An emergency room is often the most chaotic part of a hospital setting. Patients come in with a wide variety of needs, and staff is often stretched thin in times of especially high demand. The ER can be a high-stress, busy environment with multiple professionals interacting with patients in a short period of time. Each of these characteristics makes the ER a place where medical malpractice often occurs.
Unfortunately, a mistake in the ER can have serious consequences. A patient who needs emergency care might be turned away, or a misdiagnosis might lead to an ineffective treatment plan. A North Miami emergency room error lawyer could help patients who have experienced these kinds of mistakes get compensation for their losses.
In such a bustling environment, some mistakes are inevitable, but ER missteps can lead to devastating outcomes for patients in need. Our attorneys in North Miami understand the common emergency room errors and could build a claim around them.
A failure to diagnose occurs when a medical professional should have reasonably ordered specific tests or come to particular conclusions given a patient’s symptoms and medical history. In the ER, some commonly missed or mistaken diagnoses include overlooked stroke symptoms, missed internal bleeding, or ignored signs of sepsis.
When an ER fills to capacity or when staffing is low, wait times can become a serious problem. When patients are required to wait for excessive periods of time or medical professionals fail to act on urgent symptoms, the results can be deadly.
In a fast-paced environment with multiple patients being treated by a rotating team of professionals, medication errors become more likely. A patient may be harmed because they were given the wrong medication or received the wrong dosage.
There are many medical procedures performed in the ER, including intubation, wound care, and emergency surgery. Each of these procedures carries risks, and when a medical professional performs the procedure below the standards of care, it can leave patients with permanent damage.
A personal injury lawsuit against a medical professional requires evidence of negligence. A lawyer in North Miami could help collect evidence to demonstrate that the action taken in the ER did not meet the professional standard of care. This will likely include a careful review of ER intake forms, triage notes, nurse reports, and medical history. It might also include expert testimony about the standard treatment or procedure and witness testimony from hospital staff.
In addition to demonstrating that negligence occurred, the lawsuit will require proof that the negligent act caused the patient harm. Typically, this involves a careful accounting of expenses incurred because of the incident, missed wages, and any other monetary costs. It could also include non-economic damages like pain and suffering and loss of quality of life.
Using Florida Statutes § 766, an experienced lawyer will combine this information into a compelling set of evidence demonstrating the need for compensation.
Our North Miami emergency room error lawyer is here to listen to your story. We know how overwhelming recovery can be — especially when you did not receive the care you needed and deserved. Reach out today to get in touch and talk through your case. We can help you determine whether your case qualifies for a personal injury lawsuit and the best next steps to take.
(305) 876-6001