Hospital-Acquired Infection Claims in Georgia & South Carolina
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) — also called healthcare-associated infections — affect approximately one in every 31 hospital patients on any given day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These preventable infections cause tens of thousands of deaths annually and add billions of dollars in healthcare costs. When hospitals fail to follow established infection control protocols, patients suffer needlessly from infections they did not have when they were admitted.
At Roden Law, our hospital-acquired infection lawyers represent patients across Georgia and South Carolina who contract infections due to substandard hygiene practices, inadequate sterilization, or failure to follow infection prevention guidelines. These cases require expert analysis of hospital infection control protocols, staffing practices, and epidemiological data.
Common Hospital-Acquired Infections
The most frequently litigated hospital-acquired infections include:
- MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus): An antibiotic-resistant bacterium spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or healthcare workers’ hands
- C. difficile (Clostridioides difficile): A severe intestinal infection often triggered by antibiotic overuse
- Surgical site infections (SSIs): Infections at the site of a surgical incision due to improper sterile technique
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs): Infections caused by bacteria entering the bloodstream through IV catheters
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs): UTIs caused by prolonged or improper use of urinary catheters
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP): Lung infections in patients on mechanical ventilators
- Sepsis: A life-threatening systemic response to infection that can lead to organ failure and death
Hospital-acquired infections that lead to sepsis and death are among the most tragic cases we handle. If you lost a loved one to a preventable hospital infection, our medical malpractice death lawyers can help your family pursue a wrongful death claim.
How Hospitals Fail to Prevent Infections
The CDC and the Joint Commission establish detailed infection prevention guidelines that hospitals are expected to follow. Common failures that lead to HAIs include:
- Inadequate hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers
- Failure to properly sterilize surgical instruments and equipment
- Improper insertion, maintenance, or timely removal of central lines and urinary catheters
- Failure to isolate patients with known infectious conditions
- Inadequate environmental cleaning and disinfection
- Antibiotic overuse contributing to resistant organism development
- Understaffing that prevents proper infection control oversight
Georgia & South Carolina Legal Requirements
Hospital-acquired infection claims are a form of medical malpractice subject to the expert affidavit requirement in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-9.1) and the Notice of Intent requirement in South Carolina (S.C. Code § 15-79-125). Georgia’s 5-year statute of repose (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-71) applies as an outer deadline.
Proving that an infection was hospital-acquired rather than community-acquired requires expert epidemiological analysis. Our attorneys work with infectious disease specialists to establish when and how the infection was contracted and whether the hospital’s infection control practices met the accepted standard of care.
Damages in Hospital-Acquired Infection Cases
Hospital-acquired infections can extend hospital stays by weeks or months, require additional surgeries, cause permanent organ damage, and in the worst cases result in amputation or death. Victims may recover compensation for all additional medical treatment, extended hospitalization costs, lost income, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and future medical care needs. Contact Roden Law for a free consultation — there is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.