4 Types of Lawsuit That Healthcare Individuals and Institutions Might Face

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Irrespective of who you are or where you work, there is always a chance that you could face a criminal or civil lawsuit. Different industries present different situations to people working in them, with institutions that have close contact with people having higher chances of facing lawsuits. 

One such industry is healthcare. If you are a worker or an investor in the healthcare sector, it is vital to identify some of the areas that could result in lawsuits so that you can be careful to avoid them. 

This post highlights those areas and what you should do in the event of a lawsuit.

   1. Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

Medical errors do occur from time to time. When they happen, they can cause serious harm to patients. The good news is that the affected party can sue their treating doctor, the medical facility, or both for medical malpractice if the medical errors result from negligence. If successful, the complainant can receive huge sums of money as compensation. 

As a medical practitioner or an entrepreneur in the medical field, it is vital to carry a medical malpractice cover to shield yourself or your hospital from such liability.

Often victims of medical malpractice will have a medical malpractice lawyer representing them in their case. While your insurer could have a lawyer, it would help to hire a medical malpractice lawyer to look into your interest in the case.

   2. Workers’ Compensation Lawsuits

To run a healthcare facility, you will need to hire front desk assistants, nurses, doctors, and janitors. Having employees means the chance of an employee suffering injuries in the workplace is always present. 

Under tort law, employers are responsible for the safety of their employees while on the job. If any staff member suffers an injury on the clock, they could work with a workplace compensation lawyer to file a lawsuit against you. 

Most states require all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance to shield themselves from liability and ensure that their employees are guaranteed to receive compensation if they suffer harm while at work. 

   3. Sex Crime Lawsuits

Unfortunately, some medical practitioners break ethical codes and assault the patients they are supposed to protect. Sex abuse by a medical practitioner is among the highest levels of violation of a patient’s trust and the doctor’s code of ethics, and it is a crime. 

But there are also situations where you could face a fabricated sex crime lawsuit or a patient could misconstrue a medical examination as sexual assault, especially where there is an examination of the patient’s private parts.

As a medical practitioner, it is essential to communicate every necessary step in such examinations to ensure you and the patient are on the same page. Alternatively, you could ask them to have someone come with them into the examination room.

But you could do your best but still face sex crime lawsuits. Under such circumstances, you will need to work with accomplished sex crime lawyers for help fighting your charges.

Sex crime convictions for a medical practitioner can be especially dangerous as they can cause you to lose your practice license, so you want to ensure you only work with the best lawyers.

   4. Elder Abuse Lawsuits

If you run a facility that caters to older adults, there is a chance that one or some of your patients or residents could suffer harm at your facility. If the harm is medical or as a result of negligence from a medical professional or the management, they could file a medical malpractice lawsuit. 

But there are situations when the abuse is not medical such as assault or even financial abuse. Under such circumstances, an employee could face criminal charges for the abuse. If you or your employee is facing elder abuse charges, you will need to work with a lawyer specializing in the type of criminal offense you are accused of.