We trust our hospitals in times of great crisis. We trust them with ourselves, our children, and our loved ones. When you go into Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center and come out with worse injuries than those you entered with, we can help. Our experienced medical negligence lawyers proudly serve Reading residents and have experience handling claims directly linked to local hospitals and medical practices.
Standard of Care Applicable to Pennsylvania Hospitals & Doctors
All qualified medical providers and facilities in Pennsylvania are subject to medical malpractice claims, including the following:
- Hospitals
- Birthing centers
- Emergency rooms
- Urgent Cares
- Physicians (M.D./D.O.)
- Nurse Practitioners (N.P.)
- Physician Assistants (P.A.)
- Registered Nurses (R.N.)
- Chiropractors (D.C.)
- Therapists
- Dentists
These healthcare professionals are held to specific standards of individualized patient care applicable in their assigned fields. Though even the best doctors make mistakes, medical malpractice claims arise when the doctor or facility makes a serious error that other reasonable practitioners would not have made.
Establishing this standard of care generally requires expert hospitalist and doctor testimony, and our law firm may cover the initial cost of these reports to develop your malpractice claims.
Potential Legal Cases Against Reading Medical Providers
Serious medical malpractice often occurs in facilities such as St. Joseph Medical Center and Reading Hospital. Negligence lawsuits our attorneys handle include the following:
- Anesthesia errors
- Surgical mistakes
- Delayed ER treatment
- Missed diagnosis
- Prescription drug miscalculations
- Birth injuries
- Hospital-acquired infections
You generally have two years from the date of injury to file a medical negligence claim against Reading hospitals and providers, but certain factors may extend this deadline. Discuss your potential claims with our dedicated malpractice lawyers as soon as possible.
Holding Negligent Healthcare Facilities Liable for Damages
If you were a victim of healthcare malpractice in Reading, our experienced medical negligence attorneys can help you recover damages for medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. We generally hold hospitals accountable as follows.
Hospital Employee Negligence
Most direct claims against Reading hospitals, such as St. Joseph, involve critical mistakes made by hospital employees, such as lab technicians, nurses, administrators, and hospitalists. Hospitals are vicariously liable for the negligent conduct of their employees, triggering mandatory medical malpractice insurance and state insurance trust funds.
Dangerous Doctor Admission Claims
Unlike nursing staff, many doctors performing surgery at St. Joseph are not hospital employees. They have admitting privileges only. Though this may block vicarious liability claims, our experienced medical malpractice lawyers can thoroughly investigate the case and allege that the hospital should not have accepted the doctor.
Discuss Medical Malpractice Claims with Our Experienced Attorneys
Hospitals such as Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center have designated legal professionals and claims administrators who handle medical malpractice allegations. At Marzella & Associates, our lawyers are familiar with the procedures for handling high-value medical negligence claims in Reading, PA. Discuss your case with our dedicated legal team for free by calling 717-876-8681 or contacting us online.