Hospital-Acquired Infection Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA

You never expect to leave the hospital in worse health than when you arrived.  Patients who contract infections during their hospital stays quickly realize that their health has been jeopardized by the hospital stay itself. Hospital-acquired infections are alarmingly common and can lead to serious health complications, unnecessary, painful treatment, and even death. If you acquired an infection while in a Pennsylvania hospital, it is important to speak with a Pittsburgh hospital-acquired infection lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice cases.  Matzus Law, LLC has been fighting to get fair compensation for victims of medical malpractice.  We understand the medicine behind hospital-acquired infections and we know how the legal system works.

Most hospital-acquired infections are not only entirely preventable but are also easily preventable.  Frequent hand washing and proper sterilization of medical tools and equipment can prevent infection in many cases.  Many patients don’t realize that it is a mistake when a doctor or healthcare provider fails to take these simple precautions.

If you are suffering from a hospital-acquired infection or have recovered from one, contact a lawyer at Matzus Law, LLC today.  Our team will work with you so that you understand your right to fair compensation for the unnecessary treatment and pain and suffering caused by the infection.  Your first consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose by learning about your rights.

Types of Hospital-Acquired Infections

Patients in a hospital are at high risk of infection because they are in close proximity to one another at a time when they are made more vulnerable to infection by the very procedures and treatments designed to improve their health.  Statistics show that as many as one in 25 hospital patients acquire an infection during their stay.

Hospital-acquired infections tend to fall into the following basic categories:

• Surgical site infections.  Failure to properly clean and monitor the surgical site after a procedure can lead to serious infection at the incision site.
• Bloodstream infections.  Bloodstream infections are one of the most common forms of hospital-acquired infection.  The body’s immune system tends to overreact to the infection, which can result in severe inflammation and even lead to death.  Sepsis is a type of bloodstream infection that can result in organ failure and death.
• Pneumonia.  Pneumonia can be transmitted through the hospital and is common among patients who must be placed on a ventilator.  Patients with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible to contracting pneumonia while in the hospital.
• Urinary tract infections (UTI).  UTIs are usually caused by the use of a catheter.  When the catheter was not properly sanitized or was not changed frequently enough, UTIs can become serious and create the need for painful treatments.
• Staph infections.  While staph infections are not new, new strains of staph infections, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), are particularly severe because they are so difficult to treat with topical antibiotics.

Complications Arising from Hospital-Acquired Infections

Failure to quickly diagnose and treat any form of hospital-acquired infection can lead to serious complications, including:

• Organ damage
• Amputations
• Sepsis
• Brain damage
• Encephalopathy
• Death

A hospital-acquired infection can show symptoms quickly, sometimes within two days of admission to the hospital.  In other cases, the infection may not become serious until weeks after discharge, particularly in surgical site infection cases.

If you received treatment in a Pennsylvania hospital and acquired an infection afterward, it is important to speak with a Pittsburgh hospital-acquired infection lawyer to protect your right to fair compensation.  Our leading medical malpractice lawyer at Matzus Law, LLC is here to help, so call for a free case review today.

Trusted Medical Malpractice Lawyers Help Patients with Hospital-Acquired Infections Recover Fair Compensation

A medical malpractice lawyer at Matzus Law, LLC will carefully review your medical records and treatment protocol to determine whether your infection was caused by medical negligence.  We also look at the hospital’s record to see if they have a history of high infection rates caused by negligence.  You may be entitled to receive monetary damages to cover:

• The expense of a hospital stay lengthened by the infection
• All of your medical costs, including the cost of future treatment
• Lost wages due to the lengthy recovery period
• Future lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• The long-term impact of any permanent or ongoing damage caused by the infection
• Emotional distress caused by your worsened health
• Damages for wrongful death if the infection resulted in death.

Schedule Your Free Case Review to Discuss Options with a Pittsburgh Hospital-Acquired Infection Lawyer Today

Our lawyers at Matzus Law, LLC are proud to act as an ally in your fight for fair compensation.  We handle all of the details of your case so that you can focus on your recovery—with the knowledge that your case is in good hands.

To discuss your options for recovering compensation, contact our office today.  Your first consultation with a Pittsburgh hospital-acquired infection lawyer is free.  We will listen to what happened and discuss our options for holding a negligent hospital or healthcare provider responsible for the pain you have suffered.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hospital-Acquired Infection Lawsuits in Pittsburgh, PA

I saw so many nurses, technicians, and medical professionals during my hospital stay. Who is actually responsible for my hospital acquired infection?

Most medical malpractice cases involving hospital acquired infections focus on the doctors in charge of your treatment. Tracing the exact source of your infection can be difficult—and in some cases impossible. However, it is the doctor who was in charge of overseeing your entire course of treatment in the hospital. In other cases, we may file a claim against the hospital itself. Some hospitals fail to implement and enforce proper sanitization protocols, which can make the hospital liable.

How can doctors and hospitals be responsible if the infection was caused by my weakened condition?

Doctors and hospitals know that most of their patients are there because their health has been compromised in some way. You can acquire an infection even if you were only in the hospital for a surgery to treat a sports injury and your health was otherwise perfect. The doctors and hospitals in charge of your treatment have a legal duty to keep you safe by providing a sanitary environment. Failure to do so may constitute negligence in itself.