The holiday season is one of the busiest times of the year for hospitals. Emergency rooms see spikes in flu cases, travel-related injuries, winter accidents, and stress-related medical events. Cold weather also worsens chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease, and respiratory illnesses—leading to even more overcrowding.
This influx of patients would challenge any system. But when combined with staff shortages, provider fatigue, and the well-documented “weekend effect,” the risk of medical errors increases significantly—sometimes leading to preventable tragedy.
Studies show that hospitals experience more medical mistakes during major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s—and during long weekends such as Memorial Day and Labor Day. July is another notoriously risky month due to the start of new medical residencies.
Below are the biggest reasons holidays are uniquely dangerous for patients.
Hospitals frequently operate with reduced staffing during holidays. Many seasoned doctors, nurses, radiology techs, and surgical staff take time off, leading to:
This creates conditions where important symptoms are missed, test results go unread, and treatment is delayed.
For more on how staff error can lead to negligence, see our page on surgical malpractice.
The “weekend effect” refers to higher rates of complications and mortality for patients admitted on weekends due to:
Holidays often function like extended weekends—with even thinner staffing levels.
This can lead to delayed diagnoses, missed infections, and treatment gaps that escalate into life-threatening harm.
Rushed evaluations, long ER wait times, and overextended medical teams increase the risk of:
A delayed diagnosis can rapidly turn a treatable condition into a catastrophic one. If you believe a delay contributed to serious injury, our firm can help evaluate whether malpractice occurred.
Holiday staffing issues also impact surgical departments. Common risks include:
Even a small lapse—like missing a post-operative infection—can lead to severe, lifelong harm.
Even during staffing shortages, patients can take steps to protect themselves from preventable harm.
If possible, have someone with you 24/7 who can:
Patient advocates play a crucial role when hospital staff are stretched thin.
Do not hesitate to speak up:
When answers seem unclear or rushed, request a second opinion or ask for an attending—not just a resident or trainee.
Politely confirm:
This simple step prevents many avoidable errors.
Whenever possible, postpone elective—or non-urgent—procedures until staffing returns to normal levels.
This helps avoid confusion and reduces risk when providers are unfamiliar with you.
Not every bad outcome is malpractice—but when a provider:
…it may be negligence.
To prove a medical malpractice claim, we must show:
See our New York Statute of Limitations Guide for timing rules. In most New York cases, you generally have 30 months from the date of malpractice to file a claim.
If you experienced:
…it’s important to speak with an attorney promptly.
A New York medical malpractice lawyer at Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro can:
We also handle cases involving wrongful death, birth injuries, and other serious consequences of negligent care.
The holidays should be a time of connection—not a medical crisis. If you believe you or a loved one suffered harm because of holiday hospital negligence, our team is ready to listen.
Contact Salenger, Sack, Kimmel & Bavaro for a free, confidential case evaluation. Our attorneys can help determine whether malpractice occurred and what your legal options may be.