How to Increase Recovery in Your Medical Malpractice Cases
April 5, 2017
It is becoming increasingly likely that the hospital will be included in the claim as plaintiff attorneys are very aware that courts are finding corporate negligence as a factor in many claims, and more and more states are recognizing corporate negligence as a contributing issue.
Medical malpractice cases obviously require clinical review, and lawyers realize that they must employ medical experts to review their cases. Often overlooked is the use of a hospital administration expert who can add significantly to the case by looking at the corporate responsibilities of the hospital. Adding this type of expert to your team provides the opportunity to increase your recovery by including the mandated insured capacity of the hospital in the case. In addition, the hospital always has an interest in the results of the case.
A Hospital Administrator can assist on a case by looking at the corporate responsibilities of the Hospital. If clinical errors were made was it due to the hospital policies and procedures? Could these errors have been prevented with the correct policies in place?
Contact Saponaro, Inc. for your Expert Witness Referral Services today.
An experienced Hospital Administrator Expert will review compliance with Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Executives (JCAHE) standards. When standards such as hospital procedure prior to surgery are not followed a “wrong site surgery can occur” for example. If these standards are in place and adhered to, the deviation from accepted standard of care can sometimes be avoided altogether.
When corporate negligence is a factor in the outcome, your medical malpractice case has a higher recovery.
A Hospital Administrator can assess policy concerning:
- Did the hospital staff follow the required procedures of radiologic exams and reporting?
- Laboratory testing- was a critical value reported and acted on immediately?
- Timeliness of Emergency department care.
- Accreditation and Re-Accreditation of physicians to determine privileges.
- Composition of credentialing committee – are they appropriate to evaluate a specific specialty?
- Is new equipment given the proper training to ensure patient safety?
- Is the approval for a new procedure done according to the JCAHE guidelines?
- Are Hospital policies up to date?
A Hospital has significant impact on the quality of care delivered by its medical personnel, and the ability to reduce medical errors by holding staff accountable to their policies and standards. Because JCAHE standards are voluminous and at times can be confusing, a Hospital Administrator can be a key expert witness in a medical malpractice case by identifying actionable areas of negligence and increasing recovery for your client.
Saponaro, Inc. is chosen everyday by attorneys, insurance professionals and other private and public agencies because of our strong selection of Hospital Administration Experts, and experts in all areas of litigation. Contact us today to get started.
