Whenever we get hospitalized, the only thing that matters to us is getting out of that hospital as soon as possible. However, getting out of a hospital before you are ready to be released is not nearly as good as it sounds.
While most of us are eager to jump at any opportunity to finally go home – after all, the hospital setting can be so depressing that many patients are willing to go home literally two minutes after waking up from an invasive surgery – medical professionals who adhere to the acceptable standards of care understand the golden rule that says, “Keeping a patient in the hospital until the patient is actually ready to be released will help that patient recover and get better.”
Unfortunately, many hospitals and medical professionals disregard that golden rule, and patients end up suffering harm or aggravating their medical condition due to a premature discharge. “Oftentimes, hospitals discharge patients before they are ready to be released from the hospital because these hospitals are motivated by a financial incentive,” says our Philadelphia premature discharge attorney at The Weitz Firm, LLC.
When a patient is released from the hospital before he or she is actually ready to be discharged, that patient can suffer harm and catastrophic consequences. Before releasing a patient from the hospital, nurses, doctors, and other members of hospital staff have a legal duty to properly monitor the patient and make sure that the patient is ready to be discharged. A premature discharge occurs when the patient is released from the hospital despite not being ready for the discharge.
If the patient’s condition deteriorates after the premature discharge, the hospital will be held liable for any injuries, damages, and losses caused by the negligent discharge from the patient’s hospital stay.
Unfortunately, one of the main reasons why hospitals discharge their patients earlier than necessary is financial incentives. This is especially true for busy and large hospitals in Philadelphia and all across Pennsylvania. Hospitals that face overcrowding are often willing to get rid of their current patients so that they can have more rooms and beds to get the new patients in.
In addition to experiencing a shortage of hospital beds and members of hospital staff, hospitals may also be limited in the number of surgical procedures or other treatments that it can manage at a time.
However, a hospital’s shortage of beds or members of hospital staff is no excuse for the hospital to discharge you prematurely if they’re even the slightest risk that your condition could get worse.
Our experienced premature discharge attorney Philadelphia, who has personally handled many medical malpractice lawsuits filed against hospitals for discharging patients earlier than necessary, says that more often than not, patients are suing hospitals and their staff for the following:
As you can see, you may be able to sue a hospital for medical malpractice when it (a) misdiagnoses your condition or misses a condition during testing prior to the discharge or (b) properly diagnoses your condition but fails to treat it before your release.
Speak to our Philadelphia premature discharge lawyer from The Weitz Firm, LLC, to evaluate your particular situation and determine whether or not you were prematurely released from the hospital. Schedule a free consultation by calling at 267-587-6240.
