Long Island Hospital May Have Infected Thousands With HIV, Hepatitis
If you’ve undergone diabetes care at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, you could be at risk of hepatitis or HIV infection as a result of this Long Island hospital’s malpractice.
Over 4,000 patients who received diabetes treatment at the hospital are expecting to receive notices alerting them of the potential contamination. Due to the time sensitive nature of litigation efforts and the seriousness of this situation, it’s important to contact a hospital malpractice lawyer as soon as possible if you receive one of these notices, or if you or a family member has received care at South Nassau Communities Hospital. The veteran trial lawyers of The Sanders Firm are ready and waiting to help you.
As soon as you connect with a lawyer at The Sanders Firm, you’ll be thoroughly informed of your legal rights and options during your free case review, which may include filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Should you choose to utilize our legal resources, you’ll have an extensive network of experts on your side. We offer a team of medical consultants, attorneys and supporting staff who are all dedicated to litigating your case and obtaining maximum compensation on your behalf.
You could be eligible for compensation to cover your ongoing medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and diminished quality of life if you have suffered an infection as a result of the negligence of medical staff.
Long Island hospital malpractice
On March 11, 2014, it was reported that this Long Island hospital could soon be sued by thousands of patients for malpractice. These patients, who were being treated for diabetes with insulin injections, may have been exposed to HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C because hospital staff used insulin pens multiple times instead of using a new pen for each patient. While a new needle was used for each patient, the spokesperson for the hospital admits that it is possible for blood to flow backward into the chamber, which could have contaminated the insulin.
As a result of the possibility of infection at this Long Island hospital, its spokesperson is recommending that all diabetes patients who received care there be tested for these diseases. Patients who receive a mailed notice of the potential contamination are being instructed to schedule free, confidential blood testing within 60 days.
Determining liability in Long Island hospital infection
An attorney can file a medical malpractice lawsuit against this Long Island hospital on the basis of employee negligence. Hospitals may be held accountable for the negligent acts of employees such as doctors, nurses, medical technicians, paramedics, and other staff members. For example, if the nurse injects the wrong medication into the patient, the hospital may be held liable.
In this specific case, the hospital may possibly be held liable for inadequate medical protocols. According to a spokesperson, the hospital has implemented a facility-wide policy that prohibits the use of insulin pens and permits only the use of single-use vials for insulin treatment. However, that policy was only implemented after news of the potential contamination broke. A medical malpractice attorney can review the hospital’s protocols and patient medical records to determine the appropriate parties to name as the defendants in a lawsuit.
Exercising your legal rights
At The Sanders Firm, our caring team of legal professionals understands that patients place a certain level of trust in healthcare staff members. If you were infected with hepatitis, HIV, or any other disease at this Long Island hospital, you may feel that trust was betrayed. For your free case review, call us toll-free at 1.800.FAIR.PLAY. Resources
- CBS New York, L.I. Hospital: Reused Insulin Pen Part May Mean Hepatitis, HIV Risk For Patients, http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/03/11/l-i-hospital-reused-insulin-pen-part-may-mean-hepatitis-hiv-risk-for-patients/
- National Institutes of Health, Hospitals’ direct liability for medical malpractice–implications for the medical staff, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10291135
