When you’re in the hospital or a healthcare facility, the risk of infection is all too real, and when the medical facility or medical professionals caring for you fail to take the reasonable precautions necessary to protect you from serious infection, the results can be devastating. If you or someone you care about suffers an infection due to medical negligence, it’s time to consult with an experienced Charleston infection attorney.
Healthcare-Associated Infections
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that healthcare-related infections (HAIs) are infections that patients acquire while receiving medical care – or soon after – and that they represent a significant threat in this country. In fact, 1 out of every 31 patients in hospitals on any given day in the United States has at least one HAI. These infections cause both sickness and death, and they add billions to the country’s healthcare bills each year.
Risk Factors
There are a wide range of risk factors when it comes to HAIs, including:
- The length of the hospital stay
- The seriousness of the patient’s injury or illness
- The strength of the patient’s immune system at the time of their stay
- The cleanliness of the facility, including how well their HVAC system performs in terms of filtration, the purity of their water systems, and the staff’s commitment to keeping the medical devices sterile
- The quality of care provided by the doctors and medical staff – as well as their attention to medical hygiene
- The care taken during intubation procedures, urine catheterization, and the administration of intravenous medication
Common Infection Claims
While no two infection claims are alike, and while each follows its own unique path based on the unique circumstances involved, common claims include the following:
- Infections that don’t clear up due to the wrong antibiotic choice
- Infections from inadequate post-surgical care
- Infections from instruments that weren’t adequately sterilized or from reused needles
- HIV or Hepatitis infections caused by blood transfusions
- MRSA infections that are highly resistant to treatment
Your Infection Claim
To bring a successful infection claim, you’ll need to demonstrate each of the following:
- That the infection was preventable
- That the infection was caused by a medical professional or by a medical facility’s failure to employ the same reasonable level of care that other medical professionals would have under similar circumstances
- That you suffered legal damages as a direct result of that negligence
The forms of legal damage you can seek compensation for include each of the following:
- Your related medical expenses
- Your lost earnings
- Your physical and emotional pain and suffering
Bringing your strongest claim can play a critical role in your ability to regain your health and well-being, and this is a job that’s best left in the capable hands of your formidable infection attorney.
Make the Call to an Experienced Charleston Infection Attorney Today
The savvy Charleston, South Carolina, infection attorneys at Parham Smith & Archenhold LLC recognize the immense loss associated with infection claims and take great pride in the imposing reputation we’ve earned for obtaining just settlements that support our clients’ most complete recoveries. Learn more about what we can do to help by contacting us online or calling us at 864-301-8767 today.