Hospital negligence can unfortunately come in many forms. A large number of hospital negligence cases, however, occur among people who come to the emergency room and need high-quality care the most.
Emergency room errors happen in large part due to the high-speed, high-stress nature of treating patients with the most urgent of needs. Even so, emergency room errors are blatant examples of hospital negligence, and it is important for all patients to be aware of the common causes of these errors.
Types of Errors
- Miscommunication
- In the high-pressure environment of the emergency room, miscommunication among medical personnel is common.
- This can lead to significant errors, such as performing incorrect procedures on patients or providing them with inaccurate discharge instructions.
- Misdiagnoses
- When medical professionals have many patients to attend to in the emergency room, they might make the mistake of diagnosing one individual’s condition too quickly.
- Rushed assessments by medical professionals can result in dangerous misdiagnoses or failed diagnoses.
- Failure to thoroughly evaluate a patient’s condition can result in incorrect diagnoses or missed diagnoses altogether, jeopardizing patient safety.
- Triage Errors
- The process of assessing the urgency of a patient’s condition in a medical setting is called triage.
- Errors in triage can result in patients with severe conditions not receiving timely treatment, leading to adverse outcomes.
Being familiar with the most common hospital errors empowers you to protect yourself in the ER and to take appropriate legal action if you become a victim of medical malpractice. If you suffer personal injury or wrongful death in your family, it is important to secure the justice and compensation you deserve.
Seek Legal Help For Your Injuries
If you or a loved one is seriously injured by mistakes made at the ER, we recommend you contact us here at Harris, Powers & Cunningham PLLC to discuss your legal options. Our medical malpractice attorneys may be able to help you get the compensation you need to recover after being seriously injured. We provide a no-obligation, free initial consultation. Call 602-910-6779 or send us an e-mail to request your consultation.