When we think of hospital errors or medical malpractice, we often think of the events that happen during a surgical procedure or mistakes that a doctor makes. We often forget that hospitals in and around New Jersey are expected to provide a standard level or care from the moment a person comes into the hospital. This includes attending to patients in a timely manner, observing them on a regular basis and keeping them out of danger. If and when a hospital fails to meet these standards, patients can suffer serious illnesses or injuries for which the hospital could be held accountable.
One hospital, for instance, was recently at the center of a lawsuit citing negligence in the death of a 57-year-old woman. Her death did not happen as a result of a botched surgery or medication error, her family says; it happened because the hospital neglected her and failed to maintain safe premises for patients.
Reports indicate that the woman was in the hospital because of a bladder infection. Medical staff members noted that she was also weak and seemed to be disoriented as well. This apparently did not prompt employees to keep a closer eye on the patient, and they did not notice when the woman left her hospital room without warning.
For the next few weeks, the woman was missing inside the hospital. Search efforts were unsuccessful and were tainted by inaccurate information, faulty surveillance equipment and inadequate search procedures. It was nearly a month later when the woman was found dead in a hospital stairwell.
The woman’s family was understandably devastated by her wrongful death and wanted to hold the hospital accountable for their negligence and recklessness. If the hospital had better monitoring, surveillance and search processes in place, it is likely that the woman would not have been able to disappear into a hospital stairwell for weeks. They are pursuing damages for their loss, and changes have already been made at the hospital to prevent another tragedy like this one from occurring.
Source: CBS San Francisco, “Family Of Woman Found Dead In SF General Hospital Stairwell Files Claim Against City,” March 5, 2014
