Emergency rooms are chaotic environments. Most people do not go to the ER unless they or a relative are in excruciating pain because of complications concerning a current medical condition, accident, or injury. The medical professionals working at ERs tend to be caring, helpful, and attentive. However, there are situations where staff members neglect to take appropriate care when treating their patients.
When you believe the treatment you or your loved one received in the ER involved misconduct, it is crucial to seek legal counsel. A skilled malpractice attorney could push back against evasive hospitals refusing to take ownership of their mistakes. A Walterboro emergency room error lawyer is here to support you.
Common Emergency Room Errors
Errors in the emergency room can happen for a host of reasons. Here are some common errors our attorneys have seen:
- Staff misjudging the severity of a person’s injury and leaving them waiting in the lobby for an unreasonable amount of time
- Providing low-quality medical care, such as dressing wounds too tightly
- Unsanitary conditions in the emergency room, increasing risks of infection and the spread of disease
- Misdiagnosing a patient’s condition and pursuing the wrong treatment
- Neglecting to check on a patient over the course of their treatment
Another form of ER negligence is operating on or treating a person without first getting the appropriate permissions. Informed consent involves a patient receiving clear and adequate information from their treating physician before clearly consenting to a specific procedure. In cases where a patient is not alert because of their condition, this consent may be implied.
Those dealing with complications because of a medical professional’s mistakes in the emergency room should speak with a Walterboro attorney as soon as they are able.
Wrongful Death and ER Negligence
An individual harmed due to an ER error has three years to file a medical malpractice case. Unfortunately, not every patient survives the experience of receiving negligent care in an emergency room. When this occurs, relatives of the deceased individual can bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital.
South Carolina annotated code § 15-51-10 allows family representatives or executors of the deceased individual’s estate to file a lawsuit for untimely death. In general, wrongful death cases are possible when the person who has passed would have been able to bring a medical malpractice suit.
Wrongful death cases can be tricky because of the involvement of the probate court in rejecting or approving settlement negotiations. There may also be complications with the person’s estate that might impact relatives’ ability to receive full and complete monetary compensation for the death of their family member.
Similar to personal injury cases, relatives must prove the hospital was at least 51 percent responsible for the error to collect compensation. This can be difficult because, many times, loved ones were not at the ER at the time the incident occurred. A Walterboro lawyer could step in and conduct a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of whether an emergency room error caused the wrongful death.
Contact a Walterboro Emergency Room Error Attorney
Hospitals can have difficulty admitting when they make a mistake. If a person takes legal action against this type of institution alone, they may be persuaded to accept an unfair settlement. A Walterboro emergency room lawyer could handle negotiations with the hospital and their insurance company. If these negotiations do not lead to a fair settlement offer, our malpractice attorneys are prepared to take your case to court. Call now to schedule your consultation.
