Emergency Room Mistake Injuries
Contact an Atlanta Medical Malpractice Attorney
In order to operate an emergency room, a hospital must comply with federal laws related to access to emergency care, regardless of a patient's demonstrated ability to pay. These laws pertain to any emergency room accepting Medicare payments — which is nearly every emergency room in the U.S.
Specifically, federal ER laws stipulate that any patient reporting to an emergency room should be able to count on the following:
- Appropriate screening
- Appropriate emergency care and stabilization
- Appropriate transfer
Delayed diagnosis and treatment can be devastating in an ER medical emergency. If you suffered harm or if a family member died when emergency room personnel failed to perform their duties, you should consult with an attorney. The experienced medical malpractice lawyers of Watkins, Lourie, Roll & Chance, PC, have represented patients who were injured and families who lost a loved one as a result of emergency room errors and mistakes such as the following:
- Failure to diagnose life-threatening or critical medical conditions such as heart attack, stroke or meningitis
- Medication errors
- Intubation errors when breathing was obstructed
- Failure to properly stabilize self-reporting psychiatric patients who, when turned away, committed suicide or harmed other people
As former insurance defense lawyers, we are well familiar with the components of successful and unsuccessful plaintiffs' claims against health care providers. We are prepared to take the time necessary to understand your emergency room error case and determine whether we believe you have a valid claim for compensation.
Unfortunately for the citizens of Georgia, our rights have been limited if we are the victim of medical negligence in a hospital emergency department. In many cases, victims must prove that the health care provider's actions showed gross negligence. Health care providers in emergency departments, and even in surgical suites or obstetrical units immediately following presentation to an emergency department, have been immunized. There are important exceptions to this law, however, such as whether the patient is stable and capable of receiving care as a non-emergency patient. We have been heavily involved in the legislative fight to protect Georgia's citizens from such bad laws as well as the constitutional challenges that followed in the courts. We are well-prepared to represent victims of poor care in emergency rooms.
Contact Us — Free Consultations
Have you suffered injury, harm and loss as a result of an emergency room error in Georgia? Take up the fight. Contact a medical malpractice lawyer at Watkins, Lourie, Roll & Chance.
Find out about successful cases we have handled.
