The rushed nature of the ER when it comes to serious injury or illness can increase the chances of an emergency room error. If you or a loved one has sustained serious injury from an emergency room error, you may need to file a New York medical malpractice claim to recover damages.
What is an Emergency Room Error?
When you have to visit the emergency room, it’s usually a hectic, traumatic time for you and your family. There are 2 main types of emergency room errors you may fall victim to: failure to diagnose and failure to treat. Either error type can result in permanent injury, disability or even death. The occurrence of an emergency room error is often more common than other types of medical errors because the ER is a very fast-paced environment where timing is critical. In many instances, patients cannot adequately express their conditions, or doctors have so many patients to attend to that they do not properly assess patient risk or symptoms. No matter the excuse, no patient should suffer an emergency room error, and if you have, you should seek the advice of a New York medical malpractice attorney to discuss your options for filing for a New York medical malpractice claim.
Emergency Room Error: Failure to Diagnose
When patients come into the ER with certain symptoms, doctors should not overlook their needs. Many New York medical malpractice claims often list that doctors ignored the telltale signs of common ailments such as heart attacks, stroke and appendicitis. If these serious conditions are “fixed” by merely prescribing pain medication and sending a patient home, the results can be fatal. Failure to diagnose is an extremely dangerous kind of emergency room error because the doctor either ends up treating the patient for an ailment they don’t have or doesn’t treat the actual condition at all. Either of these errors can easily result in long-term or permanent damage. Delays in diagnosis can also cause a serious emergency room error from the subsequent delay in treatment. When the proper diagnosis is not made quickly, many common medical problems can become worse over time or result in new conditions. The longer it takes for a doctor to properly diagnose your condition, the longer time it has to do serious damage, leading to the necessity of a New York medical malpractice claim to recover compensation for your damages and losses.
Emergency Room Error: Failure to Treat
Proper and timely treatment of your ailment is critical when you are in the hospital for a medical emergency. Many factors can lead to an emergency room error such as failure to treat. Emergency room staff often work long shifts, which increases the odds of an emergency room error. Because your visit to the ER is an emergency, the hospital staff may not feel that there is enough time to perform the proper testing to diagnose your condition. When the condition is not properly diagnosed, the treatment may not be correct for your ailment. You may be treated for a condition you do not have, when your real medical emergency is left untreated. Often times, patients complaining of generic pains in their chest or head may be sent home with painkillers. Later they suffer a heart attack or stroke because of emergency room error from a failure to treat your condition.
Recovery After an Emergency Room Error
If you or a loved one has suffered further injury from an emergency room error, you have the right to file a New York medical malpractice claim. By filing a New York medical malpractice claim, you can recover compensation for damages such as medical bills and lost wages, as well as compensation for pain and suffering you experienced as a result of medical negligence.
When to Contact a New York Medical Malpractice Attorney
When you have suffered serious injury or lost a loved one as a result of medical negligence, you are entitled to compensation for your losses and suffering. At Gacovino Lake & Associates we have formed a dedicated network of medical malpractice attorneys to serve clients nationwide. Our New York office serves residents of the 5 boroughs with their emergency room error, wrong site surgery, failure to diagnose and other medical malpractice claims. For experienced help when filing your claim, contact us today – 800-246-4878.
