Hospital-acquired infections represent one of the most serious patient safety threats in modern healthcare. When hospitals fail to maintain proper infection control procedures, fail to communicate known risks to patients, or conceal information about outbreaks within their facilities, the consequences can be fatal — and those responsible may be held legally accountable.
At Davis & Davis, our Houston medical malpractice attorneys represent patients and families harmed by hospital negligence, including cases involving dangerous infections that were preventable with appropriate care.
What Are Hospital-Acquired Infections?
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), sometimes called nosocomial infections, are infections that patients develop in the course of receiving medical care — not from the condition that originally brought them in. Common HAIs include:
- MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) — a drug-resistant staph infection that can become life-threatening, particularly in patients with compromised immune systems
- C. difficile (Clostridioides difficile) — a bacterial infection of the colon often associated with antibiotic use in hospital settings
- Surgical site infections — infections that develop around an incision following a procedure
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) — infections linked to urinary catheter use
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) — serious infections that enter through intravenous lines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 1 in 31 hospitalized patients has at least one HAI on any given day. Many of these infections are preventable with proper protocols, including consistent hand hygiene, appropriate sterilization of equipment, and proper isolation of patients with known contagious conditions.
When a Hospital May Be Liable for an Infection
Not every hospital-acquired infection is the result of negligence — some occur despite reasonable precautions. However, hospitals have a legal duty to maintain a reasonably safe environment for patients. They may be liable when they:
- Fail to follow established infection control protocols
- Use inadequately cleaned or sterilized equipment
- Allow staff to work without following hand hygiene guidelines
- Fail to properly isolate patients with known contagious infections
- Conceal known outbreaks from patients, staff, or public health authorities
- Discharge patients prematurely before an infection risk has been assessed and addressed
When a hospital’s failure to meet these obligations results in patient harm or death, families may have grounds for a medical malpractice or wrongful death claim.
Pursuing Legal Action After a Hospital Infection
These cases require thorough investigation, including review of medical records, infection logs, facility inspection reports, and expert opinions regarding whether proper protocols were followed. Davis & Davis has the experience and resources to take on hospital negligence claims of this nature. We fight to recover compensation for our clients’ additional medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and — when a loved one has died — wrongful death damages for surviving family members.
Contact Our Houston Hospital Negligence Attorneys
If you or a family member developed a serious infection while hospitalized, and you believe the hospital’s failure to follow proper procedures may be responsible, contact Davis & Davis today. Our attorneys will evaluate your case and help you understand your legal options under Texas law.
How do I know if my hospital infection was caused by negligence?
Not all hospital infections are the result of negligence — some occur despite proper precautions. However, if your infection can be linked to a failure in infection control procedures, use of inadequately sterilized equipment, or a known outbreak that was not properly managed or disclosed, there may be grounds for a malpractice claim. A medical malpractice attorney can review your medical records and work with experts to evaluate whether negligence played a role in your situation.
Can a hospital be held liable for concealing an infection outbreak?
Potentially, yes. Hospitals have legal and ethical obligations to follow public health reporting requirements and to take appropriate action when outbreaks occur in their facilities. When a hospital’s concealment of outbreak information — or its failure to act on known risks — leads to additional patient harm, the injured parties and their families may have legal claims against the institution for the resulting damages.
What compensation may be available if I contracted a serious infection in a hospital?
If hospital negligence caused you to develop a serious infection, you may be entitled to compensation for the additional medical expenses incurred to diagnose and treat the infection, lost wages during recovery, pain and suffering, long-term health consequences, and — if the infection was fatal — wrongful death damages for surviving family members. The specific recovery depends on the severity and long-term impact of the infection and the circumstances of the negligence.
