Like every other state, Ohio emergency rooms are often organized chaos. Despite the efforts of the personnel who work in this environment, mistakes happen. When they do, patients can be left with permanent disabilities or could even die.
Many victims of emergency room errors are sent home without an accurate diagnosis or the proper treatment. Once home, their conditions worsen. They can end up back in the hospital with a serious and life-threatening condition. However, misdiagnosis and improper treatment are not the only mistakes that can occur.
In their haste to get to the next patient, charts can be misread by both doctors, nurses and other medical personnel. Even if a doctor orders the proper treatment, someone else might misread medication orders. If this happens, a patient could receive the wrong medication or the wrong dosage of the right medication.
Emergency rooms are often understaffed, which puts extra pressure on medical personnel. Under these conditions, communication can break down. This also puts patients’ lives at risk. If you or a family member was injured as the result of one of these errors — or some other medical mistake — it would be beneficial to understand your legal rights.
If you suffered permanent disabilities as the result of emergency room errors, or lost a loved one, you might be able to file a medical malpractice claim. When the appropriate evidence is presented to an Ohio civil court, it might prove that your care, or the care your family member received, was not up to current medical standards. Under these circumstances, the court might consider awarding you damages, which could help with the financial losses you incurred. In addition, it could prompt changes in emergency room procedures that may prevent further mistakes.