When someone suffers an infection in a hospital, they may wonder how hospital-acquired infections lead to malpractice claims in Ohio. An infection may not necessarily result from negligence. However, when a healthcare provider breaches the applicable standard of care and causes an infection or exacerbation of an existing infection, a malpractice claim may arise.
Patients in Toledo receive care from medical professionals at places like ProMedica Toledo Hospital, Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center, and Mercy Health – St. Anne Hospital, among others. A serious infection after medical treatment may lead to extensive records showing when infection symptoms appeared and how care providers responded.
Understanding Healthcare Infections
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are among the most common patient-safety issues. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about one in 38 hospital patients experienced at least one healthcare-associated infection. Nationwide, there were an estimated 518,000 healthcare-associated infections in 2023. During that year, 2.6% of patients who were admitted to a hospital experienced one or more HAIs.
Some infections occur even when proper precautions are taken. To succeed on a legal claim, a patient would still need to prove negligent medical care and resulting injuries.
When an Infection Is Medical Negligence
Patients can experience negligent medical care before, during, and after hospital treatment. For instance, the patient might develop an infection after surgery and later suffer unreasonable delay in diagnosis. Other situations might involve inadequate cleaning of a wound or surgical incision, mishandling of a catheter or another medical device, or failure to take appropriate action based on lab results.
If the patient develops symptoms of an infection, any of these concerns could become a major issue. For example, fever, worsening pain, drainage, confusion, or other changes in vital signs could require additional evaluation depending on the medical circumstances.
Essentially, the question becomes whether the hospital executed proper medical care and if medical care that was reasonably appropriate would have identified or treated the infection differently.
Infections Progressing to Sepsis
Infections sometimes escalate to sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening complication of infection characterized by organ damage and inflammation. If sepsis occurs, the timeline of the patient’s medical care might play a critical role in a legal case.
Documentation can prove when medical providers recorded relevant symptoms, when the patient received laboratory testing, and when antibiotics or other treatment was initiated. Provided enough time has passed to investigate the claim, this evidence could establish whether treatment was unreasonably delayed.
Causation must still be demonstrated, even when the timeline indicates lags in treatment. In general, medical professionals must review the claim and offer an opinion as to whether earlier intervention would likely have reduced the severity of a patient’s injuries. Medical claims also have time limits for investigation under Ohio infection laws. Ohio Revised Code § 2305.113 generally requires that medical claims be filed within one year after the claim accrues.
A History of Successful Medical Malpractice Cases
At Spangenberg Shibley & Liber, our medical malpractice attorneys focus on serious cases. We aim to serve clients whose injuries are permanent and clients who have lost loved ones due to preventable mistakes.
Our attorneys have obtained over $1 billion for clients since 1946. During the past two years, our firm has recovered 25% of all verdicts exceeding $1 million in Ohio. However, past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits.
Hire an Infections Lawyer Today
A patient may decide to hire an infections lawyer after developing permanent disabilities, incurring significant additional treatment costs, or suffering death as a result of allegedly negligent care. A Toledo infections attorney can walk you through the legal process of seeking compensation for your injuries.
Once jurisdiction and venue requirements have been satisfied, a Toledo medical malpractice claim may be filed in the Lucas County Common Pleas Court, 700 Adams Street, Toledo, OH 43604. We can represent you if your case proceeds to court. Contact us today to learn about your options.
