Hospitals in Chicago are certainly responsible for implementing policies and procedures that are meant to reduce and prevent incidents of medical malpractice. For example, hospitals need to implement policies regarding the sterilization and proper use of medical equipment. These medical facilities also need to make sure they are properly staffed so that patients will receive the care they need.
But hospitals are also responsible for other aspects of safety that patients and Illinois families might not think about until someone is seriously harmed. For example, hospitals have a responsibility to hire competent employees and they also have a responsibility to make sure employees are doing their jobs well and safely. When hospitals neglect these responsibilities, many patients could be put in danger.
A lawsuit was recently filed against a hospital located in Cook County over an employee’s harmful actions toward a patient. The lawsuit accuses the hospital of being negligent, and as a result, a male nurse was able to take advantage of a vulnerable patient.
According to the hospital negligence claim, a female patient received treatment at the Cook County hospital between Feb. 15 and Feb. 18, 2011. On Feb. 16, the patient was sexually assaulted by a male nurse, the complaint states. The patient claims that she was not able to stop the nurse when he began assaulting her because she was “extremely drowsy.” According to the complaint, the nurse touched the patient’s breasts and he put his fingers in her vagina. The nurse also kissed the patient. The incident caused the patient to suffer emotional distress.
Although the nurse may certainly be held accountable for assaulting the patient, the patient is also requesting that the hospital take responsibility for what happened to her since it failed to protect her from such an awful incident.
Source: Courthouse News Service, “Patient says male nurse assaulted her,” Rose Bouboushian, Jan. 17, 2013
- Our firm provides legal counsel to patients and families who have been harmed by a hospital’s negligence. To learn more about protecting victims’ rights, please visit our Chicago hospital negligence lawyer page.
