Emergency Room Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose

Misdiagnosis and failure to properly diagnose a condition are two of the most frequent emergency department mistakes in a hospital. This includes the failure of ordering tests, missing a diagnosis or getting a wrong diagnosis, the failure to x-ray, misreading of x-ray or a radiological exam, and the failure to refer or to request a consult. Both misdiagnosis and failure to diagnose—and all the variants within—are considered medical malpractice and hospital negligence. If you have suffered one of these common ER errors, you could be entitled to a compensation.

Common examples of ER errors

We handle serious cases arising from all types of ER negligence, including:

Common Emergency Room Mistakes:

  • Delayed treatment
  • Ignored policies
  • Failure to keep hospital standard of care
  • Poor patient monitoring
  • Medication errors
  • Rushed laboratory results
  • Failure to notice a bloodwork marker
  • Failure to order lab tests
  • Failure to order x-ray and other radiological exams
  • Misinterpretation of test results
  • Failure to reduce risk of infection
  • Misdiagnosis
  • Failure to diagnose a condition
  • Miscommunication
  • Improper discharge
  • No follow-up plan
  • Failure to refer to a specialty doctor
  • Failure to request a specialty consult

Emergency room errors can cause many types of permanent injuries and damages:

  • Stroke
  • Embolism or pulmonary embolism
  • Venous or arterial thromboembolism
  • Aortic aneurysm
  • Brain aneurysm
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Heart attack, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest
  • Temporal arteritis or acute vascular occlusion
  • Appendicitis complications
  • Flesh-eating bacterial infection or necrotizing fasciitis
  • Cauda Equina
  • Spinal cyst or abscess
  • Spinal cord compression
  • Displaced rib fracture and internal bleeding
  • Kidney stone
  • Sepsis, septicemia, coma and death
  • Gastrointestinal perforation and rupture
  • Intestinal obstruction or blockage
  • Bacterial Meningitis
  • Testicular torsion

Damages Recoverable from Emergency Room Errors

ER doctors and health care providers work long hours and under stress. They must make important decisions in a matter of seconds. As an experienced Massachusetts medical malpractice lawyer, Al Goodman has seen many times how the environment has meant the failure to making the appropriate decision—and this can prove fatal for patients. If you or a loved has been the victim of an emergency room error, better call Al today. We can review your case and help you receive compensation for your injuries. We are relentless in uncovering all sources of potential monetary earnings from various insurance policies and coverages, as well as all possible parties and entities.

We can make a claim on your behalf for emergency room errors. You are entitled to damages for the pain and suffering you endured, past and future medical bills, lost wages, reduction in earning capacity, permanent loss of function and disfigurement. Additionally, your legal spouse is entitled to loss of consortium compensation for loss of your assistance, guidance, counsel, companionship and sexual relations during your recovery. In the case of death we can seek wrongful death damages and in some situations conscious pain and suffering damages.

Statute of limitations

In most cases, you have only three years from the time of your injury or discovery of your symptoms to make your claim and file suit. There are exceptions, which is why it’s important to seek the advice of an experienced permanent injury attorney. Sometimes, certain notices have to be sent to the responsible party in writing in 30 days or within six months, so do not delay in seeking legal advice.

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