Maryland Emergency Room Malpractice Lawyers
An emergency room can be quite chaotic. Normally, there are more patients than the doctors and nurses, and therefore, the medical professionals need to stay highly alert. Failure to do so can result in seriously adverse consequences that can compromise someone’s health or life. According to a study, nearly 30 percent of medical malpractice cases are due to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis in emergency rooms.
The harm caused to the patient can be in the form of pain, suffering, disability, loss of earning capabilities, or loss of the ability to enjoy life.
While medical professionals argue that the ERs are typically understaffed or managed by an overworked staff in overcrowded rooms, there is simply no excuse for being neglectful when someone’s life is in your hands. The laws governing medical malpractice in the ER are actually quite complicated and it becomes difficult for the victims to get their compensation without professional help.
Risks Involved in ER related Malpractices
Risks of malpractice in emergency rooms range from minor injuries to major health issues. Heart attacks account for approximately 30 percent of ER malpractice lawsuits. Other common ER negligence cases include appendicitis and brain aneurysms. Everyone from the first responders to the surgeons can be involved in negligence.
Who is Responsible?
In most ER malpractice cases, it is difficult to identify a single employee as the key culprit. Since all the doctors, nurses, and staff members are employed by a hospital, the hospital becomes liable for the harm and injuries caused to the patient by the employees it hired. Known as “respondeat superior” in legal terms, this liability gives you the right to file a lawsuit against the employer – in most cases, the hospital.
The hospital is liable for current medical bills, as well as the future medical expenses. If you lose the ability to earn money due to injury or harm caused by malpractice, the hospital is also liable to pay for the lost wages. The hospital will also be required to compensate for the pain and suffering resulting from negligence.
What Complicates Your Case?
Getting compensated for medical negligence in an ER can be complicated, but if you follow the right procedure, you can be successful. There are three basic things you need to start with. In a court of law, you have to establish the fact that there existed a doctor-patient relationship where the practitioner was responsible for the patient. You also have to prove that there was negligence involved in the treatment you received. Finally, you have to prove that injury or harm was caused as a result of the treatment.
To ease your suffering and to ensure your best chances in securing compensation, you will need a professional ER malpractice attorney by your side.
We have helped victims in similar cases, and will be more than happy to act as your attorneys. If you or a loved one is suffering because of medical malpractice in an emergency room, let the attorneys at Altmark, Rotter & Trock, LLP take care of the proceedings. Please call us for a free consultation at (410) 783-9230, or toll-free outside of Baltimore at 1-(888) 966-5566.