In 2007, there were approximately 117 million hospital emergency department (ED) visits across the United States. About 25% of all visits were covered by either the Medicaid or the States Children’s Health Insurance Program. The number one cause of ED visits was unintentional falls. According to reports, the cost of ED-related malpractice cases totaled more than $1 billion in 2009 alone.
In 2007, there were approximately 117 million hospital emergency department (ED) visits across the United States. About 25% of all visits were covered by either the Medicaid or the States Children’s Health Insurance Program. The number one cause of ED visits was unintentional falls. According to reports, the cost of ED-related malpractice cases totaled more than $1 billion in 2009 alone.
With the high rate of ED visits, emergency room errors are more common than errors in almost any other medical setting. Since patients that visit the emergency department require urgent care, even the smallest error in diagnosis can cause major harm or even be fatal for patients.
The environment in most emergency rooms is highly conducive to errors. The stress level in EDs is found to be much higher than in any other medical department. This may cause medical professionals to make errors while rushing. They may also be unable to make necessary medical decisions in time to prevent serious harm or death.
Types of Emergency Room Errors
There are a number of common emergency room errors, including:
- Misdiagnosis of an injury or condition
- Delays in treatment
- Medication errors
- Failure to provide thorough examination of a patient’
- Wrong treatment
- Surgical errors
- Patient Dumping
Emergency room errors may cause a condition to worsen or present injuries or conditions that were previously absent. Patients may suffer permanent or temporary pain, loss of quality of life and may require further medical treatments after an emergency room error.
Emergency room errors can cause a wide range of medical conditions, such as:
- Blood poisoning or sepsis
- Infection
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Blood loss
- Physical disability
- Scarring
- Cognitive impairment
Medical Malpractice Case for Emergency Room Errors
To win a medical malpractice case, it is important to find an experienced medical malpractice attorney. This type of case can be long and complex and requires expertise. To ensure that you win a medical malpractice case based on emergency room errors, there are three basic elements that you need to prove:
- There was a doctor-patient relationship.
- The treatment received in the emergency room involved negligence.
- The patient was harmed as a result of that negligence.
In a medical malpractice lawsuit, there are two things that you need to prove to demonstrate negligence:
· Standard of care in the ER – This refers to the level of competence that the majority of doctors would have in similar circumstances. The standard of care in an ER is usually not as high as it is in other medical settings.
· Breach of that standard of care – This is to show that the doctor or medical professional in the ER did not provide the accepted medical standard of care and that the breach led to the injury or harm to the patient.
If you or a loved one has been harmed due to an emergency room error, you should immediately seek the help of the medical malpractice attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000. The first consultation is free, you can discuss the facts of your case and find out how to take the first step to a lawsuit with the help of one of our outstanding legal representatives.
Give us a call – the first meeting will cost you nothing. We have won big money for many clients. Do you want to be on this list? Do you want to be made financially whole again and then some? Do you want to have a supreme law firm representing you? This can happen but you need to make the call.
