Portland Nursing Negligence Lawyer
Negligence is breach of a duty to exercise reasonable care to prevent loss or injury to another person. Nursing negligence occurs when a patient suffers unnecessarily because a nurse does not perform in a reasonably prudent manner to care for the patient. If you have been injured because of negligent nursing, schedule a consultation at Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC. Our Portland nursing negligence lawyer is a tough advocate for people who have been injured through medical errors.
Why Choose Our Nursing Negligence Lawyer?
- We have a reputation for success, after recovering multiple million-dollar verdicts for our clients.
- Our Portland medical malpractice attorneys have more than 50 years of combined experience.
- We can negotiate skillfully and aggressively on your behalf and are not afraid to take your case to trial to recover the maximum compensation possible.
What Are Some Types of Nursing Negligence?
More nurses than ever are being named as defendants in medical malpractice lawsuits. As stated in a Lippincott Nursing Center article, the number of malpractice payments made by nurses nearly doubled in a three-year period. Charges of nursing negligence can arise from a wide range of acts or failures to act that result in patient injury.
Types of nursing negligence include:
- Improper administration of medications: A nurse’s task is to administer medications as ordered by a doctor. When the nurse fails to follow medication orders and the patient is injured, he or she may be negligent. A Portland medication error attorney can help you explore legal options and fight for a fair resolution to your case. A nurse may also be held liable for following doctor’s orders in a negligent manner, for example, injecting a medication in a muscle that should be injected in a vein.
- Failure to act when action is required: When a patient emergency occurs, a nurse who fails to take immediate and appropriate action, such as calling for help or administering medication, may be found negligent. This includes failing to notify the attending doctor of matters of concern.
- Injuring a patient with medical equipment: Examples include leaving a surgical sponge in the patient, burning the patient, or knocking into the patient with a heavy piece of equipment.
What Are the Causes of Nursing Negligence?
Malpractice among nurses is on the rise. Contributing factors include:
- Hospital downsizing and nursing shortages: With fewer nurses, existing nurses have greater workloads, which increases the likelihood of error.
- Delegation: Cost-containment efforts of hospitals and HMOs have led to nurses delegating more tasks to less trained assistants. Depending on the situation, delegating a task may be considered negligence.
- Advances in technology: Nurses are required to understand a wide variety of technologies, including safety features, capabilities, and limitations.
- Increased autonomy and responsibility of nurses in hospitals: With the exercise of advanced nursing skills comes the greater risk of negligence and liability.
Who Is Liable for Nursing Negligence in Portland?
Liability in a nursing malpractice case revolves around who is responsible for the nurse’s negligent acts – the attending doctor or the hospital. If the doctor was present and had control to prevent the nurse’s negligence, the doctor may be found liable. The hospital may be financially responsible if the nurse was an employee of the hospital and fulfilling a job duty when the patient was injured.
Why You Need a Portland Nursing Negligence Lawyer
Nursing negligence cases may involve multiple potentially liable parties and complex medical issues. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys can investigate your injuries to determine and prove negligence, fully assess your damages, negotiate skillfully on your behalf, and fight for your rights in court if necessary.
Contact Our Attorneys Today
Medical errors made by nurses can cause serious injury to patients. If you have been a victim of nursing negligence, contact Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC as soon as possible. Our Portland personal injury trial lawyers are committed to pursuing full and fair compensation for your losses.