Negligence in the ER Can Lead to Damages

Posted byPaola Nadeau on Oct 2020 in Law and legal | 0 comments

Unfortunately, emergency room personnel in Butler, Pennsylvania hospitals—just like hospitals throughout the U.S.—are under severe pressure and stress, are considerably overworked, and staff are often on duty for as much as 20 consecutive hours without sleep. Under such conditions, the probability increases that mistakes will be made. Procedures may not always be followed. As a result, patients may be misdiagnosed, such as in the recent case of a man who was diagnosed with a flu virus and sent home without any treatment. The man died of a pulmonary embolism the next day.

In wrongful death cases such as this, a personal injury lawyer in Butler can help survivors and estates of wrongful deaths due to medical malpractice to pursue compensation in a lawsuit. In this case, the man presented with extreme chest pain and shortness of breath. In a three week civil trial, evidence was brought forth by a medical malpractice and personal injury lawyer to determine what standards of medical evaluation were met or not met that led to the inappropriate diagnosis and dismissal of the patient. A personal injury lawyer in Butler is qualified to pursue cases of medical malpractice in which the negligence of medical professionals leads to further injuries, and in many cases, death.

Sent home with the wrong diagnosis, the man continued to suffer without relief and believed he was going to die. Since he had no help from the hospital, he quickly wrote out a will and appointed one of his friends to execute his estate should he not survive the night. The next morning he collapsed, and he was dead before the ambulance arrived.

The defendant attempted to make a case that the embolism did not exist on the night the man presented himself to the emergency room. The defendant argued that his original diagnosis was correct, saying that at the point of diagnosis, the man was merely suffering from a viral infection. The jury, however, did not agree, and through the evidence brought forth by a personal injury lawyer, awarded damages in excess of 1.5 million dollars to the man’s estate.

If there is any question as to whether or not a medical professional has been negligent in your own case, or in the case of a family member or friend, there is no risk involved in consulting with a personal injury lawyer in Butler. Most personal injury lawyers will offer a free consultation to evaluate your circumstances in order to determine whether or not a lawsuit is worth pursuing.

Personal Injury Lawyer Butler – Wrongful death due to injuries caused by emergency room errors deserve to be compensated fully. If you’re searching for a skilled personal injury lawyer in Butler, contact the personal injury law firm of Luxenberg, Garbett, Kelly & George.