A May 2018 article published by The News Tribune reports that police in Puyallup, Washington are investigating a case at Good Samaritan Hospital that centers around at least two patients who have been infected with hepatitis C, hundreds of potentially affected patients, and a nurse charged with stealing drugs.
The hospital is sending notification by mail to potentially affected patients. If you are a patient who receives a notice in the mail informing you of your risk of being infected, you should take two actions immediately: First, you should reply to the hospital and get tested; if you are infected with hepatitis C, it is important that you begin treatment straightaway. Second, you should call the Alliance Law Group for a free consultation about your legal right to pursue damages. Patients who are victims of hospital-acquired infections have cause of action to file a lawsuit against the responsible party to recoup compensation for losses. At the Alliance Law Group, our legal team has experience representing patients who are victims of medical malpractice, injuries, and serious acts of negligence.
How Patients Were Infected with Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a type of viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver. The condition can lead to chronic hepatitis C when it is untreated, which can have long-term and dangerous consequences, including death in some cases. When the infection is diagnosed early, however, it is very treatable.
Unlike the majority of other healthcare-acquired infections, the case involving Good Samaritan Hospital is unique because hepatitis C is not transmitted by touch alone, nor is the infection airborne. Instead, the infection can only be passed when the blood of a contaminated person comes in contact with the blood of a person who is not contaminated.
According to reports, the two patients at Good Samaritan Hospital whose infections are confirmed may have contracted the disease as a result of being treated with used needles, although investigators say that precisely how the patients were infected is not yet clear. The nurse in question has admitted to diverting injectable narcotics meant for patients.
I Was a Patient at Good Samaritan – Am I at Risk?
There are hundreds of potentially affected patients of Good Samaritan who may have been infected with hepatitis C. Currently, the hospital is in the process of contacting the more than 2,500 patients who interacted with the nurse. If you were a patient who receives a letter in the mail from Good Samaritan Hospital which states that you may be at risk of hepatitis C and need to come in for testing, you should act immediately. Former patients who do not receive such a letter are, according to the hospital, not at risk.
Don’t Wait to Take Action if You’re Potentially Affected
For a free consultation with our legal team, please call our law firm today. We urge you to act quickly to protect your right to recovery. You can reach our Good Samaritan Hospital hepatitis C infection lawyers by phone, or by sharing your details with us online.