When a patient suffers unnecessary side effects or injury due to negligence in a hospital, they can hold the doctors and medical staff liable in a hospital negligence case. Hospital negligence and medical errors are a serious problem in the United States. A 2013 study in the published in originally published in The Journal of Patient Safety estimated that every year about 210,000 deaths are associated with preventable harm that occurs in hospitals. The authors believe that action should be taken now in order to increase “vigilance in medical care to address the problem of harm to patients who come to a hospital seeking only to be healed.”

The New York Daily News reports a trial that is currently taking place in Brooklyn Supreme Court involving a 33-year-old single mother, Stacey Galette, who nearly died after suffering blood poisoning and gangrene in 2009. She alleges that her symptoms were suffered after her surgeon punctured her colon during laparoscopic surgery performed to remove an ectopic pregnancy. The article lists Galette's injuries as follows:

She went into cardiac arrest three times during her 73 days in the intensive care unit, underwent a colostomy and skin grafts, and suffered hearing loss due to the powerful antibiotics pumped into her body to contain the raging infection. Both her feet were amputated at the ankle. Then, on the 64th day of her hospitalization, both legs were amputated below the knee.

Galette's injury attorney claims that doctors failed to detect a 5 mm hole that was made in her colon during the surgery despite her complaints of pain and the fact that she was running a fever and had an abnormal heart rate following the procedure. Attorneys for the hospital claim that the hole was caused by an underlying bowel condition. They also argued that a hole suffered during a laparoscopic surgery would be classified as a recognized risk and would not constitute medical malpractice anyway. Additionally, the hospital's attorney added that Galette should be grateful to be alive and can still lead a productive life despite her numerous inures.

The case is being heard in front of a jury that will decide whether negligence was involved and, if so, what monetary damages she should receive. Even a minor injury can result in steep medical bills, an inability to work, a condition that requires a lifetime of care and other issues that can lead to financial strain. If you have been the victim of medical malpractice or hospital negligence in New Hampshire, contact a Russman Law now. It is important for you to seek the compensation that you deserve in order to take care of yourself and your family.

As this case illustrates, a hospital negligence case is not always easily won. However, making sure that you have an experienced legal team behind you is a great way to start. When you call Russman Law, you will be working with some of the best injury attorneys in The State of New Hampshire and can rest assured knowing that you are in good hands.