Published on behalf of Determining whether a Pennsylvania hospital or emergency room was negligent requires significant analysis of often voluminous medical records and knowledge of the complexities of the medicine involved in the treatment. Therefore it is crucial to have a potential case reviewed by a lawyer who has significant experience in negligence cases against Pennsylvania hospitals.
Hospital malpractice cases often involve multiple departments, such as:
- emergency,
- radiology,
- oncology,
- anesthesiology,
- orthopedics,
- rehabilitation,
- pharmacy, and
- maternity.
The list goes on and on. What this means in a given case of hospital negligence is that whether the hospital was in fact negligent requires analysis of the given department/doctor that made the alleged error. The hospital itself may also be sued.
What a Patient Must Prove to Succeed in a Pennsylvania Hospital & ER Negligence Action
Under the laws of Pennsylvania, a patient who brings a medical negligence action against a hospital and its staff must prove the following:
1. the doctor/hospital committed a negligent act,
2. the act breached the standard of care as it applies to that specialty, and
3. the act caused damage significant enough to warrant bringing a lawsuit.
Pennsylvania Hospital & ER Negligence – Use of Experts
In Pennsylvania medical malpractice actions, defendant doctors and hospitals defend themselves vigorously on each of these elements. In addition, the law requires that a patient who brings a medical malpractice action have an expert opinion that the defendant hospital/doctor committed negligence. So, in order to prevail, a patient who has suffered as a result of malpractice will need to seek advice from a knowledgeable, experienced hospital medical negligence lawyer – one who knows the right experts to use.
In medical malpractice cases in Pennsylvania, medical experts will determine whether the defendant was negligent and if so, whether the negligent act breached the standard of care applicable to the specialty. For example, in the case of malpractice of an emergency room doctor, a medical expert in the field of emergency room medicine would be the only one to be able to determine the appropriate standard of care with which to measure the negligence of the original ER doctor. In the case of a radiologist who fails to diagnose, only another radiologist would be able determine the standard of care.
Related Legal Articles:
- Proving Emergency Room Mistake & Medical Malpractice in Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Hospital Emergency Room Malpractice Law – The Statute of Limitations
- Common Emergency Room Mistakes in a Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Click here to read about Schwartz & Blackman’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey hospital medical malpractice case results.
If you’d like a NO-COST review by our Pennsylvania hospital emergency room lawyers, call 215.925.4451. Our lawyers are available for a free, no obligation legal consultation.
The lawyers at Schwartz & Blackman handle cases in the Pennsylvania and New Jersey area:
- PA: Berks County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia County, Allentown, Lehigh Valley, Norristown, Philadelphia
- NJ: Atlantic County, Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Camden, Cherry Hill, New Jersey shore cities
*This website does not provide legal advice. Every case is unique and it is important to get a qualified, expert legal opinion prior to making any decisions about your case. See the full disclaimer at the bottom of this page.
Published: July 2, 2012