When you visit an emergency room, you have the right to expect the same high standard of care that you would anticipate from any other doctor or healthcare professional. After all, emergency room doctors are trained to skillfully diagnose and treat patients while working in a fast-paced and often demanding environment. You assume that the proper tests and imaging will be ordered, the appropriate medications will be administered, and the correct diagnosis will be made.
At times, however, patients who go to the emergency room in a hospital may be the subject of a critical error that could cost them greatly. Emergency room errors can mean the difference between life and death. If you or a loved one has suffered harm from a medical error while receiving emergency treatment, it’s important that you get in touch with an expert medical malpractice attorney who can help you understand your options for pursuing compensation.
The Most Common Emergency Room Errors
Although emergency room doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are highly trained at handling a large caseload and providing patients with the emergency treatment they need, mistakes can happen in a fast-paced environment. Medscape data suggests that 60 percent of all emergency room mistakes are based in human error, 25 percent are organizational, and 11 percent are due to technical blunders.
Emergency room negligence can come in many forms, from an overwhelmed doctor to nursing staff without much experience. Errors that occur in emergency rooms across the nation on a daily basis include:
Misdiagnosis
Emergency room doctors and nurses are often forced to work quickly and resourcefully. A misdiagnosis can be made as a result of pressure and a lack of time to perform their jobs thoroughly and accurately. Receiving treatment for the wrong condition can cause irreversible damage.
Medication Errors
You can be given the wrong type of medication or the incorrect dosage while receiving treatment in an emergency room, which could result in injury or death. Medications may also be administered incorrectly.
Improper Performance of a Procedure
ER doctors and nurses are required to handle any medical situation that comes through their doors. This sometimes means they’re performing procedures with which they have little-to-no experience, which could result in harm to the patient.
Improper Discharge
Improper discharge refers to the early release of a patient before they’re well enough to leave the supervision of the hospital. In these cases, patients who are released early may find that their health worsens and that they have to return for additional medical treatment. In more serious cases, improper discharge can lead to death if the patient is dependent on support from the emergency room to stay alive.
Refusal to See a Patient
Some hospitals that are extremely busy may refuse to see a patient, or they may place them in a hallway to be cared for once a room opens up. Depending on the severity of the patient’s injury, this may be a form of medical malpractice and often goes against the policies of most hospitals, especially when the patient is brought in by an ambulance after suffering a medical emergency.
Poor Sanitation
You could develop an infection if your hospital’s emergency room is suffering from sanitation problems. Hospital staff may also expose you to dangerous pathogens if they don’t follow sanitation policies.
Other Mistakes
Other common emergency room errors include delayed treatment, misreading or misinterpreting test findings, laboratory errors, failing to obtain a thorough medical history, and improperly transporting a patient.
Can You Sue an Emergency Room?
If you’ve been injured or harmed due to the negligent actions of hospital staff, you have a cause of action against that hospital and therefore a right to sue them for compensation for any damages you’ve incurred as a result of those injuries.
In order to prove that the doctor or medical professional was negligent, your attorney will need to gather and examine a variety of evidence, including hospital records and statements from the individuals who were involved in your treatment. Your attorney will also consult other medical experts about the treatment you received.
Cases involving medical malpractice in the ER can be complex, so it is crucial to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Contact the Emergency Room Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Dalli & Marino
Medical malpractice is unfortunate but all too common in today’s healthcare system. If you believe you or a family member has been injured as a result of emergency room medical negligence, consider getting in touch with an experienced medical malpractice attorney at Dalli & Marino. Our lawyers have been highly successful in representing victims of medical malpractice since 1996 and have won numerous medical malpractice lawsuits on behalf of our clients. We approach each case on an individual basis and serve to help you or your loved one recover the money you need to compensate for your injury or illness.
At Dalli & Marino, we understand the practical and technical aspects involved in the prosecution of medical malpractice cases. We strive to build strong relationships with our clients through trust and communication to ensure that we fully understand your needs. Give us a call at (888) 465-8790 or complete our contact form today.
