If a patient dies after a post-operative bleeding due to improper suturing, and the attending physician is not present but the nurse notified the physician and not supervisors, who is liable?

• A. The nurse
• B. The hospital
• C. The physician
• D. The patient

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that institutions can be held responsible for patient harm caused by organizational failures, even when the treating physician isn’t physically present. Hospitals owe patients a duty of care through their employees and agents, which includes ensuring competent staff are available, supervising care, and enforcing safe postoperative protocols. If death results from improper suturing leading to postoperative bleeding, the hospital can be liable under theories of corporate negligence and vicarious liability because the harm reflects failures in supervision, on-call coverage, staffing, or postoperative monitoring. The nurse’s action to notify a physician is appropriate, but it doesn’t remove the hospital’s responsibility for systemic gaps that allowed the harm to occur. The patient isn’t liable. The attending physician may face malpractice liability for the actual negligent suturing, but the hospital’s organizational responsibility is a distinct basis for liability in this scenario.