Richmond Emergency Room Error Lawyers

Skilled representation for Virginia clients injured in ERs and urgent care centers

If you or a loved one has suffered injury and loss because of a medical mistake that happened in an emergency department, the Richmond medical malpractice attorneys at Phelan Petty can help.

Common mistakes that occur in the Emergency Department

Most claims arising from emergency treatment involve a missed or delayed diagnosis. When an emergency physician or other member of the ER staff makes a mistake in any stage of care, a patient can experience serious injury and harm. Errors occur for a variety of reasons, including:

• Failing to obtain the proper medical history
• Failing to order the appropriate diagnostic tests
• Misreading lab or test results
• Failing to properly follow up with patients
• Failing to request the necessary and appropriate consultations
• Overlooking drug allergies or other essential information
• Medication errors

Improper treatment in the emergency department can have devastating consequences. Some common examples include:

• Heart attack.
• Appendicitis. Delay in diagnosis and treatment for appendicitis can result in a ruptured appendix, which causes life-threatening infection or sepsis. Often, appendicitis can be mistaken for the flu, gynecologic conditions, or Crohn’s disease. If ER doctors do not conduct thorough tests, they may misdiagnose this medical emergency.
• Pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of the main artery of the lung. When not caught in time, they can be fatal, and many patients who die from a PE never even received treatment. Indicators of PE include shortness of breath and chest pain, and some emergency room doctors may misdiagnose these symptoms as a panic attack.
• Stroke. A stroke can mimic many other conditions, like a migraine, seizure, or inner ear infection. Further, many ER doctors do not expect to see strokes in non-elderly patients, so they are not looking for signs. When a medical professional does not take the time to evaluate a patient properly for stroke, the patient can suffer irreversible physical and neurological damage.