Hospital Reporting

Health and Safety Section 1279 has had a widespread effect on California hospitals and on protecting patients. The law requires California hospitals to report their serious accidents, called “never events.”

Never events are mistakes such as wrong site surgery, wrong patient surgery, retention of a foreign body and other serious medical errors. The law also requires that hospitals report an adverse event or a series of adverse events that cause death or serious disability of a patient.

Hospitals must report these never events within five days, triggering a Health Department inspection within 48 hours. By March 2009, 52 hospitals had been cited and the State Department of Public Health had assessed more than $1.75 million in fines.

The Los Angeles Times reports that 1,002 cases of serious medical harm were disclosed by California hospitals, a rate of about 91 cases per month.

Our firm has been handling personal injury cases throughout the California Low Desert and High Desert communities for over 30 years. With a 95% success rate, the California personal injury attorneys at Walter Clark Legal Group will fight to hold those responsible for your loss accountable and win compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured and want to discuss your legal options, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. We have offices in Indio, Rancho Mirage, Victorville, and Yucca Valley and represent clients through the entire California Low Desert and High Desert communities.

DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.

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