When Faulty or Ill-Maintained Equipment Leads to Medical Malpractice
When it comes to the medical profession, mistakes can lead to serious injury or even death. A medical malpractice lawyer can help those who have been injured by the negligence of a doctor, nurse, or medical professional get compensation for their injuries and other damages.
Although human error is a common cause of medical malpractice, it can also be caused by the use of poorly maintained equipment. At Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC, our attorneys seek to hold hospitals and medical professionals liable for patient injuries caused by medical malpractice from the use of faulty or ill-maintained equipment in Oklahoma.
Faulty or Poorly Maintained Medical Equipment Can Cause Injuries
Hospitals in Oklahoma rely on a myriad of devices and equipment to monitor and treat patients. Unfortunately, some hospitals choose to save money by delaying repairs or maintenance of equipment. Others may purchase lower-end medical equipment to meet budget demands.
Whatever the case, when medical equipment is faulty or ill-maintained, it can lead to serious patient injuries or even death. Medical facilities that use faulty or ill-maintained equipment may be held liable for medical malpractice in the event of patient injury or death.
How Can Faulty Equipment Lead to Medical Malpractice?
Faulty or ill-maintained medical equipment can result in medical malpractice if patients become injured or die from the use of such equipment.
Medical malpractice may have occurred not only in the use of faulty or ill-maintained medical equipment but also in the practices of using the equipment. For example:
- Failure to make visual checks: Failure to make visual checks on a patient and only relying on monitor readouts from a nurse's station could lead to the death or injury of a patient if the information relayed to the nurse's station is inaccurate due to faulty equipment.
- Relying on inaccurate information: Failure to maintain equipment and regularly check the performance of medical devices can cause doctors and nurses who rely on such information to misdiagnosis or take a course of action that could actually be harmful to the patient.
- Over-reliance on medical equipment: Over-reliance on medical equipment to monitor patients can lead to medical professionals neglecting their duties to care for patients. This reliance can have devastating consequences if equipment does not work properly either due to being poorly maintained or defective.
Holding Negligent Parties Responsible
Although medical equipment should work properly, the failure of a medical professional to notice malfunctioning equipment may constitute medical malpractice. Accordingly, several parties may be held responsible depending on the circumstances leading to the patient injury or death.
If a death or injury occurred from poorly maintained equipment, the hospital may be held liable. A medical professional may also be held liable if they failed to properly monitor the faulty or ill-maintained equipment.
Finally, if injury or death was caused by defective medical equipment, the manufacturer of the equipment may be held responsible. Seeking the help of a medical malpractice attorney can help hold all responsible parties liable for their negligence and get victims and their families the compensation they deserve for their pain and suffering.
Contact the Attorneys of Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC
If you live in Oklahoma and suspect you may have sustained injuries from medical malpractice, the attorneys of Tawwater Law Firm, PLLC can review the details of your claim to help determine your best course of action. To schedule a consultation, please call (405) 607-1400.