Lawyers Assisting Victims with Emergency Room Errors
Emergency rooms are the busiest areas in hospitals. Doctors, nurses, and other health care professionals must treat high volumes of patients in less time than in any other setting. While medical professionals are trained to handle these situations, mistakes happen. If you or someone close to you was harmed due to an emergency room error, it is important to speak to a diligent Baltimore emergency malpractice lawyer who can assess the details of your case. Over the years, we have represented many clients in cases in which an injury resulted from an emergency room error, and we can also represent you.
Claims Based on Emergency Room Errors
Medical mistakes in emergency rooms can range in severity. In an emergency room, inconsequential mistakes can have serious, even fatal, results. These errors can happen in a variety of ways, including:
- Diagnostic mistakes
- Triage errors
- Medication errors (i.e., providing the wrong medication or the wrong dosage)
- Failing to order necessary tests
- Misreading or miscommunicating test results to the patient
- Failing to inform the patient of test results
- Failing to admit the patient properly
- Failing to discharge the patient properly
Medical malpractice laws are established at the state level. In Maryland, malpractice occurs when a medical professional deviates from or violates the standard of care, causing harm to a patient. The standard of care refers to the level of care that a reasonably prudent medical provider would have used in the same or similar circumstances. The standard of care will depend on a number of factors, such as the patient’s age and medical history.
To win a malpractice claim, the plaintiff must establish that the medical professional who treated them deviated from the standard of care. They also need to identify an injury or loss they suffered directly from the medical professional’s conduct. An emergency malpractice attorney in Baltimore can assist a patient with collecting evidence to demonstrate each element.
Emergency room errors can worsen a patient’s condition or, in some cases, create new medical conditions requiring additional treatment. The cost of a medical injury or additional treatment can be extremely high. Fortunately, Maryland law allows victims of medical malpractice to recover compensation for items such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, rehabilitation costs, and more.
It is important to note that many different parties may be liable for errors in emergency rooms. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals must make timely and accurate judgment calls. When a medical professional does not take the necessary measures to protect a patient’s health or safety, a Baltimore emergency malpractice attorney can help a patient hold them liable for malpractice. These cases are complex, but a skilled attorney can examine your situation and help you identify each potentially liable party.
Under Maryland law, a certain process must be followed when filing a lawsuit against a medical professional. The claim must go through a mandatory arbitration process before filing it in civil court. This includes filing a claim with a Certificate of Qualified Expert and a Report. As a practical matter, this requires a physician to review the facts of the case and “certify” that the defendant’s conduct deviated from the appropriate standard of care. Once the case is filed in court, it continues similarly to other civil matters.
Contact a Knowledgeable Emergency Malpractice Lawyer in Baltimore
At the Law Offices of Cardaro & Peek, our attorneys understand the nuances of this area of law and can navigate your claim effectively. We are committing to holding negligent medical professionals accountable for the harm they cause and pursuing the compensation you need to move on with your life. We assist people in communities such as Pikesville, Catonsville, Towson, Woodlawn, Dundalk, Essex, Randallstown, Arbutus, Reisterstown, Laurel, Silver Springs, and other areas of Baltimore, Montgomery, and Anne Arundel Counties.
