Infections can become dangerous when healthcare providers fail to recognize warning signs, delay treatment, ignore abnormal lab results, or fail to monitor a patient whose condition is getting worse. When infection progresses to sepsis, fast diagnosis and treatment are critical.
Infection and sepsis malpractice cases may involve surgical wounds, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, bloodstream infections, pressure injuries, IV lines, catheters, or hospital-acquired infections. These cases often turn on whether providers recognized the patient’s decline and responded quickly enough.
Healthcare providers must take concerning symptoms seriously. Fever, low blood pressure, confusion, rapid heart rate, worsening pain, abnormal labs, or other signs of infection may require urgent evaluation and treatment. A delay in antibiotics, fluids, imaging, surgery, or transfer to a higher level of care can have devastating consequences.
Rawls Law Group represents patients and families in serious infection and sepsis cases involving Virginia hospitals, nursing homes, VA facilities, military medical facilities, Indian Health Service facilities, and other federal healthcare settings.
Common Infection and Sepsis Issues
Infection and sepsis malpractice cases may involve:
- Delay in diagnosing infection
- Delay in giving antibiotics
- Failure to recognize sepsis
- Failure to act on abnormal lab results
- Failure to monitor worsening vital signs
- Failure to treat surgical wound infections
- Failure to respond to pressure injury infections
- Failure to transfer a patient to a higher level of care
- Failure to identify or treat hospital-acquired infections
Virginia and Federal Infection Claims
Infection and sepsis cases can arise in private hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, VA hospitals, military medical facilities, IHS facilities, and other healthcare settings.
Rawls Law Group handles infection and sepsis malpractice cases under Virginia medical malpractice law and, when federal healthcare providers are involved, under the Federal Tort Claims Act.