Central Florida Hospital Error Attorneys

Thousands of Florida residents seek care at hospitals across the state. We depend on hospitals to provide the highest standard of care when we need it the most. Yet hospital errors are a leading cause of illness and injury among our most vulnerable residents – and when mistakes happen in a healthcare facility, the results can be tragic. Hospitals are complex facilities that treat hundreds or thousands of patients each day. It's no surprise that those facilities are the most frequent institutional party named in medical malpractice insurance claims.

The hospital error lawyers at Attorneys Trial Group have been representing the injured in Florida since 1988. Our medical malpractice attorneys serve the residents of Central Florida, including Orlando, Apopka, Orange County, Seminole County, Kissimmee, Osceola County, and other cities and counties throughout Florida.  We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlement for our clients – and we're ready to put our experience to work for you.

A recent study from California highlights just how real the risk of hospital error is.

The study, which covered the 10-month period from July 2007 to May 2008, found that about 100 patients a month were being harmed in adverse and preventable hospital events. The reports of injuries were alarming: 466 patients developed bedsores that rotted through to the bone or muscle. Another 145 patients had foreign objects left inside them after surgery, while 34 died while under anesthesia. In 41 surgeries, doctors performed the wrong procedure -- or operated on the wrong patient or body part.

Hospital errors can happen in virtually any procedure, but some of the most common include:

• Surgical errors
• Delayed or missed diagnosis (For more information, see Medical Misdiagnosis)
• Labor and delivery errors (For more information, see Birth Injury)
• Anesthesia errors
• Improper patient discharge
• Failure to provide patients with post-operative directions
• Medication errors (For more information, see Prescription Drug Dangers and Pharmacy Errors)

Some of the most common medication errors at hospitals have involved the tiniest of patients. At hospitals in Texas, California and Indianapolis, premature infants were seriously injured, in some cases fatally, after receiving overdoses of the blood thinner Heparin. The anti-coagulant is often administered to premature babies to prevent catheter clotting, but an overdose can cause internal bleeding. The mistake in dosage occurred because infants were given adult versions of the drug instead of the pediatric versions. Both adult and pediatric vials are packaged very similarly, which may have contributed to the deadly mistake.

Infants aren't the only patients to be affected by hospital error. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies estimates that about 1.5 million patients are victims of hospital mistakes each year. Often the overcrowded emergency room is a key site for error, when medical staff must make quick decisions to determine the urgency of each patient's condition. Some of the more common ER mistakes include:

• Heart attacks symptoms mistaken for less serious conditions such as heartburn, causing patients to be released with a prescription for antacid medication instead of an accurate diagnosis. Heart attack victims may also languish in a crowded emergency room, when minutes can make a crucial difference.
• Misdiagnosis of symptoms because the patient doesn't see a doctor. Less-trained medical staff may not be equipped to distinguish between common ailments and potentially fatal conditions. For more information, see Medical Misdiagnosis.
• Failure to order necessary tests or read results. Under busy and stressful circumstances, an ER doctor may neglect to run tests that would be considered routine, and an illness or injury goes undetected.
• Insufficient staff. When there aren't enough nurses to monitor vital signs or respond to patients, or when there aren't enough doctors to treat all urgent patients in a timely manner, injuries or illnesses can worsen quickly.
• Improper procedures. Hospitals have very specific processes in place for handling medications, installing safety equipment and maintaining hygiene standards – and in urgent situations, important steps may be missed.

If a Hospital Error Has Affected You or a Loved One, Contact Us Today!

If your health has been compromised because of doctor negligence, the medical provider responsible for the mistake should be held accountable and you may be entitled to financial compensation. At Attorneys Trial Group, our Orange County medical malpractice lawyers are on your side, and we can help you make informed decisions about your doctor negligence claim. Our cases are handled by a team of professionals, including nurses, doctors, engineers and doctor negligence attorneys. We offer free consultations in your home, at the hospital or in our offices. There are no fees or costs unless we win. Contact us today at one of our convenient Central Florida locations in Orlando, Kissimmee or Apopka by calling (800) 741-2243 or via our online contact form. We serve clients throughout Florida

Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help You With:

• Birth Injuries / Birth Defects
• Hospital Error
• Misdiagnosis