5 Most Common Florida Emergency Room Malpractice Claims
No one plans on going to an emergency room. But, unfortunately, we sometimes end up there. By their very nature, emergency rooms are a chaotic environment. Patients arrive at ERs needing medical treatment for everything from a few stitches to life threatening trauma. Considering this, it’s not surprising that about five percent of medical malpractice cases result from negligence by healthcare professionals in emergency rooms. The following are some of the most common causes for ER related malpractice claims:
• Misdiagnosis — The most common cause of emergency room medical malpractice lawsuits is misdiagnosis. ER doctors are often in a rush and treating several patients at one time.
• Delayed Diagnosis — Another common cause of ER malpractice claims is delayed diagnosis. ERs are often overcrowded and understaffed, causing patients in need of care having to wait to be seen, diagnosed, and treated. During these delays, a patient’s condition may worsen significantly. Also, many tests a physician orders can take time to process and accurately read.
• Failure to Diagnose — This is often caused by a patient exhibiting symptoms of more than one malady at the same time, leading the attending medical professional to overlook one due to another.
• Medical Infections — Infections from injections and blood transfusions also frequently show up after a patient visits an ER. This is likely due to the fact the person was in an unsanitary environment right before they were admitted and injection sites weren’t thoroughly sterilized.
• Medication Errors — Medication mistakes can also occur in the turbulent atmosphere of an ER. This can be in the form of both the wrong medication administered and the wrong dosage administered.
Contact Us
If you or a family member has experienced negligence at an emergency room, you need to contact an experienced Florida medical malpractice attorney. The attorneys at Farah & Farah have been successfully representing injured clients for over 35 years, and will put our skills and knowledge behind your claim. Call (800) 533-3555 for a free consultation.
