What damages can be awarded for negligence in a hospital lawsuit?

Hospital malpractice is medical negligence that occurs in a hospital setting, including errors by doctors, nurses, technicians, and other hospital staff. Administering the wrong medication to a patient is one of the leading types of medical negligence that causes serious injury, illness, and even death.

A hospital may be liable for a patient's allergic reaction if it prescribes medicine to the patient without first determining if the medicine is safe for the patient. This determination can be made by obtaining and reviewing the patient's medical history and performing allergy tests. Studies show that 9 out of 10 cases of wrong medication administration can be avoided by taking proper precautions.

Like other medical malpractice actions, you may be entitled to several types off damages depending on the injuries that you have suffered and the medical malpractice laws of your state.

General damages include loss of enjoyment of life, loss of future earning capacity, and physical and mental pain and suffering.

Special damages include your medical bills that you have to pay as a result of the harm done to you by the hospital's negligence.

You may also be entitled to punitive damages if you can prove that the hospital knew that it was acting in a harmful manner.

Many states have caps or limits on the amount of money damages that can be awarded to a victim of medical negligence. For example, you may be able to only collect a certain total amount of damages regardless of the amount of damages that you actually suffered. Or there may be a cap on general but not special damages.

Talk to a Medical Malpractice Lawyer about your case to find out what damages you may be entitled to and how much you can expect as a settlement or court award.