Liability Involving Hospital-Affiliated Physicians
When patients are injured or die due to medical malpractice negligence in a hospital, physicians are often involved. And while many individuals do not realize it, the physicians who treat them during an emergency room visit or hospital stay may not, in fact, be hospital employees. This creates varied legal scenarios when things go wrong. In reality, liability involving hospital-affiliated physicians has some gray areas and requires experienced attorneys to navigate efficiently and effectively for the benefit of those who have been harmed.
Hospital Employee or Independent Contractor?
To begin with, there are general differences in the liability associated with hospital employees and independent contractors. Hospitals generally have liability involving hospital-affiliated physicians in medical malpractice negligence cases when the physicians are actual hospital employees. When hospital-affiliated physicians are independent contractors, however, a hospital may or may not be liable depending on whether or not the physicians appear to be part of the hospitals’ staff in the eyes of the affected patients. For example, in situations in which independent contractor physicians are represented by hospitals as staff members when they are actually not, hospitals may be held accountable. All in all it is important for patients and their loved ones to confirm at the time of hospital admission the relationship between one or more attending physicians and the hospital.
Evidence & More
As with any legal case, the more facts and provable information provided the better. Documentation, medical records, all forms of medical correspondence, eyewitness declarations, and expert testimony are all useful, necessary tools in developing a successful case. Collecting and providing such information along with securing the services of an expert attorney or legal team in a timely fashion is also highly beneficial.
Mallard & Sharp, P.A. is dedicated to providing its clients with the path to justice and financial recovery through fair compensation. The firm, along with noted Miami Medical Malpractice Lawyers Vidian Mallard and Bo Sharp, handles a diverse array of cases that involve medical malpractice, birth injuries (mother, child, surrogate), and negligent security in addition to acts of negligence that cause catastrophic injuries or wrongful death.
For more information or to inquire about expert legal representation for a potential case based on liability involving hospital-affiliated physicians in Miami or anywhere else in Florida, contact Mallard & Sharp, P.A. at 305-461-4800.