When a patient receives substandard care and suffers an injury or dies as a result, his or her treating physician can expect to face a medical malpractice lawsuit. It is rare for the provider to be the only defendant, though, because claimants want to recover as much compensation as possible.
By naming multiple individuals or organizations in their claim, injured parties are not limited to recovering from a single insurance policy and therefore increase their chances of securing a sizable settlement. As a result, it is common for patients to sue the facility that employed their allegedly negligent doctor on the grounds of insufficient credentialing.
Insufficient or negligent credentialing refers to a clinic’s failure to verify its staff’s credentials, which includes their education, licensures, and experience. Every state has strict credentialing requirements to protect patients.
If you own or manage a facility that is facing a lawsuit over alleged negligent credentialing, turn to Lubell Rosen. With so much at stake, it is essential to start planning your defense immediately. Call (954) 880-9500 to schedule a case evaluation with a Florida medical malpractice defense attorney.
Let’s explore some of the most common defenses against claims of insufficient credentialing:
1. The physician provided false credentials.
Since hospitals must verify their staff’s credentials, they can still be liable if a physician falsifies information regarding education or work experience; however, if the doctor took extreme measures to commit this kind of fraud, it may be a valid defense for the facility that hired him or her.
2. The physician works at multiple facilities.
Healthcare facilities must review their staff’s credentials periodically, not just at the time of hire. This is to ensure their providers are maintaining their licenses and continuing their education. It is also to ensure no one who has committed disciplinary violations or malpractice remains on staff, jeopardizing the health or safety of patients. If the physician works part-time at more than one clinic, though, he or she could theoretically hide transgressions that occur at one facility from administrators at the other.
3. The physician was already on probation.
Some transgressions do not necessarily warrant termination but call for disciplinary action. If the physician in question was already on probation, it will show that the facility does have procedures in place to discipline employees and is not negligent in regard to credentialing.
Call (954) 880-9500 to Speak with a Medical Malpractice Defense Lawyer in Florida
If your facility has been accused of insufficient credentialing, turn to Lubell Rosen. We know what it takes to help our clients fight these claims and avoid the professional and financial consequences of medical malpractice. Call (954) 880-9500 or fill out our Contact Form to schedule a case evaluation with one of Florida’s most prominent medical malpractice defense law firms.
