When immediate attention is required for a person because they may have suffered a catastrophic injury or the effects of a medical condition, they will often be rushed to the emergency room. The emergency room is a service that is provided to individuals in seek of immediate medical aid and is available around the clock. In order to save the life of the victim, they must be taken to the ER where the medical professionals there will assess their needs. Many lives are saved with the swift treatment and prompt admittance in the ER, yet it is not unheard of that victims have suffered extreme injuries and even death as a result of a medical negligence performed by an ER staff member.
In fact, because there is so much going on in an emergency room setting at any given time, and stress levels are extremely high, medical negligence can manifest itself in a variety of ways while a patient is being provided treatment or care in an emergency room. Discovering exactly which parties can be found liable and how the medical negligence occurred can be achieved with the skillful legal aid of an Orlando attorney for emergency room malpractice. Those who go to the emergency room are in desperate need of good quality care. Any little mistake could be catastrophic, especially for a patient who is already in a bad health state.
Because an emergency room is filled with unexpected occurrences and stressful situations, not just any medical professional can work there. Health care providers that work in these settings must have a strong mental capacity to handle the stress levels that will come because if they let their emotions get the best of them, then the patient is the one that can suffer the consequences of the medical professional not keeping calm under those circumstances.
How Can a Medical Negligence Occur in an Emergency Room in Orlando?
Emergency room negligence can present in self in various forms and can be committed by numerous medical practitioners. Some of the well-known medical negligence’s that take place in the ER include:
Not providing the patient with swift treatment
The emergency room is filled with chaos, especially if there are many people waiting to be examined by a health care professional. With so many people that may require assistance at the same time, some will have to wait for aid more than others, despite them needing medical attention. Not every patient that enters the ER is in need of immediate attention. The nurses have to prioritize the cases of patients need help right away versus those that can wait a bit. If a mistake is committed and a patient who needs medical aid immediate does not receive it, they can suffer injuries that may leave them permanently disabled, depending on what injury or medical condition they have. A delay in providing the patient with treatment is considered medical negligence.
Proving the patient with incorrect medication
Focusing can be difficult when there are so many patients to take care of at the same time and all have different medical needs. Medical malpractice can lead to dangerous situations, especially in an ER. Because there can be a rush of people that are in the emergency room and there might not be enough staff to properly care for those patients, confusion, and mistakes can set in. The patient might be given the wrong medication. Adverse health issues can come from an incorrectly administered drug.
Over dosage of Medication
When so much is going on at the same time and there is added pressure, even the most professional individual can commit an error. A patient might be given an abundance of a certain drug causing them to overdose. A medical malpractice lawsuit can be made against the Orlando medical staff if the patient was harmed due to the overdose neglect.
Procedures that are Invasive
Depending on the circumstances of the patient going to the ER, some of them can be stabilized without having to undergo surgery, while others require surgery in order to survive. As mentioned before, emergency rooms can be chaotic and when a surgeon must perform 10 surgeries as fast as possible, mistakes can happen. They are filled with pressure and stress while wanting to save as many lives as possible. Yet, with their intent to save lives, they commit medical negligence in the process, especially during an invasive procedure. A physician may incorrectly diagnose what is wrong with the patient or they may operate on the wrong body part. Whatever the negligence, it will be a traumatic experience for both the victim and their families.
In addition to the above medical negligence’s, these following malpractice occurrences can take place:
- Blood transfusion that is contaminated
- Paramedic neglect
- Malpractice during anesthesia administration
- Unsanitized surgical instruments
- Diagnose delay
Who Can be Found Accountable for a Malpractice in an Emergency Room?
Many people believe that it is only the surgeon who is operating on them that can be found liable for damages that are acquired through a medical negligence, but that is not true. Because the emergency room is composed of numerous different situations, different health care providers can be responsible for the medical negligence. Some of those individuals include:
- ER Nurses
- ER Medical technicians
- ER Doctors
- Specialists
- Hospital
Uncovering who caused the medical negligence is vital in establishing a case for medical malpractice. If unsure, speak with a lawyer for medical malpractice in Orlando that will perform investigations to determine the root cause of the injuries sustained.
Medical Malpractice Statistics for Emergency Rooms
A study conducted between 2007 and 2013 analyzed 332 claims made for emergency room malpractice.
- Out of the 332 claims, 57% of those claims pertained to issues with diagnosis
- Out of those 332 claims, 13% of those claims pertained to improper treatment management
- Out of those 332 claims, 5% of those claims pertained to improper treatment procedure
- Out of those 332 claims, 3% pertained to a failure to order medication
- 14% of medication claims involved a miscommunication between patient and doctor
- 21% of medication claims involved a patient factor
- 13% of medication claims involved a lack of patient information
- 12% of medication claims involved the workload of staff members
- Every year, about 130.4 million people will visit the ER
- Out of those 130.4 million people, 37.2 million are related to injuries
- Out of those 130.4 million people, 12.2 million will be admitted
- Out of those 130.4 million people, 1.5 million will be admitted into intensive care
FAQS About Malpractice in Emergency Rooms
Question: Why does malpractice in an emergency room happen?
Answer: Despite an emergency room being an environment with high stress, policies and procedures of hiring should not be of poor quality. The following could be reasons why malpractice occurs in this high-stress environment:
- Conditions that are not clean
- Not enough medical staff
- Staff that is poorly trained
- Not effectively screening staff members and physicians
- Procedures to maintain records are inadequate
- Policies that are unethical
Question: Which medical negligences tend to surface in an emergency room?
Answer: Emergency rooms are known for the constant rise in stress levels which make medical negligence’s quite common. Some of those medical negligence’s are composed of failing to treat the patient, misdiagnosing their condition, delaying to read test results, contaminated blood transfusions, and more.
Question: What injuries can come from an ER malpractice?
Answer: A wide range of injuries can come from a medical negligence performed in an ER, including:
- Brain damage
- Paralysis
- Infections
- Death
- Overdose of medication
- Wrongful amputation
Question: Who can liability fall on after a malpractice in an emergency room setting?
Answer: Multiple parties may be involved in the injury that a patient endures during an emergency room setting. Some of those parties include:
- Nurses
- Physicians
- The Hospital
- Anesthesiologists
- Specialists
- Staff members in the ER
- Companies of the pharmaceutical drug
ER Malpractice Orlando Lawyers Representing Victims of Negligence in Emergency Situations
The firm of malpractice lawyers of Percy Martinez understands that a patient who does to an emergency room is already feeling unwell and might be in extreme pain, depending on the circumstances. Because it is crucial and an ER patient receives good quality care, despite the chaotic setting, ER staff members must perform their jobs to the best of their ability. One little mistake that is done during this moment in a patient’s life can determine their end result. The patient will either get better, or the patient might endure an even worst injury. An Orlando malpractice attorney from the firm of Percy Martinez for ER malpractice can guide their clients and acquire as much evidence to hold those accountable for their actions during their treatment in the emergency room.