Hospital Acquired Infections Lawyers in Pittsburgh, PA
Skilled Medical Malpractice Attorneys Seeking Compensation for Injured Victims Throughout Western Pennsylvania
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are infections that a patient acquires in a healthcare facility. Patients may acquire an HAI in many different ways. Some acquire an HAI after several days of exposure, while others acquire an HAI during a quick and simple outpatient procedure.
Patients mostly contract HAIs due to someone else’s negligence. Hospitals and their staff may have acted negligently in a number of ways, from creating an environment ripe for infection to failing to diagnose the HAI before it spreads.
Though in some situations the HAI is relatively minor and may resolve on its own, many patients suffer extensive injuries as a result of an HAI. In a 2011 study, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there were 721,800 hospital-acquired infections or healthcare-associated infections (HAI) that occurred in healthcare facilities across the United States that year, with about 75,000 deaths resulting from the recorded infections.
If you have suffered serious injury due to an HAI, then you may be entitled to recover damages to compensate you for your losses. Call Berger & Lagnese, LLC, today to setup a free consultation with an experienced Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorney.
Common Hospital-Acquired Infections
HAIs range from minor to severe. Of the more severe HAIs that are likely to result in injury if left untreated, these include:
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Surgical Site Infections
- Respiratory System Infections
- Bloodstream Infections
- Spinal Infections
Some infections are more common than others, and therefore indicate a greater likelihood of negligence. Hospitals must exercise reasonable care in keeping facilities clean of infection-causing agents. Further, staff must be vigilant in preventing, identifying, and treating HAIs.
Injured due to an HAI? Contact Berger & Lagnese, LLC, today.
Negligence Associated with Hospital-Acquired Infections
HAIs can be caused by any number of negligence-related deficiencies in your health care environment and treatment, including:
- Surgical instruments that have not been properly sanitized
- Improperly-administered injection or blood transfusion
- Failure to install and monitor catheter correctly, and remove in a timely manner
- Poor hygiene of healthcare professionals providing treatment
- Negligent exposure to other patients with infectious diseases
- Failure of health care professionals to correctly diagnose the infection and treat it prior to injury
Recoverable Damages Available For HAI Victims
In the event that you suffer injuries due to an HAI, you may be able to recover damages for a variety of losses:
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Healthcare expenses (includes future expenses, psychiatric care, and rehabilitation expenses)
- Wage loss
- Loss of future earning capacity
- And more.
HAI injuries often grow in severity the longer they were left undiagnosed and untreated. The damages you are entitled to as a result of the negligence of the healthcare facility and their staff may, therefore, be significant.
Contact Our Pittsburgh Law Firm Today
To ensure that you obtain compensation for your injuries, it’s critical that you speak with an experienced Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorney. The medical malpractice attorneys at Berger & Lagnese, LLC, have been practicing law for nearly three decades and have a track record of success in HAI cases. We pride ourselves on our results. In the HAI case context, we have obtained several favorable settlements for our clients.
Call us today at 412-471-4300 or use our online contact form to set up a free consultation.
