Representing Victims of Emergency Room Negligence Throughout New York City
Although emergency room personnel often perform vital life-saving services, medical mistakes in the ER are not uncommon. Given that emergency rooms often handle numerous patients with critical injuries and illnesses at any given moment, the resulting confusion can lead to errors that have dangerous consequences. If you or a loved one has been the victim of emergency room negligence, you may be entitled to significant compensation.
Scaffidi & Associates has extensive experience handling medical malpractice cases in the greater New York area, as well as in Connecticut and New Jersey. Through the years, our attorneys have won significant settlements and jury verdicts for victims of emergency room mistakes. We have a proven track record of providing our clients with aggressive legal representation and will fight tirelessly for your rights.
Causes of Emergency Room Mistakes
An emergency room environment is a fast-paced, high-stress environment that lends itself to potentially serious or deadly medical mistakes. At times, miscommunication between ER personnel and patients, or between doctors and nurses, may result in a missed or incorrect diagnosis. In addition, emergency room doctors and nurses are often inexperienced or required to work long shifts, which can lead to fatigue. Nonetheless, hospital emergency rooms and critical care facilities are required to establish protocols for patient care. When policies and procedures are not followed, or doctors and nurses take shortcuts, tragic medical mistakes can occur. In any event, we believe that a negligent hospital or medical center must be held accountable for emergency room negligence.
Common Emergency Room Mistakes
Many emergency room mistakes can be attributed to human error, including:
- Misdiagnosis — Because emergency room personnel must work quickly, misdiagnoses can occur because of the pressure or lack of time to thoroughly and accurately assess an illness or injury. Ultimately, providing improper treatment can cause serious injuries or death.
- Testing errors – Doctors may fail to order the needed tests, or incorrectly interpret test or lab results, which can lead to a misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment of an illness or disease.
- Improper performance of a procedure — Doctors and nurses sometimes perform procedures with which they may have little training or experience, resulting in serious harm to the patient.
- Delayed treatment — Emergency rooms are often overcrowded with patients and understaffed, and patients are often left unattended for long periods of time, which can result in worsening medical conditions or even death.
- Medication mistakes — Doctors may prescribe the wrong medication or nurses may administer the wrong drugs. Patients may also be given medication that has a toxic interaction with other medications, or that their bodies cannot tolerate.
- Falls – Patients are often left unattended in emergency rooms and are at risk of falling and injuring themselves, particularly the elderly or patients who are disoriented. Falls can lead to fractures, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries.
- Improper discharge — In a hectic emergency room environment, ER personnel may neglect to provide patients and their families with proper discharge instructions, which can result in worsening medical conditions.
Elements of ER Negligence
In order to have a valid claim for emergency room negligence, it is necessary to demonstrate the following elements:
- The hospital owed a duty of care to the patient while he or she was being treated
- The hospital breached that duty
- The patient was injured
- The hospital’s negligence was the proximate cause of the patient’s injury
- The patient sustained actual damages (e.g. physical injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, etc.)
Damages You May Receive
If medical errors in the emergency room led to undue suffering for you or a loved one, you should contact the knowledgeable medical malpractice attorneys at Scaffidi & Associates as soon as possible. By conducting a thorough investigation of your case and examining all pertinent medical records, we can determine whether you have a valid claim.
Our legal team will work diligently to help you obtain compensation for:
- Medical, hospital, and rehabilitation expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
If the emergency room error was caused a loved one’s death, it is also possible to obtain compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit.
New York City Emergency Room Negligence Attorneys
Scaffidi & Associates provides first-rate legal representation to victims of emergency room negligence. We are dedicated to holding negligent hospitals and medical centers accountable. Our legal team is well-versed in the complexities of medical malpractice law and has a proven track record of achieving successful outcomes, whether through settlement negotiations or trial. We will take the time to conduct an exhaustive investigation, often calling on medical experts to provide testimony that will support a claim. Above all, we will always put your best interests first, and fight for your right to just compensation. While most doctors and nurses provide quality care to patients in emergency rooms, errors can occur. Call our office today or complete the contact form on our website to set up a consultation.