Arizona Specialty Hospital Malpractice Lawyer

Trial-Ready Hospital Negligence Attorneys for Arizona Specialty Hospital Patients and Families

The Types of Arizona Specialty Hospital Lawsuits Our Hospital Malpractice Attorneys Handle

Hastings Law Firm handles Arizona Specialty Hospital lawsuits in Phoenix, Arizona, over joint replacement and spine surgery errors, anesthesia errors, and failures in care after surgery. Our hospital malpractice lawyers build each lawsuit from the operative, anesthesia, and recovery records of every provider involved. We use those records to pinpoint the decision that went wrong and what it has cost the patient and family.

The cases we see most often at an orthopedic and spine hospital like Arizona Specialty Hospital include:

• Joint replacement, revision and spine surgery errors. A nerve, a blood vessel or the spinal cord can be injured during the operation, an implant can be placed in the wrong position, or the surgeon can operate on the wrong site or spinal level. The patient can be left with lasting nerve pain, lost function or paralysis, and correcting the damage can mean another operation. Our Arizona orthopedic malpractice lawyers set the operative report and implant records against the plan the surgeon made before the procedure.
• Anesthesia errors. A general or regional anesthetic can be given in the wrong amount or monitored too loosely, and breathing problems during or after the operation can go unanswered. Too little oxygen, even for a short time, can cause a brain injury or cost a patient their life. Our Phoenix anesthesia malpractice attorneys review the preoperative assessment, the anesthesia record and the monitoring data minute by minute.
• Failures in care after surgery. An infection, a blood clot or internal bleeding can go unnoticed while a patient recovers or stays overnight, or a decline can be seen and not acted on in time. A complication caught late can undo the operation, add weeks of treatment, or become life-threatening. Our Phoenix postoperative care lawyers compare the nursing notes, vital signs and orders with how the patient’s condition was changing.

While these are the claim types we see most, our hospital malpractice attorneys handle any valid medical negligence case that arises at this hospital.

About Arizona Specialty Hospital on North 40th Street in Phoenix

Arizona Specialty Hospital is an orthopedic and spine surgical hospital at 750 North 40th Street in Phoenix. It performs both inpatient and outpatient procedures, and a guest may stay the night with a patient who remains after surgery. The hospital states that it is licensed by Arizona and Medicare certified, and that it is accredited by The Joint Commission.

The hospital’s orthopedic procedures include knee, hip and shoulder replacement, total knee and total hip revision, robotic total hip arthroplasty, and arthroscopy. Robotic arthroplasty is a joint replacement in which the surgeon works with a robotic system. The hospital also offers spine surgery, sports medicine that includes carpal tunnel syndrome, and foot and ankle surgery, among them ankle replacement and tendon and ligament procedures.

Arizona Specialty Hospital is affiliated with United Surgical Partners International, according to its notice of privacy practices. It is also among Dignity Health Arizona’s joint venture hospitals. The hospital has no emergency department, according to federal hospital data published by CMS.

Our firm also represents patients treated at other Phoenix hospitals, among them The CORE Institute Specialty Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center.

Can You File a Lawsuit Against Arizona Specialty Hospital, the Surgeon, or Both?

You may be able to file a lawsuit against Arizona Specialty Hospital, the surgeon, or both, depending on who provided the care that caused the harm. Under Kopp v. Physician Group of Arizona, a hospital answers for the negligence of its actual employees, such as nurses and technicians, when they are doing their jobs. That rule does not automatically reach every physician who treats a patient there.

Several of the hospital’s own documents show why a claim can involve more than one party. Its surgery information describes a preoperative assessment and discussion with the anesthesia provider, and says that provider sends a separate bill. The hospital’s financial assistance program also does not cover physicians’ services. Neither fact settles anyone’s employment status, but both point to separate providers with separate records.

The hospital discloses that physicians have an ownership or investment interest in it. Ownership says nothing about the quality of anyone’s care, and it does not show who employed a particular doctor. That is why the medical records and billing documents matter from the start.

Arizona also requires early support from a medical expert. Under A.R.S. 12-2603, a patient whose claim depends on expert testimony must serve a sworn preliminary expert opinion affidavit early in the case or risk dismissal. The affidavit covers the expert’s qualifications, the facts, how the care fell below the standard, and how that caused the harm. Anyone looking for a lawyer to sue a hospital should plan for that step, and our Phoenix hospital malpractice lawyers explain how it works.

Can a Phoenix Surgical Hospital Be Responsible in Arizona for a Doctor Who May Be an Independent Contractor?

A Phoenix surgical hospital can be responsible in Arizona for a doctor who may be an independent contractor, depending on how that doctor was controlled and presented to the patient. Under Beeck v. Tucson General Hospital, Arizona courts look past the contract label to how much control the hospital actually exercised over the doctor’s work.

The hospital’s terms and conditions say its physicians “may be independent contractors and not our employees, agents or representatives.” That statement does not decide the question by itself, and a contract that calls the doctor independent is not the end of the inquiry.

A second rule, called apparent agency or ostensible agency, looks at what the patient was led to believe. A hospital can answer for a contractor physician’s negligence when its own conduct presented that doctor as part of its staff and the patient reasonably relied on that. A clear, signed disclosure of a doctor’s independent status can defeat this claim, as it did in Fadely v. Encompass Health.

A notice on a hospital website is not proof of what a particular patient read, heard, or signed. The consent forms, admission papers and each physician’s contract show who controlled the care and how the doctors were presented to the patient.

For a patient hurt at Arizona Specialty Hospital, a claim against the hospital should not be ruled out simply because a doctor may be an independent contractor. Our hospital negligence lawyers gather those documents early, so every responsible party can be identified in time.

How We Work With Orthopedic and Spine Patients Injured at Arizona Specialty Hospital

Hastings Law Firm handles hospital malpractice claims for orthopedic and spine patients and their families in Phoenix, Arizona, from the first call until the case is resolved. Our attorneys and medical professionals carry the investigation from start to finish, which lets a family keep its attention on the patient.

Your first call about an injury at Arizona Specialty Hospital is answered by a member of our intake team. If the patient is still recovering or unable to talk, a spouse, parent or adult child can call instead. Tell us which procedure was done, what you noticed afterward, and who was involved, as far as you know. Our team works to make sure you are heard, and your account is where our review begins.

We then request the complete medical records from the hospital, the surgeon’s office and the anesthesia provider. Our attorneys and medical professionals study the operative report, the anesthesia record and the recovery notes to establish what was done, what was missed, and when. When our lawyers accept a case, it is built on those records and on physicians qualified to explain them.

From there, our firm deals with the hospital, the insurers and their lawyers on your behalf. Our board-certified patient advocates stay in contact with you and explain each development in plain language when it happens. We push for a settlement that reflects what the injury has cost your family. If an offer falls short, we are prepared to take your case to a jury.

If You or a Loved One Were Injured at Arizona Specialty Hospital, Speak With Our Medical Attorneys Today

Hastings Law Firm handles hospital malpractice claims for patients and families harmed by an operation or a recovery at Arizona Specialty Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Our hospital negligence lawyers examine the care you received and identify anyone who may share responsibility. When a hard outcome was not the result of malpractice, we say so honestly.

Our team is here for you. We perform a free case review to find out whether you have a valid claim. Whatever you tell us is kept confidential, and there is no fee unless we win. Contact us to understand your options.