In the United States, 136.3 million visits to hospital emergency departments occur each year. Of these, 40.2 million are injury-related. 16.2 ED visits result in hospital admission every year. 2.1 million people are admitted to critical care annually after an ED visit.
In the United States, 136.3 million visits to hospital emergency departments occur each year. Of these, 40.2 million are injury-related. 16.2 ED visits result in hospital admission every year. 2.1 million people are admitted to critical care annually after an ED visit.
Statistics also show that 27% of patients are seen within fewer than 15 minutes in the emergency room. Additionally, patients have to wait an average of 24 minutes before they can see a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner.
Common Questions about ER Malpractice
Emergency departments in any hospital in New York, and other places, are a high stress environment and people can often be harmed or injured due to errors made by the medical professionals on duty. Here is a look at some of the most common questions about emergency room malpractice:
Q1: Why does emergency room malpractice take place?
A: Emergency room errors often occur due to negligence or wrongdoing on the hospital’s part, including:
- · Failure to properly screen physicians and other ER medical staff
- · Failure to ensure that there is an adequate number of physicians and ER staff at every shift
- · Inadequate training
- · Unsanitary conditions
- · Inadequate equipment and facilities
- · Inadequate procedures for tracking patients
- · Inadequate or improper procedures for keeping records
- · Inadequate or improper procedures for administrating medications
- · Unethical policies, such as discrimination and patient dumping
Q2: What types of ER errors occur?
A: Common types of errors in the emergency room include:
- Failure to get a patient fully evaluated
- Delayed diagnosis
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to diagnose
- Failure to monitor patients
- Delayed treatment
- Lab errors
- Inappropriate or incorrect medications or improper doses
- Failure to provide a patient with full treatment
- Transfusions with contaminated blood
- Patient dumping
- Negligence
- Surgical errors
Q3: What are the common injuries caused by ER malpractice?
A: A wide range of injuries can be caused by errors in the ER, including:
- Second, more serious and harmful occurrence of a misdiagnosed medical incident, such as a stroke or heart attack
- Infections
- Loss of limbs or organs
- Medication overdose
- Brain injury
- Severe pain
- Adverse reaction to medications
- Paralysis
- Permanent disability
- Extended recovery time
- Death
Q4: My husband died after being turned away by an emergency room. Is it still medical malpractice since he was provided treatment at the time?
A: In many emergency rooms, there is a policy of discriminating against people who are unable to prove that they can pay for treatment. Both unethical and illegal, this practice is called patient dumping and it is a form of medical malpractice.
Get Legal Help for ER Malpractice in New York
If you or a loved one has been injured due to an ER medical malpractice in New York, you should immediately seek the help of the illustrious medical malpractice attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, & Wolff of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000.
RMFW Law is the best law firm in NYC. The Yankees may have won many titles in the past but RMFW Law wins titles much more often. We win cases all year long and it is because our legal strategy is second to none.
The first meeting with us free. We only take a percentage of the final settlement or verdict. Medical malpractice cases are not easy to win but we have the medical expert(s) to back up your claim if your claim is viable. Call RMFW Law today!
