Emergency Room Mistakes Can Lead to Medical Malpractice Claims

 Posted on April 28, 2022 in Medical Malpractice

You may be surprised to learn that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. One Johns Hopkins study estimates that 250,000 and 440,000 people pass away every year due to medical mistakes across the country. When you or a loved one has an unexpected medical emergency, you may drive to the emergency room to get the medical care you need. Although the majority of hospital emergency rooms safely provide the life-saving care that patients need without error, emergency room mistakes do happen.

ER Errors Can Be Devastating to the Victim

When someone experiences a drastic change in their health, they might be inclined to go to the emergency room. Because emergency room doctors and other medical staff are often dealing with high-stakes, time-sensitive medical emergencies, they must use extreme caution and focus when attending to patients. Unfortunately, studies show that as many as 5-10 percent of all emergency room visits involve mistakes. Some of these mistakes will not make a notable difference in the patient’s condition, but others can be the difference between whether the patient lives or dies. Some of the most common emergency room mistakes include:

• Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis, including inappropriate response to signs and symptoms of strokes and heart attacks
• Medication errors, including overmedicating, under-medicating, or giving patients the wrong medication or dosage
• Failure to obtain proper patient medical history
• Misuse of a medical device
• Misinterpretation of laboratory test results
• Unhygienic conditions which lead to an infection
• Failure to provide appropriate medical treatment
• Administrative mistakes, including confusing patient files and mislabeled test results

Pursuing Compensation for Medical Mistakes

Victims of medical malpractice may be left with significant economic and non-economic damage, including enormous medical bills, a worsened medical condition, and significant pain and suffering. A mistake made in the emergency room could be the difference between recovering from a major health issue and not improving at all.

If you or a loved one were harmed by a medical mistake, you may wonder how things would be different had the mistake not been made. Through a personal injury lawsuit, you can pursue compensation for you or your loved one’s medical expenses, missed work, damage to future earning capacity, lessened quality of life, and more. If your loved one passed away due to medical malpractice, a wrongful death lawsuit may be able to provide financial relief for your family.

Contact a Rolling Meadows Medical Malpractice Lawyer

For help understanding your legal options following an emergency room mistake, contact an experienced Arlington Heights personal injury attorney at Newland & Newland LLP. Schedule your free, confidential, no-obligation consultation by calling us at 847-797-8000 today.

Sources:

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/22/medical-errors-third-leading-cause-of-death-in-america.html

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2016/07/15/surprising-number-of-emergency-room-medical-errors/

https://www.justice.org/system/files/briefs/PNEG1882.pdf