Not all lawsuits a hospital faces have to do with the standard of medical care provided. When someone is hurt because of the condition of the facility, it is possible that the injured individual could sue the hospital.
A couple recently did that very thing against a hospital in a neighboring state. The lawsuit is the result of injuries the wife suffered when she fell on her way to the hospital’s laboratory. She said she slipped on water that was left on the floor. According to the lawsuit, the injuries the woman suffered in the incident were serious. At the time of the fall she was a patient at the hospital.
Though specifics about her injuries were not provided in the lawsuit, when someone is hurt seriously it can result in the need for extensive medical care. As those who have experienced something like this are probably aware, this care can be expensive. Injuries suffered can result not only in pain and suffering but large medical bills as well. The couple that filed the lawsuit requested $74,000 in damages.
As is the case in any lawsuit based in negligence, the process can be complicated. Gathering evidence is an important step and in most cases the sooner one starts the process of commencing such a lawsuit, the better. While cases such as this one sometimes go to trial, other times they are resolved via a settlement. Whatever the method used, it is best to work with a lawyer who has handled these types of cases in the past.
Source: The West Virginia Record, “Couple files slip-and-fall suit against hospital,” Melody Dareing, June 24, 2014