Detroit Emergency Room Malpractice Attorney
Schwartz Law Firm is a valuable resource for patients who have suffered harm due to negligence in Michigan emergency rooms. Understanding that human bodies are not machines, and that the unexpected does occur in the course of medical treatment, patients still expect doctors and hospital staff to apply accepted standards of care.
Hospitals that put out an "Emergency Room" sign and accept Medicare payments have federally mandated legal requirements including the following:
- The hospital is required to screen patients for emergency medical conditions.
- The hospital must provide care for emergencies without inquiring as to a patient's ability to pay.
- The hospital cannot transfer a patient until he is stabilized, with some exceptions.
The screening that takes place or should take place when you arrive in the emergency room may be called "triage." Competent emergency room personnel determine during triage which patients are in life-threatening condition, and prioritize accordingly.
In the course of treatment, accepted standards of care must be met as in any medical care situation. You may have suffered harm in the emergency room for one or more of the following negligent reasons:
- Failure to diagnose: Did doctors fail to accurately diagnose a pending heart attack, a stroke, a bout of meningitis or any other serious medical condition? Were symptoms such as numbness disregarded and later proved to be significant? Did they fail to order appropriate tests (CT scan, MRI or X-ray, for example) that would have resulted in a correct diagnosis?
- Delay in treatment: Did you or did your loved one experience unnecessary harm or loss of life after being sent home with an aspirin and subsequently suffering a heart attack or stroke?
- Misdiagnosis: Was an X-ray lost, misread or disregarded — resulting in medical disaster?
- Medication errors: Were you given an overdose of a medication or given the wrong medication? Was anesthesia administered incorrectly, resulting in a new medical emergency?
Contact Us
In cases of emergency room malpractice leading to serious injury or death, it is important to talk with an experienced attorney. Attorneys at the Detroit area Schwartz Law Firm are prepared to evaluate your potential claim for compensation. Contact us at our offices in Farmington Hills for a free initial consultation with an experienced personal injury and medical malpractice lawyer.
