If your child was injured at UPMC Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the law allows you to pursue compensation. Especially when a preventable medical error or safety lapse caused the harm. Hospitals move quickly after an adverse event, and families deserve someone moving just as fast on their behalf.
At Marzella & Associates, our dedicated legal team can secure your child’s medical chart, preserve internal documentation, and help you understand what happened before the hospital’s insurer shapes the narrative. Our medical malpractice lawyers in Harrisburg can guide you through your options from the moment you suspect something went wrong and ensure you receive the compensation for all the losses you incurred due to the incident.
What to Do Immediately After Your Child Gets Hurt in UPMC
You can strengthen your case by acting early. Ask for the internal incident or safety report associated with the incident. Hospitals sometimes hesitate, but you have the right to request confirmation that a report exists. Document the date, time, room number, and staff members on duty. Write down precisely what you or your child (if applicable) witnessed, including alarms, delays, or conflicting explanations.
Request your child’s complete chart from UPMC Harrisburg. That includes progress notes, medication logs, nurse shift reports, orders, surgical notes, and consent forms—photograph visible injuries, medical equipment that contributed to the harm, and the environment where it occurred. If your child experienced a sudden decline, such as respiratory distress after surgery or an abrupt drop in blood pressure, ask that the explanation appear clearly in the chart.
Likewise, keep a running record of all costs, including length of stay, transfers within the pediatric unit, new consultations, therapy, and additional imaging. These details become critical when proving damages.
Why Do Children Sometimes Get Hurt in UPMC?
UPMC Harrisburg operates an inpatient pediatric unit and PICU that care for newborns through young adults. These units manage everything from respiratory infections to complex surgeries. Despite trained staff and solid resources, children face unique risks because their bodies respond differently to medication, anesthesia, and delays in care. Even in a structured environment like UPMC Harrisburg, an injury may stem from:
- Missed change in vital signs
- A fall that should’ve been prevented
- Delayed diagnosis
- Medication calculation error
- A post-operative complication that went unnoticed for too long
Understanding how the injury occurred helps determine whether negligence played a role. Pennsylvania requires a certificate of merit, meaning a qualified medical expert must confirm that the care likely deviated from professional standards. A Harrisburg personal injury attorney can work with pediatric specialists who understand how children should be monitored and medicated, and begin that review immediately so they can capture subtle details the chart alone may not show.
How Our Malpractice Lawyers Can Help Your Family
Once you suspect something went wrong, talk to a Harrisburg medical malpractice attorney who can work on your case by:
- Securing the complete medical record before revisions or omissions occur
- Obtaining incident reports, fall logs, and internal notes
- Comparing UPMC Harrisburg’s policies with what happened
- Working with independent pediatric experts to evaluate preventability
- Building a timeline that connects the hospital’s conduct to your child’s injury
- Calculating long-term needs, including therapy, assistive equipment, special-education services, and future procedures
- Negotiating with the hospital’s insurer using evidence that demonstrates the full impact on your child’s life
- Preparing your case as if it must be proven in court
You can regain control when you understand how the incident unfolded and what compensation your child can receive for their injuries.
Call Our Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Harrisburg
Time is, unfortunately, not on your side when you’re up against a massive corporation like UPMC Hospital that has unlimited resources at its disposal. Arrange your free case evaluation with our Harrisburg medical malpractice lawyers at Marzella & Associates by calling 717-876-8681 or completing our online form.