Emergency Room Errors

The chaotic nature of emergency rooms can lead to numerous emergency room errors. When physicians, nurses, surgeons, general hospital employees and/or paramedics are neglectful in their responsibilities to patients and injuries are sustained, emergency room medical malpractice lawsuits may be filed.

With over-worked employees and under-staffed facilities, it is not shocking that 30% of emergency room medical malpractice lawsuits are filed due to misdiagnosis, as employees treat their patients like statistics in an attempt to file them in and out as quickly as possible.

Still, emergency room errors are inexcusable and if you or a loved on has suffered injuries due to emergency room negligence, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

Types of Emergency Room Errors

The most common emergency room error resulting in emergency room medical malpractice is misdiagnosis. Misdiagnosis errors aside, common ER-related malpractice lawsuits can stem from:

  • EMT and paramedic neglect
  • Anesthesia malpractice
  • Surgical error
  • Delayed diagnosis
  • Failure to diagnose, which, according to Suing for Medical Malpractice, Sloan et al, 1993, accounted for 20% of ER-related malpractice lawsuits
  • Contaminated blood transfusion

How Emergency Room Errors Occur

It seems beyond belief that emergency room medical malpractice lawsuits even exist considering emergency rooms are designed for those in most need of urgent care. However, the unfortunate truth is that emergency room errors are all too common and occur for foolish reasons.

Since emergency rooms are overcrowded, often a patient is not admitted and given the proper priority their condition necessitates. Consequently, a patient's condition can deteriorate as they wait to be seen.

Other times, test results are not examined in a timely or thorough fashion, which may cause an emergency room to improperly discharge a patient.

Injuries Associated With Emergency Room Errors

Simply because emergency rooms are full of patients seeking medical assistance and over-worked physicians without enough time to adequately diagnose each patient does not excuse a heart attack in the waiting room because chest pains were dismissed.

Other common injuries sustained due to the negligence of emergency room employees include:

  • Appendicitis
  • Stroke
  • Brain aneurysm
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Internal bleeding or hemorrhaging

While proving negligence in emergency medical malpractice cases may be difficult, your chances of recovering full compensation for your injuries is vastly improved with experienced and proven medical malpractice attorneys.

At The Cochran Firm, we have the resources and capability to handle emergency room medical malpractice cases throughout the United States. Please contact our offices today.

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