Common types of Emergency Room Malpractice

Medical malpractice is when a health care professional causes an injury to a patient through a negligent act. Often times in the heat of an alarming environment, such as an emergency room, it is difficult to recognize when emergency room malpractice is or has taken place. Doctors often times make serious or permanent mistakes as a result of negligence. There are a number of injuries that can be caused by emergency room malpractice including infection, cardiac damage, paralysis, or even death. Although medical errors in the emergency rooms are not unusual due to the already hectic environment, it is important to recognize when you may need to get a lawyer involved. Here are a few of the common types of emergency room malpractice.

Misdiagnosis: The correct diagnosis of a patient is usually heavily reliant on laboratory tests and other technologies. Malpractice can occur when the diagnostic systems are faulty or if natural human error generates improper procedure, contamination of samples, or even by having the test results read incorrectly.

 Medication Errors: Medication specific mistakes can happen at any point during the supply chain system. However, it is possible to be prescribed or given a medication that causes harm or injury by an ER professional. The doctor can also neglect to inform the patient of the possible risks and side effects of the medication prior to prescribing it to them.

Failure to Perform a thorough Medical Exam: If the doctor treats the patient unusually or incompetently, this can result in a malpractice claim.

Patient Dumping: This type of malpractice happens when hospitals refuse emergency care, discharges a patient too soon, or relocates a patient without sufficient and thorough care. The most common victims of patient dumping are usually patients whom the hospital feel like can’t pay for treatment or have insufficient insurance.

If you feel like you’ve experienced emergency room malpractice and would like to file a claim, contact The Cochran Firm of the Mid-South at 901-523-1222 to discuss your options.