Medical Malpractice
Howard County General Hospital is located in Columbia, MD and it is the only hospital in Howard the County. Howard County General first opened its doors back in 1973. At that time, it was a small, “short-stay” community hospital with only 59 beds. Much like its hometown, Howard County General Hospital has grown rapidly in the last 40 years. Today Howard General is a mid-sized, regional hospital with 225 staffed beds and is a member of the Johns Hopkins Medicine system.
Howard County General Hospital focuses on women’s services (including obstetrics and gynecology), cardiology, cancer care, general surgery, orthopedics and emergency medicine. It averages about 30,000 inpatient admissions and its emergency room treats just under 100,000 patients each year. The hospital also delivers a lot of babies, with about 3,500 to 4,000 deliveries annually. With over 1,800 employees, it is the fifth largest employer in Howard County.
Dealing With Howard County General Hospital on Malpractice Cases
Howard County General is a good hospital that does a lot of great things for patients. No one is denying this. But like every other hospital, huge mistakes and medical negligence occur on a regular basis at Howard County General and the hospital should be accountable for those mistakes when they lead to unnecessary human suffering or death. To accomplish this, you need a medical malpractice attorney on your side to fight for you for a settlement or a jury verdict.
The Maryland hospital malpractice lawyers at Miller & Zois have extensive experience bringing malpractice cases against Howard County General Hospital and other hospitals in the state. We have an excellent track record of success in these cases.
Where To File Malpractice Lawsuits Against Howard County General Hospital
Howard County General Hospital is located in Howard County. Under Maryland’s venue rules for medical malpractice cases, this means that almost all malpractice cases against this hospital must be filed in the Circuit Court for Howard County. Howard County is generally not a very favorable jurisdiction for plaintiffs in malpractice cases. Jurors in Howard County are much more skeptical of plaintiffs and prefer to give doctors and hospitals the benefit of the doubt in close cases. This is not to say plaintiffs cannot win in Howard County. Malpractice plaintiffs can and do win big in Howard County all the time.
If you are a plaintiff in a malpractice case, you would much prefer to be in Baltimore City. Howard County General is part of the Johns Hopkins Medicine system. This means that in certain cases there may be enough of a relationship or connection to other Hopkins institutions to support filing a Howard General malpractice case in Baltimore City.
Howard County General Hospital’s Defense Team
As part of the Johns Hopkins system, Howard County General Hospital is typically defended by Goodell, DeVries, Leech & Dann (Donald DeVries). This is one of Maryland’s premier medical malpractice defense firms.
Ordering Medical Records from Howard County General Hospital
The biggest question our malpractice clients have is whether a mistake was made. Often, it is very hard to know with certainty without collecting all of the medical records for the victim. This is the first step in determining whether you may have a viable medical malpractice case that could lead to a verdict or settlement. You or your lawyer can order medical records. Howard County General Hospital medical records can be obtained from:
Howard County General Hospital Medical Records Department
5755 Cedar Lane Columbia, Maryland 21044
410.740.7890
410.740.7543 (fax)
Recent Howard County General Hospital Lawsuits
- May 30, 2019: Aller v. Howard County General Hospital – A wrongful death lawsuit is filed after an elderly woman dies following being discharged from the hospital. At the hospital she was diagnosed with severe arrhythmia, but surgery was scheduled 3 days later. Due to the delay in treatment, she passed in her home.
- March 4, 2019: Nwairo v. Howard County General Hospital – A wrongful death lawsuit is filed after a patient dies at Howard County General Hospital due to an improperly placed nasogastric tube. The patient was being treated for a bowel obstruction and after the tube was improperly inserted, they suffer from cardiac arrest and passes despite resuscitation efforts.
- March 13, 2019: Black v. Howard County General Hospital – This medical malpractice case involved a failure to diagnose and treat. A young girl falls and suffers an injury on her arm. She is taken to the emergency room where X-rays are taken of her arm. The doctor accurately diagnoses a dislocation but fails to diagnose and treat an apparent fracture that could be seen on the image. Due to the delay in treatment, the girl required surgery and now suffers from a permanent disability.
FAQs: Howard General Hospital Malpractice
What is the Average Settlement Value of a Howard General Hospital Malpractice Case?
The typical settlement value of a medical malpractice case against Harbor hospital is around $400,000 to $600,000. Although this is above the national average, it is below the average value of Maryland malpractice cases. This is because Howard County is a difficult venue for plaintiffs in malpractice cases and this gets factored into the settlement valuations.
What are My Chances of Winning a Malpractice Case Against Howard General Hospital?
Most cases against Howard General get settled confidentially, so it is very difficult to say with any certainty what the rate of success against them is. We can say, however, that 3 out of 4 plaintiffs who file a medical malpractice lawsuit end up getting compensation in the form of a verdict or settlement.
Does Howard County General Hospital Get Sued for Malpractice Very Often?
Yes. All busy hospitals get sued for medical malpractice on a regular basis, and Howard County General is no exception. Howard County General is somewhat small compared to other hospitals in Maryland, so they don’t get sued quite as often.
Contact Us
If you were injured at Howard County General or any other hospital in Maryland, contact our medical malpractice lawyers at 1.800.553.8082, or send us a free internet request for consultation. We can help you determine whether you qualify for a lawsuit because we work with top-notch medical experts in every field.