Are Philadelphia Hospitals Liable for Following Outdated Vaccine Advice?

Information regarding the standard of care for many medical conditions changes regularly. This means Doctors and nurses must keep learning about new ways to help patients. If they don’t stay up-to-date and someone gets hurt, they could get in legal trouble.

In this article, we’ll explain how vaccines work to keep you healthy, what can go wrong when doctors make mistakes, and what rights you have as a patient. We’ll also cover how a medical malpractice lawyer can help you through the process.

Vaccines Are Important for Everyone

Most kids get shots when they’re young, but many adults don’t know if they need more vaccines later. Vaccines help protect you and everyone around you from getting sick with dangerous diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tells doctors to:

• Look at your past vaccine records
• Figure out if you need new shots
• Check your health to make sure vaccines are safe for you
• Explain the risks before giving you any shots

If doctors don’t do these things and you get hurt, they could get in trouble with the law. You have the right to take legal action if a doctor hurts you.

Why Doctors Make Mistakes

Your doctor must check you carefully before giving you any vaccine. Sometimes doctors make mistakes because they:

• Don’t have enough experience
• Haven’t learned about new rules
• Don’t treat all patients fairly
• Use old information

When doctors mess up, you could get seriously hurt. Some problems include:

• Arthritis, Joint pain and swelling
• Not being able to feel or move parts of your body
• Seizures
• Brain damage
• Nerve problems

If you or someone you love gets hurt from a vaccine mistake, a lawyer can help you figure out if you can sue the doctor.

Informed Consent: You Have the Right to Know the Risks

Before any medical treatment (even just a shot), your doctor must tell you about all the risks. They also need to get your written permission showing you understand and accept these risks. This is called “informed consent.”

Your doctor can only skip this step in emergencies, which doesn’t happen very often. You have the right to control what happens to your body, especially during medical care.

For your permission to count, your doctor must:

• Tell you about all possible risks
• Explain other treatment options
• Make sure you understand everything
• Get your permission before starting treatment
• Make sure you’re able to make this decision (not unconscious or too sick to think clearly)

If your doctor doesn’t do this, they could be breaking the law.

What Happens if You Have Vaccine Injuries

Every case is different, and some people get better quickly while others have lifelong problems. However, if you get seriously hurt, you might need money for:

• Surgery or hospital care
• Medicine and physical therapy
• Hospital stays
• Nursing home care
• Money you can’t earn because you can’t work
• Special equipment if you become disabled
• Lifelong medical care

Besides suing the doctor, you might also be able to get money from the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Additionally, in Pennsylvania, there’s a special fund called MCARE that helps pay for medical mistakes when the doctor’s insurance isn’t enough to cover all your costs. Our medical malpractice lawyers can help you with all the paperwork and legal processes.

You only have two years to start your case in Pennsylvania. If you wait too long, you might lose your right to sue. That’s why it’s important to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible.

Our law firm helps people who have been hurt by careless doctors and nurses. If a doctor gives you a vaccine the wrong way, without your permission, or without checking if it’s safe for you, your life could change forever.

Many vaccine injuries can be prevented if doctors follow the newest rules and recommendations.

Contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers at Lopez McHugh for a free consultation today. We’re ready to fight for your rights and get you the money you deserve.