Recently, the California Department of Public Health has issued approximately $700,000 in fines for ten hospitals in California, six of which had multiple violations. The fines relate to adverse injuries and events that could have been prevented, but caused serious injury or death. The hospitals that were fined included Southwest Healthcare, UCSF Medical Center, UC San Diego Medical Center, John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, Loma Linda Medical Center, and Mark Twain Medical Center. Each of these hospitals had multiple violations. The fines ranged from about $50,000 to roughly $100,000 per hospital.
As an example, this is the sixth fine in seven years for UC San Diego Medical Center. In 2013, a man who was dressed only in his hospital nightgown left the hospital undetected. Reports say that he just simply walked out without anyone noticing until much later. He was later found dead in a wooded canyon nearby.
Hospitals have a very high level of care required for their patients. Hospitals have specific emergency protocols in place to help prevent situations like this, and when they do not follow them, then they can be fined. In addition to the fines, however, patients and family members can sue the hospital for their negligence related to the incident in a medical malpractice case.
If you or a loved one has experienced hospital negligence, contact a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. Call the experienced attorneys at the Mitchell Leeds, LLP at 415-702-9928 to schedule a free consultation.
