When you go to the emergency room, you expect to see a lot of patients in need of care and many healthcare professionals rushing around to provide that assistance. Even in all the chaos, you have the right to expect that you will receive care from a competent and trained medical staff. Emergency room workers have a duty to keep their patients safe and accurately assess, diagnose, and treat their medical conditions. Unfortunately, sometimes mistakes occur in busy emergency rooms.
If you believe an emergency department error injured you or your family member, you might be eligible to pursue damages in a medical malpractice claim. A dedicated Stamford emergency room error lawyer at Berkowitz Hanna can meet with you to discuss your case and go over your legal options.
People who go to emergency rooms (ERs) are usually already sick or injured. Negligent mistakes can lead to patients suffering even more harm.
A delay in a patient’s treatment could cause their condition to worsen. Even when emergency rooms are busy, medical personnel must focus on patients who present with severe or life-threatening symptoms first.
When an emergency room doctor is busy, they might rush through their patient’s assessment in order to discharge them and move on to the next patient. Stressed staff might try to minimize a patient’s complaints and fail to listen to what is wrong. Failure to perform a complete physical examination could cause a physician to miss pertinent symptoms. Similarly, failure to ask their patient for a full medical record or family history could lead a doctor to make an inaccurate assessment. To save time or money, a physician might fail to order critical diagnostic tests or a consultation with a medical specialist.
There is no excuse for unreasonable, careless mistakes in emergency rooms. For example, giving a patient the wrong medication or dosage could have severe consequences. Medical professionals who act carelessly could be held accountable for complications or injuries that result.
Unclean or unsanitary conditions in emergency rooms could lead to serious infections. Medical staff must properly sanitize rooms, surfaces, and equipment between each patient.
A knowledgeable Stamford lawyer can investigate a medical error to see if it rises to the level of actionable emergency room malpractice.
Mistakes in emergency rooms can allow a patient’s medical condition to worsen. These mistakes can lead to permanent, life-altering, and potentially fatal consequences for a patient. For instance, a patient with a gunshot wound could die from blood loss if not treated quickly. Substandard care can also cause patients to develop infections or become sick. Emergency department errors can lead to preventable heart attacks, brain aneurysms, strokes, appendicitis, and internal bleeding.
A compassionate lawyer can thoroughly assess and evaluate the harm suffered as a result of an ER error. From here, an attorney can work to build a strong civil claim that seeks out a fair settlement.
Although emergency rooms can be hectic, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who work there should know how to function in such an environment. They receive training in assessing and caring for patients experiencing medical emergencies. They know how to prioritize and manage patients, and patients should not have to settle for substandard care.
If an emergency room mistake jeopardized your health, you deserve answers. Work with a Stamford emergency room error lawyer at Berkowitz Hanna. Our tenacious legal team is ready to get to work for you, so contact us today and set up your free initial consultation.
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