What to Do If You’re Injured in a Philadelphia Teaching Hospital
Philadelphia is home to some of the nation’s most respected teaching hospitals, including the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and Temple University Hospital. These facilities are known for their cutting-edge care and groundbreaking research. However, the very thing that makes teaching hospitals unique, their role in training the next generation of doctors, can also create complex challenges when something goes wrong.
If you or a loved one suffers an injury in a Philadelphia teaching hospital, consulting a Philadelphia hospital negligence lawyer can help you understand how liability works and what your legal options may be.
Who Provides Care in a Teaching Hospital?
In a teaching hospital, patients may be treated by a variety of medical personnel, including medical students, interns, residents, fellows, and attending physicians. Medical students are still completing their academic studies and have limited authority in patient care. Interns are first-year residents who have graduated from medical school but are in their initial stages of hands-on clinical training. Residents and fellows are further along in their medical education and may perform more advanced procedures, often under supervision. Attending physicians are fully licensed doctors responsible for overseeing and mentoring these trainees.
While the collaborative environment in a teaching hospital can be beneficial, it also introduces the possibility of miscommunication, inexperience, and lapses in supervision. These factors can contribute to errors ranging from misdiagnosis to surgical mistakes and medication errors.
When Medical Errors Happen: Understanding Liability
Determining who is legally responsible when an injury occurs in a teaching hospital can be complicated. Unlike private hospitals or clinics where a single provider may be clearly liable, teaching hospitals involve multiple layers of care providers, each with varying degrees of oversight and responsibility.
The key question in a medical malpractice claim is whether any healthcare provider’s actions fell below the accepted standard of care. This standard is not lowered because the provider is a trainee. Residents and interns are expected to meet the same general standards as any other medical professionals, especially when their decisions have a direct impact on patient care.
In a typical scenario, liability may fall on several different parties:
- The individual provider: A resident or fellow may be held personally liable if their negligence caused harm.
- The supervising physician: If an attending physician failed to adequately supervise a trainee, they may share liability.
- The hospital or institution: The teaching hospital itself may be liable under the principle of “respondeat superior,” which holds employers responsible for the actions of their employees performed within the scope of their employment.
Because teaching hospitals are often affiliated with universities or public entities, additional rules and procedural requirements may apply when filing a claim.
Suing a Teaching Hospital in Pennsylvania
When bringing a claim against a teaching hospital in Pennsylvania, the legal process will depend in part on whether the institution is publicly or privately operated. For example, a claim against Temple University Hospital may be treated differently than one involving a private hospital like Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. If the hospital is publicly funded, such as those connected to state universities, the claim may be subject to additional notice requirements and damages caps under Pennsylvania’s Sovereign Immunity Act.
Special Considerations for Patients in Teaching Hospitals
Patients in teaching hospitals often face unique risks because of the hierarchical nature of medical training. For example, an inexperienced resident might hesitate to question an attending’s decision, even if something seems wrong. A miscommunication during a hand-off between shifts could lead to a serious oversight. And because so many people may be involved in a single patient’s care, it can be difficult for patients to know exactly who is responsible for what.
Patients have the right to know who is providing their care and to ask whether a procedure will be performed by a student, resident, or attending physician. They also have the right to request that certain procedures be performed only by licensed physicians, although this may not always be granted depending on the setting.
What to Do If You Suspect Negligence
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Philadelphia teaching hospital and you suspect negligence, it’s essential to act quickly. Pennsylvania has a two-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims, starting from the date of the injury or the date it was discovered. Delays can compromise your ability to collect evidence or speak with witnesses.
Take the following steps:
- Request copies of all medical records.
- Make note of every healthcare provider involved in your treatment.
- Document your symptoms, treatments, and interactions.
- Contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney.
An attorney can help you investigate what happened, identify liable parties, consult with medical experts, and build a strong case.
Contact The Villari Firm
The Villari Firm has deep experience handling complex medical malpractice claims, including those arising from care provided in teaching hospitals. If you believe that substandard care by a resident, intern, or attending physician led to serious harm, we can help you hold the responsible parties accountable.
We understand how daunting it can be to take on a major hospital or university-affiliated institution, but you don’t have to do it alone. Contact The Villari Firm today for a free, confidential consultation. Let us help you seek the justice and compensation you deserve.
Sources:
definitivehc.com/resources/glossary/teaching-hospital
aha.org/system/files/2018-02/info-teaching.pdf
