Denver Nursing Malpractice Attorneys
We Represent Victims of Nursing Malpractice in Denver
Nurses are on the front lines of American medicine. Their mistakes cause a lot of harm to a lot of people.
Nursing malpractice occurs when a nurse fails to meet the accepted standards of medical care and this failure is a cause of injury to the patient.
As healthcare professionals, just like doctors, nurses are capable of committing malpractice when they fail to uphold the standard of care. Every nurse must provide correct care at all times while on the job. And every hospital must have safeguards and coverage in place to ensure one "little mistake" doesn’t spiral out of control and end in a patient’s death.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to nursing malpractice, please call the Denver medical malpractice attorneys at Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. We have handled thousands of similar cases across the country, and we understand the science behind modern medicine.
For a no-cost initial consultation, call us at (303) 759-9945 or toll-free at (877) 433-3906. We will review your medical records and represent you at no upfront charge if we believe you have a strong claim.
What Is Nursing Malpractice?
Professional malpractice of any kind ultimately comes down to a practitioner failing to uphold the responsibilities and standards of their profession. Malpractice occurs when a nurse fails to meet the standard of care and is a cause of injury.
In any malpractice case, there are four criteria that must be proven by malpractice attorneys:
- A professional duty was owed to the patient
- The medical professional’s duty was breached.
- The breach of duty is a cause of the patient’s injury.
- Damages resulted from this breach of duty.
Some forms of nursing malpractice may include:
- Improperly following a doctor’s instructions. Say a physician orders hourly check-ups on the patient, but the nurse skips a few and the patient suffers an injury during that time.
- Improperly administering medication to a patient. One case we handled involved a nurse who administered a medication called prostaglandin to a 4-day-old baby in the wrong dose. This little girl went into cardiac arrest, and when staff managed to resuscitate her after 33 minutes, she had suffered brain damage, leading to cerebral palsy and other lifelong disabilities.
- Failing to act when action is required. Nurses monitor patients, and can more quickly see that’s something is wrong. If a nurse notices a serious patient health issue but does not speak up or take action, she’s not doing her job.
- Providing false or misleading information or supplies to a patient or doctor. For example, a tech who diverts drugs—like removing a syringe filled with fentanyl for a patient’s surgery and replacing it with another, contaminated syringe—for personal use could be guilty of nursing malpractice.
- Neglecting or ignoring a patient. There are truly some horror stories in the news about nurses playing video games or otherwise amusing themselves while patients struggle for life in another room only a few yards away.
- Failure to monitor a patient. This includes a nurse’s obligation to keep tabs on a patient’s condition any time they are receiving treatment.
- Not following safety protocols, policies, and procedures. Nurses must adhere to workplace rules and professional safety standards when lifting patients, handling needles and other sharp objects, monitoring radiation levels, and handling soiled linens and human waste.
- Verbally, emotionally, sexually, or physically abusing a patient. This kind of mistreatment to a patient is known as a never event because it should NEVER be allowed to happen in any health facility, ever.
Where Can Malpractice Happen?
Nursing malpractice can occur at a doctor’s office, a large hospital, or any other facility that employs nurses, whether they are nurse technicians, LPNs, RNs, or APNs.
Another location for nursing malpractice, unfortunately, is nursing homes. Caregivers in these facilities are responsible for the daily care and well-being of the residents. Sometimes nurses betray that trust and neglect the needs of residents, steal from them, or abuse them.
To pursue a successful malpractice claim against a nurse, your attorney must demonstrate that the nurse failed to meet the standard of care, and this failure was a cause of the victim’s injuries or death. If the malpractice occurred in a hospital, the hospital may also be liable for the actions of its employee.
Recovering Damages for Nursing Malpractice
After your legal team proves that malpractice has occurred, you may be able to recover damages. Ideally, these damages will help put the victim in the position where they would have been if the malpractice had never occurred. Compensatory damages may cover the following types of losses:
- Current and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning potential
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Accommodations such as home wheelchair access
- Wrongful death
Lawyers Holding Nurses Responsible for Malpractice
Malpractice cases are complex. But you aren’t alone if you suffered a preventable injury as a result of poor medical care. The Denver medical malpractice lawyers at Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. have handled many such cases and gotten justice for our clients.
You and your loved ones deserve to have a legal team that puts you first. After a traumatic medical event, we know exactly what to do. Please call us at (303) 759-9945 or toll-free at (877) 433-3906 and tell us about what happened.
We take cases from across the United States, and we don’t charge any fees unless we win our clients fair compensation for your losses.
Great Trial Lawyers Obtaining Unparalleled Results
303-759-9945 
877-433-3906