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Proving Damages for Errors in the Emergency Room
Emergency room medicine places heavy demands on the doctors who provide treatment on such short notice. In the emergency room, the ability to diagnose and treat patients safely and effectively depends on sound judgment, a broad understanding of the risks presented by particular symptoms, and a willingness to do whatever is necessary to stabilize the patient's condition. Unfortunately, busy ER physicians can and do make mistakes that could aggravate an existing health condition, create new problems, or even result in death.
If you believe that you or a family member has suffered serious injuries as the result of an emergency room error on the part of an attending physician or other health care professional, contact a Cleveland medical malpractice lawyer at Friedman, Domiano & Smith Co., LPA. As one of northeast Ohio's leading personal injury law firms, we have the experience and skill with emergency room negligence litigation that can help you recover damages for any serious problems caused by errors in diagnosis, treatment or discharge of the patient.
The following are examples of the types of mistakes that are all too common in emergency room practice:
- Errors in recognizing the symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (heart attack), cerebral vascular accident (stroke) or aneurysm
- Failure to diagnose traumatic brain injury
- Failure to diagnose blunt force abdominal trauma to internal organs such as the liver or spleen
- Improperly suspecting an ER patient of malingering or "drug seeking behavior"
- Failure to pull up a patient's medical records before initiating treatment
- Failure to order necessary tests or make appropriate referrals for further treatment
Another common and very serious emergency room error is discharging the patient without adequately having stabilized his or her condition, correctly identifying the injury or illness, or arranging further treatment.
Because Ohio's statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits is only one year, it is essential to contact a lawyer as soon as you suspect that an emergency room physician's negligence caused a serious illness or death in your family. State law also requires that lawsuits against medical professionals be supported by a sworn expert statement that the malpractice claim has merit and should be allowed to proceed. It can take a long time just to get the necessary medical records and additional time for your lawyers to review the materials with a qualified medical expert.
For experienced and dependable client service in a case of emergency room error, contact a medical malpractice attorney at Friedman, Domiano & Smith Co., LPA in Cleveland.
