Tennessee Emergency Room Negligence
About 1.5 million patients are victims of hospital mistakes each year, according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. The emergency room is a key site for errors because medical staff must make quick decisions to determine the urgency of each patient's condition. It's not surprising that even well-trained medical staff can become confused or make mistakes in the heat of the moment. However, those mistakes have very serious consequences – and the patient pays the ultimate price.
At the Tennessee law firm of Terry, Terry & Stapleton, we have seen first-hand the tragedy caused by ER negligence. We represented a client whose spinal cord tumor was missed by doctors despite three visits to the emergency room. We know that doctors and other staff are busy, but we believe patients have the right to expect professional care when they need it the most. We are ready to help victims of emergency room negligence in our communities, including Morristown, Knoxville, Knox County, Rogersville, Hamblen County, Greeneville, Jefferson City, Newport, Johnson City and Kingsport.
Common mistakes that occur in the ER include:
- Delays. Heart attack symptoms are often mistaken for less serious conditions such as heartburn, causing patients to be released with a prescription for antacid medication – or languishing in a crowded ER while symptoms worsen. According to one recent study, one-fourth of all heart attack victims had to wait nearly an hour before seeing a doctor. In many cases, those 50 minutes could have made a vital difference to patients suffering from life-threatening emergencies.
- Misdiagnosis. Some symptoms are misdiagnosed because the patient doesn't see a doctor. Less-trained medical staff may not be equipped to distinguish between common ailments and potentially fatal conditions.
- Failure to order or read tests. Under busy and stressful circumstances, an ER doctor may neglect to run tests that would be considered routine, and illness or injury goes undetected.
- Insufficient staff. When there aren't enough nurses to monitor vital signs or respond to patients, or when there aren't enough doctors to treat all urgent patients in a timely manner, injuries can worsen quickly.
- Improper procedures. Hospitals have very specific processes in place for handling medications, installing safety equipment and maintaining hygiene standards – but in urgent situations, important steps may be missed.
With a family tradition of legal service since 1960, the Morristown, TN medical malpractice attorneys of Terry, Terry & Stapleton are committed to protecting the rights of patients and their families. We know Tennessee malpractice law and we understand how to hold negligent institutions responsible for the harm they cause. If you or a loved one has suffered injury or illness due to negligence in the ER, don't wait to obtain experienced legal representation.
Fighting for justice on your behalf is important to our firm, and we can help you recover the damages needed to obtain good medical care and move forward with your life. If you need legal assistance with an ER negligence claim, or to schedule an evaluation of your case, contact us by calling 1-800-518-3779.
