Medical malpractice is a type of personal injury that occurs when a medical professional provides substandard medical care. A “medical professional” is a term used to describe any type of person who works in the medical field such as a doctor, nurse and surgeon. It also includes a hospital.
Medical malpractice harms the patient. This means the patient suffers an additional injury than they sought treatment to resolve. One type of example is when a patient suffers a broken leg and undergoes surgery. Instead of the repairing the patient’s broken arm, the surgeon amputates it.
Various types of substandard care can cause medical malpractice. One type of medical malpractice is called emergency room malpractice. An ER malpractice lawyer will help an injured patient obtain damages for the injuries they received during their emergency room visit.
How ER Errors Occur in a Hospital
Emergency room errors can occur at any time a patient is being treated in the emergency room of a hospital. The type of injury that may occur varies from an incorrect dosage to failure to diagnosis or providing the wrong prescription medication.
For example, an emergency room doctor may fail to promptly recognize heart attack symptoms. As a result, a patient suffers significant injury to their heart. This additional injury may require more treatment.
Issues that can Occur with Informed Consent
One issue related to ER malpractice is a medical professional not receiving informed consent from the patient. Informed consent provides the patient with an understanding with the possible risks that could happen if they undergo a treatment and/or procedure. This allows the patient to accept or decline the procedure.
A patient may not be conscious at the time they need the needed procedure or treatment. They may be unable to provide consent for another reason like an inability to speak English. This doesn’t mean the patient injured by a medical professional can’t sue for ER malpractice. The medical professional can still be accountable for injuring a patient.
Who Can be Sued for ER Medical Malpractice?
An injured patient can sue the medical professional who provided them with substandard care. The hospital can be sued too. It can be held responsible for patient injury because they hired the medical professional. Also, anyone involved in providing substandard care in the ER can be sued for ER malpractice.
Negligence is the Major Part of ER Malpractice
Negligence is the failure to of a medical professional to provide standard care as another medical malpractice professional in the same situation. This means the doctor, or the hospital provided substandard care. Substandard medical care causes injury.
A patient who suffers an injury because of a medical professional’s negligence can sue for damages. These damages include additional medical bills, lost wages and therapy. To learn more about ER malpractice, it’s important to speak to a lawyer. A lawyer will determine if the medical professional provided substandard care. They also will sue or negotiate a settlement to resolve the medical malpractice.
