You went to the hospital because you value your health and you wanted the assistance of medical professionals. You had minor surgery, and you spent a night in the hospital recovering. You felt fine in the morning and they released you to go home.
A few days later, you don’t feel fine anymore. Your condition is just getting worse. A week after your initial discharge date, you’re back in the hospital again. This time, you have a serious infection. You feel far worse than you did before the surgery, and you end up needing treatment for weeks to get over it.
Is that just a fluke, a run of bad luck? Or did the hospital give you the infection?
It may have. Studies have found that about 5 percent of those who go to the hospital wind up getting an infection while they are there. Over the next year, this unfortunate 5 percent of patients see far higher odds that they’ll wind up back in the medical center for follow-up treatment — just like you did.
Sanitation is important. The doctors, nurses and other staff members are supposed to follow strict procedures to protect you. They know that hospitals are a breeding ground for germs, with all of the sick people congregated in one place, and they need to take proper steps to keep from spreading bacteria, viruses, illnesses and other issues.
If they break procedure or make mistakes that lead to an infection or other serious complications, it is very important for you to know about all of the legal options you have to seek compensation.