Fighting for the Victims of Emergency Room Errors
West Virginia medical malpractice lawyers demand accountability for incompetent Emergency Room treatment
An emergency room (ER) is a hectic environment in which immediate life-or-death decisions are commonplace. The doctors, nurses and technicians who staff it, however, are no less expected to adhere to proper standards of care than any other medical professionals. ERs do not function on a first-come-first-served basis. They have a methodology in place, triage, by which a patient’s condition is evaluated on entry. Higher or lower priority for treatment is determined based on the severity and life-threatening nature of the presenting condition. When an ER’s triage is operated properly, there is no excuse for a person with a life-threatening illness or injury to have to wait for treatment unnecessarily. But, even when the right priority is assigned, being admitted to an ER treatment room is only the first step along a road where opportunities for medical error lurk around every bend.
Paulson & Nace, PLLC, our family-owned and managed medical malpractice law firm, understands the workings of ERs and the treatment errors that can cost individuals their lives and families their breadwinners. Our West Virginia ER malpractice attorneys are dedicated to defending your right to receive competent medical treatment from those responsible for providing it. If you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice in an emergency room, let our family be your family’s advocate.
What can go wrong in a West Virginia emergency room?
The biggest cause by far of ER malpractice is misdiagnosis at the triage station or in the treatment room. Our West Virginia attorneys have seen countless examples of these tragic incidents. But other equally serious errors are also made:
- Delayed treatment. A patient may not be admitted for treatment timely, causing his or her condition to worsen; or a patient may be admitted but then left unattended.
- Substandard treatment. A fracture may be set incorrectly, proper sterile technique ignored, anesthetics administered improperly, or poor suturing or bandaging performed.
- Medication errors. The wrong medication or the wrong dosage may be administered or prescribed.
- Failure to obtain a full medical history. Missing information about a patient’s age, weight, current medications, allergies, or condition of pregnancy can lead to disastrous outcomes. This could include administration of medications in the wrong dosages, anesthesia errors, anaphylactic shock, and fetal injury or death.
- Failure to properly monitor a patient. Careful monitoring is critical when the patient presents signs of heart attack or stroke.
- “Patient dumping.” Releasing a patient before it is prudent to do so in order to cut down waiting time for other patients.
- Failure to obtain informed consent. Consent, especially to an invasive procedure, may be implied from the circumstances, such as when a patient is brought in unconscious, severely injured, and likely to die without treatment. Otherwise, no procedure can be undertaken or medication given without explaining it and obtaining written acknowledgment and consent.
West Virginia law requires an injured party to file a claim for medical malpractice either within two years of the medically negligent act. If the injury is not discovered until later, the claim must be filed two years from the date the injury was (or should have been) discovered. Failure to act within the times specified can cause loss of your right to bring suit. For this reason, if you or a loved one has been a victim of a medical error in the Emergency Room it is important that you seek qualified legal counsel as soon as possible.
Advocates for victims of negligence in West Virginia emergency rooms
Paulson & Nace, PLLC is widely recognized throughout West Virginia for our comprehensive legal services to families and our aggressive advocacy for victims of Emergency Room errors. When you choose a medical malpractice attorney from our practice to represent you, you are choosing a team that values families and family relationships. Please call 304-741-8079 or fill out our contact form to tell us your story in a no-obligation consultation. Our office is located at 3501 Maccorkle Ave SE, Charleston, WV 25304.
Let our family help you and your family in your time of need.