Gainesville, Florida, What are some causes of fatal emergency room medical errors?

Medical errors currently serve as a leading cause of death here in the U.S. The U.S. National Library of Medicine cites that nearly 100,000 patients lose their lives to medical mistakes each year. While some incidents stem from primary care physician negligence, others occur due to the errors emergency medical personnel make.

Types of Medical Mistakes Made in Emergency Rooms

Emergency rooms are the places people go when they need immediate care, whether it for a wound they suffered in an accident or because they are suffering from a serious health condition. When an individual is admitted into an emergency room, they expect to receive the same quality of care as they would if they were to go to any other hospital. Unfortunately, medical errors do happen in these parts of hospitals, some of which are caused by medical professional negligence.

Some examples of fatal medical errors include:

1. Medication errors. Sometimes certain medicines can cause a person to suffer an allergic reaction, which can lead to a fatal outcome. In other cases, a patient might be prescribed a larger dose of medicine than their body can handle. If a physician prescribes a medication a patient is allergic to after learning about their medical history (e.g. allergies) or administers too much and the patient passes away as a result, the physician may be held liable for medical negligence.

2. Misdiagnosis. Emergency rooms are often busy and sometimes overcrowded. If a physician fails to screen a patient for a particular medical condition even though signs are obvious or delays in providing a patient with a diagnosis, they could be held liable if their lack of attention causes the person to pass away.

3. A physician failed to gather enough information during a patient’s visit. While it is understandable for a physician in an emergency to be busy and overwhelmed, they need to be sure they gather enough information to properly diagnose and treat a patient. But if a physician rushes through a visit with a patient or disregards a patient’s health concerns, they could be held accountable if that individual’s condition leads to a fatal outcome.

When a doctor, surgeon, nurse, or any other health care professional who works in an emergency room in Gainesville fails to provide a patient with the standard level of care, they risk being sued for medical malpractice. If an individual were to pass away as a result of a lack of care, misdiagnosis, or any other reason that stemmed from a medical mistake, their family could file a wrongful death lawsuit against the hospital or the health care professional.

Families who have recently lost someone they love as a result of a medical error in Gainesville should consider consulting with a Gainesville, FL wrongful death lawyer. The wrongful death attorneys at Koberlein Law Offices are qualified to determine if a family has the grounds to sue and how much they can recover in damages to make up for their loss. For more information on filing a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a loved one, contact Koberlein Law Offices today.

Koberlein Law Offices can be reached at any of their office locations listed down below:

855 SW Baya Drive

Lake City, FL 32025

Phone: 386-269-9802

Website: www.klo-attorneys.com

118 Ohio Avenue N, Suite A

Live Oak, FL 32064

Phone: 386-516-2626

8443 SW 14 Lane

Gainesville, FL 32607

Phone: 352-519-4357