Who Can Be Sued For Medical Malpractice?

One question that many victims of medical malpractice have is who they can sue for the harm they have suffered. This is not just a hypothetical question, given that the purpose of a medical malpractice suit is to hold people accountable for the injuries caused by their negligence. Here are five common types of defendants you will see in medical malpractice suits:

1. Doctors
   • Doctors are among the most common defendants in medical malpractice cases, which is understandable considering how much control they have over a patient’s care. When a doctor is negligent, it can result in a misdiagnosis or a failure to diagnose a condition, resulting in delayed or improper treatment. It can also result in them prescribing the wrong treatment, which can cause harm rather than healing it. Their negligence also increases the risk of complications that can increase recovery time, or negatively impact a patient’s chances of successful recovery or survival.
2. Nurses
   • While nurses are typically less involved in the diagnosis and prescription of treatments, they are essential to ensuring patients receive the care they need, when they need it. When nurses are negligent, it increases the risk that a patient will receive improper treatment, or have their treatment administered improperly. Nurses may also be responsible if a patient does not receive basic attention, including food, water, or hygiene, when they should, increasing the risk of complications for patients in their care.
3. Lab technicians
   • While patients interact with lab technicians far less often than they do their doctors or nurses, these medical professionals are still a key part of getting proper medical care. Lab technicians perform the tests that are an essential part of diagnosing many medical conditions, which means their negligence can easily result in misdiagnosis. This can delay treatment, or result in a patient receiving the wrong treatment, causing additional harm and an increased risk of complications.
4. Orderlies
   • While not always thought of as medical personnel, orderlies are vital to the maintenance and care of patients at medical institutions like hospitals and nursing homes. They do much of the work of maintaining hygiene at these institutions, and also help with dressing and bathing patients who cannot perform these tasks themselves. When orderlies are negligent, patients wind up suffering, forced to live in unclean conditions that increase the risk of infection and other medical complications.
5. Medical institutions
   • Sometimes, the problem behind a medical malpractice claim is not from any one person, or even a group of people. Sometimes, an entire medical institution is responsible, operating in a negligent way that increases the risk of medical malpractice against all of its patients. Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and other medical institutions may all be held responsible for medical malpractice, when it is shown that their way of operating does not meet medical standards.

The New York medical malpractice attorneys at Duffy & Duffy have decades of experience in handling personal injury and medical malpractice issues. With our offices conveniently located in Uniondale, we are ready to assist you with your case and ensure it receives the personal attention it deserves. If you want to learn more or receive a free consultation, give us a call at (516) 394 – 4200, or visit our contact page.