Aggressive representation for victims of hospital negligence, New Jersey

Hospitals have a responsibility to provide an accepted level of medical treatment and care for their patients. Any failure to meet the accepted standard, which results in medical harm to the patient, may mean the hospital administration and attending medical staff members are liable for hospital malpractice.

If you or your loved one suffered an injury because of a hospital negligence in New Jersey, talk to a medical malpractice lawyer at Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow, LLP. We have helped hundreds of our clients obtain full and fair money damages for injuries suffered because of errors, negligence, or misconduct on the part of health care providers in the state. Our record includes more than $750 million in medical malpractice recoveries for our clients and their families. We are recognized for our integrity and vigorous representation, and we have earned the right to work with many of the leading independent specialists and experts to investigate and prepare successful cases for settlement negotiations and trial.

What is hospital malpractice?

When the staff of a hospital provides negligent care or fails to provide a necessary service which causes the patient to suffer an injury, it can be considered hospital malpractice. Hospitals owe a duty of care to provide a safe environment for patients, and to properly supervise their staff who will be interacting with and caring for patients. There is also an accepted standard of care within the medical profession and within the community that hospital staff are required to comply with. When a hospital employee's action or failure to act breaches the standard of care, the injured person may have grounds for a medical negligence lawsuit.

If you have questions about whether your injury might be considered medical negligence, an experienced NJ medical malpractice attorney from Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow will meet with you to discuss your case and review your legal options.

How safe is your local NJ hospital?

Hospital Safety Grade is a service of LeapFrog, which is a consumer health care watch dog organization which measures patient safety within the healthcare system throughout the United States. Looking up your local hospital's safety grade will help you determine their safety record in areas such as the prevention of infections, their standards for preventing medical mistakes, and patient care. Each hospital's safety grade is comprised of 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data, which can be supplemented with secondary sources to give hospitals as much credit as possible towards their safety grade.

LeapFrog grades hospitals twice each year, and the following are the safety grades from Spring 2018 for a few hospitals close to our offices. As you will notice, our local hospitals earn pretty high overall marks – but even the best hospitals can have problems which put you at risk.

JFK Medical Center, Edison

• Grade: B
• Problem areas: This hospital performs below average in the areas of MRSA, C. difficile infection, infection in the urinary tract, and patient falls.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick

• Grade: B
• Problem areas: This hospital performs below average in the areas of infections, problems with surgery, and patient falls.

Saint Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick

• Grade: B
• Problem areas: This hospital performs below average in the areas of MRSA and infection in the urinary tract and surgical site infection.

Community Medical Center of Toms River, Toms River

• Grade: B
• Problem areas: This hospital performs below average when it comes to MRSA and C. diff infections, as well as death from serious treatable complications after surgery, among others.

Ocean Medical Center, Brick

• Grade: B
• Problem areas: This hospital performs below average when it comes to MRSA and surgical site infections, communication, and responsiveness.

Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank

• Grade: A
• Problem areas: This hospital had above average scores in most categories, but performed below average in dangerous bed sores, breathing problems after surgery, and accidental cuts and tears.

Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch

• Grade: A
• Problem areas: This hospital performs below average in C. diff and surgical site infections, dangerous bed sores, and patient falls.

Examples of the types of NJ hospital malpractice cases we handle

Medical negligence on the part of hospital staff can take many forms. The following are just a few examples of different types of hospital malpractice cases:

• Anesthesia complications
• Communication errors between hospitals and primary care physicians
• Delayed diagnosis
• Emergency room errors
• Errors regarding informed consent
• Hospital infections
• Medication errors
• Misdiagnosis and improper treatment
• Nursing errors
• Prescription errors
• Surgical errors, anesthesiologist negligence

When can you hold the hospital liable for medical negligence?

Given that most physicians are independent contractors and not hospital employees, the hospital where they have privileges is not their employer, and therefore cannot usually be held responsible for their conduct. When a hospital employee causes injury to a patient whether through negligence or the failure to act, the injured patient may be able to hold the hospital responsible. It can be challenging to prove that it was the hospital and not the doctor who is responsible for causing your injury. An experienced New Jersey medical malpractice attorney would know how to determine who is at fault and hold them liable for your injuries.

Injured at a NJ hospital? Call us to learn about your options

The New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers at Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow, LLP advise and represent clients in medical malpractice and personal injury litigation matters throughout New Jersey. Call 1-732-777-0100 or contact us online to arrange a free consultation with an experienced New Jersey medical malpractice lawyer at one of our conveniently located offices in Edison, Toms River, and Red Bank.