When NICU Equipment Fails, It’s Not Just Tragic—It Might Be Malpractice.
Your newborn is in the NICU fighting for their life. You trust the medical staff to provide the best possible care with properly functioning equipment. When monitors malfunction, ventilators fail, or IV pumps deliver incorrect doses, the results can be devastating. Equipment failure in a neonatal intensive care unit isn’t just unfortunate—it may be medical malpractice.
The Critical Role of NICU Equipment
Premature and critically ill infants depend on specialized medical equipment for survival. Heart monitors, oxygen saturation monitors, ventilators, feeding tubes, and medication pumps must work flawlessly. These babies can’t tell anyone when something’s wrong. The equipment is their lifeline. When it fails, seconds matter.
Hospitals have a duty to maintain, calibrate, and monitor all medical equipment. Staff must be properly trained to operate complex NICU devices and respond immediately to alarms. Regular inspections and preventive maintenance aren’t optional—they’re essential to a baby’s safety.
Common NICU Equipment Failures
Medical device malfunctions in neonatal care happen more often than parents realize. These failures can cause serious harm:
- Ventilator malfunctions leading to oxygen deprivation and brain damage
- Faulty monitors failing to alert staff to dangerous heart rate or breathing changes
- IV pump errors causing medication overdoses or underdoses
- Incubator temperature control failures resulting in hypothermia or hyperthermia
- Feeding tube problems causing aspiration or malnutrition
Each of these failures can result in permanent disabilities, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, or death.
When Equipment Failure Becomes Malpractice
Not every equipment malfunction constitutes malpractice. That said, hospitals and staff can be held liable when they fail to properly maintain equipment, ignore warning signs of malfunction, delay responding to equipment alarms, or use outdated or recalled devices. If your baby suffered harm due to equipment failure, you need to understand what went wrong and who’s responsible.
Your Baby Deserves Justice
Medical records often don’t tell the complete story. Hospitals may claim the equipment was functioning properly or that your baby’s condition would have worsened regardless. Don’t accept these explanations without having an experienced attorney review your case. You need someone who will fight for answers and hold the hospital accountable.
The Law Offices of Tim Misny can help you with your medical malpractice claim. When equipment failures and hospital negligence harm your baby, I’ll Make Them Pay!® Call my office at (877) 944-4373 so that I can evaluate your case right away.
