When something goes wrong during a medical procedure, you might decide to seek compensation. You first have to decide who, or what, is going to be held responsible for the injuries you suffered. The answer to this question isn’t always easy to determine as there could be multiple entities or people who may bear a percentage of liability.
Obviously, you could seek compensation from the doctor who performed your procedure. This is the place where medical malpractice investigations usually begin, but it isn’t the end. There are also other people and entities who can sometimes be held accountable.
Medical professionals have to carry malpractice insurance, so the insurance company can sometimes be included as a defendant in the case. If the issue occurred at a hospital, the hospital’s insurer could also be held accountable in the lawsuit.
The hospital itself could also be held accountable in certain cases. A vicarious liability is sometimes possible if the doctor or an employee of the hospital acted in a negligent manner.
If the issue was caused by a problem with a device or a pharmaceutical product, the company that manufactures that device or product could be held accountable in a product liability case.
Trying to discern all of the defendants in these cases can often take some investigative work. When you are healing from an incident involving alleged malpractice, you might not feel up to having to do that on your own. Having someone on your side who is able to handle this aspect of the case can allow you to recuperate as much as is possible.
Source: FindLaw, “Medical Malpractice: Who Can Be Sued?,” accessed Oct. 28, 2016
