A new Nashville mother and father received a shock when they found their newborn of only a few hours old had burn blisters across her neck and chest. They later found out a hot screw fell from an infant warmer onto the baby, nearly hitting her face and causing permanent damage to her eyes.
Allegedly, a nurse mentioned the infant warmer made a rattling noise. However, the nurse knowingly placed the baby on the warmer in spite of the noise. That said, the family firmly believes the baby never should have been placed under the infant warmer if there was an indication that it was not functioning properly. Though the burns are (thankfully) not life threatening, the family transferred the baby to a different hospital to treat the infant’s burns.
FAMILIES EXPECT HOSPITAL PRODUCTS TO WORK CORRECTLY
If medical equipment is defective, it is possible the manufacturer may be held liable, especially if the product is defective by design. If the medical equipment defect becomes apparently down the line, it is possible the hospital may be held liable for any injuries caused by the device because checks and maintenance are supposed to be performed regularly on medical equipment. In some cases, the medical equipment can be used incorrectly, for which the hospital may be liable for not providing proper training to the staff.
When we are receiving medical care because we are ill or injured, we generally expect a hospital’s equipment, technology and medical supplies to function properly. We expect the tools medical professionals use to treat us to be safe, receive regular maintenance and be up-to-date. When that is not the case, we expect medical professionals to take the equipment out of commission or provide maintenance for the broken equipment before using it again with patients. It is not acceptable for medical professional to know when equipment is shoddy and continue using it anyway, as is the case with the burned newborn.
When a hospital or medical professional is negligent in the use of defective medical equipment, it can have life-changing effects for the patients or result in death. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury due to defective medical equipment or if a medical professional knowingly used defective medical equipment, you should contact an attorney immediately to assess your rights in the situation.
“But when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time.” John 16:21