Emergency rooms (ERs) are vital hubs of medical care, providing critical services to patients in urgent need. However, due to the fast-paced and high-pressure nature of emergency medicine, errors can occur, sometimes with serious consequences. According to national statistics, approximately 10 percent of all emergency room visits result in a medical error. To understand just how enormous an issue this is, keep in mind that there are about 100 million patients who visit emergency rooms each year. This means that there are approximately 10 million emergency room medical errors that happen each year. Many of these medical errors have the potential to be fatal for the patient.
If you or a loved one have been injured due to a medical error after being treated at an emergency room, it is important to speak with a Virginia Beach medical malpractice attorney.
Misdiagnosis
Misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider fails to correctly identify a patient’s medical condition, leading to inappropriate treatment or delayed care. In the chaotic environment of the emergency room, misdiagnosis can result from various factors, including incomplete medical histories, inadequate physical examinations, and diagnostic errors.
Medication Errors
Medication errors encompass a wide range of mistakes involving the prescribing, dispensing, administering, or monitoring of medications. In the emergency room, medication errors can occur due to factors such as illegible handwriting, confusion between look-alike or sound-alike medications, incorrect dosing, and drug interactions.
Communication Breakdowns
Communication breakdowns among healthcare providers, patients, and their families can compromise patient safety and contribute to errors in the emergency room. Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, delays in care, and omissions of vital information, increasing the risk of adverse outcomes.
Delays in Treatment
Delays in treatment occur when patients experience prolonged wait times or delays in receiving timely care in the emergency room. Factors contributing to delays in treatment may include overcrowding, understaffing, limited resources, and competing priorities.
Documentation Errors
Documentation errors involve inaccuracies or omissions in medical records, including patient histories, assessments, treatment plans, and follow-up instructions. Incomplete or erroneous documentation can compromise patient care, continuity of treatment, and communication among healthcare providers.
Call Our Office Today
The legal team at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp has successfully represented many clients and their families who suffered serious injury or illness because of the negligence or carelessness of a doctor or other medical staff. In one case, we were able to obtain a $350,000 settlement for a client who suffered significant injury when his surgeon left a surgical sponge behind after gall bladder surgery.
Our Virginia Beach medical malpractice attorneys understand the overwhelming stress these types of mistakes can have on families and work diligently to obtain financial compensation because of the harm victims suffered when medical staff failed to provide the necessary medical treatment. Contact our office today for your free case evaluation and discuss what legal recourse you may have.
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An experienced personal injury attorney with dual licensure in Virginia and North Carolina, Eric Washburn received a B.B.A. in Finance from James Madison University—initially worked in the information technology field before obtaining his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. Once an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Danville, Va., Eric has been recognized by Super Lawyers Magazine as a “Rising Star” Super Lawyer in Virginia since 2014.
