If you spend much time perusing national news reports, you’ve surely noticed an ever-increasing number of hospital and clinical negligence cases. Patients and consumers of medical services in Port St. Lucie, Florida are certainly not immune to outrageous cases of medical negligence and outright malpractice.
Let’s take a look at the difference between negligence and malpractice:
Negligence
When someone fails, or neglects, to exercise proper care while performing some action, they are said to be negligent. Where Florida law is concerned, medical negligence occurs when a medical practitioner or health care provider fails to exercise prudent, proper and standard care and in failing to do so, causes harm to their patient.
Malpractice
Negligence can be accidental; malpractice involves a deliberate and intentional breach of trust. When a patient trusts a physician or other medical professional and/or health care provider to provide standard and safe treatment, and that physician or provider fails to do so, injury or even death may ensue.
All medical malpractice can be categorized as negligence, but not all negligence cases can be called malpractice under Florida statutes.
These distinctions are outlined in 2014 Florida statute section 766.102.
Institutions can be found negligent, too
Doctors, therapists, dentists and other medical professionals are not the only ones who can be found negligent. Hospitals and clinics can be negligent, too. Doctors, nurses, therapists and others who work under the aegis of a hospital, clinic or medical facility are expected to act with prudence. Hospitals and clinics can and should be held responsible for the actions of their employees.
Under Florida law, the term “health care provider” refers to not only medical professionals but also any hospital, clinic, mobile surgical facility or ambulatory surgical facility as defined by the above-mentioned 2014 statute.
With over 25 years of experience fighting for those who have been injured, Gloria works tirelessly to get the settlement her clients deserves. If you or someone you love is suffering from an injury as the result of hospital negligence or malpractice call the Law Office of Gloria Seidule serving Port St. Lucie, FL.
