Medical Equipment Failure is an Unsuspecting Hazard to a Patient's Life

Patients often don't realize the magnitude of technology that is used in a hospital, starting from basic blood pressure monitors to life-support systems. The patient is exposed to various medical devices during his treatment in a hospital, such as IV pumps, blood sugar monitors, heart monitors, anesthesia machines, defibrillators, and several others.

A vast majority of diagnosis is done with the help of technology, including equipment for imagery testing and scanning, radiology, and others. A minor issue with any of these machines, be it a simple dead battery, the operator's error, a product defect or lack of maintenance, can cause permanent injuries to the patient, or death.

Scope of Equipment Failure

A defective product or an IV pump that has been improperly programmed might transfer an overdose or under-dose of a particular drug to the patient. The elderly, prematurely born babies kept in incubators or on IV, or patients whose mobility is restricted or are suffering from chronic illnesses, can be seriously harmed by a trivial defect in medical equipment.

The physician may miss a life-threatening tumor or a heart arrhythmia if the scanning equipment or heart monitor malfunctions. Even worse, a defective diagnosing equipment may lead the physician to falsely diagnose the patient due to inaccurate results, and expose him to unnecessary drugs, treatment, and medication.

Medical Malpractice

Patients and their families should not have to feel concerned about the possibility of equipment failure that can harm them or their loved ones getting treated in a hospital. The product manufacturers are responsible in ensuring that the hospital is equipped with fully and accurately functioning equipment and not defective ones.

The hospital staff, maintenance, and facilities teams are responsible in ensuring that every piece of equipment in the hospital is functioning at its best, is maintained regularly, is checked for malfunction on a periodic basis and replaced accordingly.

Medical experts as well as patients depend on these equipment to obtain accurate diagnosis, for regular monitoring, appropriate treatment and the safety of the patient. Negligence of any kind with regards to the equipment can have life-altering impacts and permanent consequences on not only the patient but his surviving family, as well as the reputation of the hospital.

Nurses and other support staff in hospitals often consider the constant ringing of alarms a nuisance, and may turn them off or minimize the volume, not realizing its consequences. Patients trying to reach for help through these alarms may often get neglected as the equipment has been turned off. Similar acts of negligence commonly take place with respect to other medical devices such as ventilators, bed alarms, medication pumps, pulse ox monitors, heart monitors, among several others.

Seeking Legal Aid

When you lose someone to the most unexpected reason such as hospital equipment failure, you deserve answers as well as compensation from the healthcare team. Contact the New York City medical malpractice attorneys to pursue the right legal action. Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff (RMFW) have law offices situated in Astoria, Queens, New York City, and two offices in Brooklyn.

Our attorneys are here to extend their vast experience to help make this situation right for you. Call RMFW 212-344-1000 to schedule a free consultation today and there will be someone pleasant to speak to you.

You are no condition to go after the hospital or a medical equipment company in your condition even if you are a lawyer yourself! We know how to tackle these cases and give us a call to let us talk about this game plan. If you have a viable case, we will go after those responsible and not settle until you are satisfied with the financial numbers.

We are not paid until you are paid!