with substantial amounts of foot traffic in the hallways and entryways, especially in New York. Many patients in these hospitals need assistance walking due to illness or injury, and the hospital is responsible for preventing falls. Patients who fall down may sustain new injuries or aggravate existing injuries and set back their recovery by weeks or months.

Attorney Jonathan C. Reiter has extensive experience handling cases involving all of these hospital injuries, including a $22.97 million verdict for a patient who suffered severe brain damage while in intensive care. See our Hospital Injury FAQ page for more information on these complex cases.

If you’ve been injured in any hospital in New York, you need an experienced and determined advocate on your side. Contact us today for a free case evaluation. Call 212-736-0979.