Columbia Nursing Malpractice Lawyer

The Rise of Nursing Malpractice Claims in the U.S.

In years past, medical malpractice lawsuits were filed almost exclusively against doctors. That is now changing. According to information provided by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were more than 2.7 million registered nurses in the United States in 2010. The BLS predicts that the field will expand by 26% by the year 2020, making this one of the fastest growing job sectors in the U.S. economy.

The number of nurses is not the only thing that is increasing. Nurses are also assuming a larger role in the care and treatment of patients, in the emergency room, during hospitalization, and in outpatient care. As patients spend more time under the care of nurses, there is an increasing risk of serious injury or wrongful death caused by nursing malpractice.

Examples of Malpractice

In order to prove a nursing malpractice claim, it is necessary to prove that the nurse had undertaken to treat you or your loved one and therefore owed a duty of care. The injury must have been caused by the nurse's breach of this duty, which can be established by asking whether another nurse in the same situation would have acted differently to prevent the injury. Some of the most common examples of nursing malpractice include adverse drug reactions caused by medication errors and failure to properly monitor and assess a patient's condition.

Can I Sue for Malpractice? Ask Our Columbia, SC Injury Lawyer!

In any situation in which the patient has suffered as a result of a nurse's careless or negligent actions, there is a possibility of suing for medical malpractice. Depending on the circumstances of the case, it may be possible to file a claim against the nurse's own malpractice insurance policy, against the hospital as the employer, or both.