Medical Negligence In Tampa ERs: How To Get The Emergency Care You Need
Sudden and severe illnesses, accidental injuries, and troubling symptoms associated with chronic health conditions can all prompt a trip to the emergency room. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they serve patients in need of immediate medical care, without requiring a prior appointment.
Unfortunately, with hospital overcrowding and a shortage of staff, emergency room visits are not always as helpful as they should be. Patients report a variety of problems, ranging from lengthy wait times to a complete misdiagnosis of their condition. Our Tampa medical malpractice attorney explains more about emergency room negligence and your rights in filing a claim.
Emergency Room Mistakes And Errors That Put Patients At Risk
Most of us understand the purpose of an emergency room and only go when we are in desperate need of immediate medical care. Unfortunately, it can come as a shock when entering these facilities to find them overwhelmed with patients and understaffed.
In recent years, the need for more hospitals and increased health care workers has become painfully obvious. While overcrowding and low staffing are concerns for any type of medical facility, they are particularly serious when they involve local hospital emergency rooms.
According to the National Institutes of Health, medical malpractice continues to be one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Emergency rooms are one of the most common places for it to happen. Dangerous conditions that could put you at risk include:
- Rushing through patient intake and recording the wrong information;
- Lengthy wait times, which can be life-threatening for people with certain conditions;
- Do0nwplaying the severity of symptoms and failing to provide the appropriate interventions;
- Misreading symptoms and test results, causing dangerous delays in treatment.
Protecting Yourself Against Medical Negligence In Tampa Emergency Rooms
There are few things worse than suffering a condition serious enough to prompt a visit to your local hospital emergency room only to have your symptoms downplayed and not get the medical care you need. There are some steps you can take to protect yourself in this situation, which include:
- Make a list of primary complaints before heading to the ER;
- Take someone with you who can act as a patient advocate on your behalf;
- Emphasize the severity of your symptoms and ask how long you will have to wait;
- Get the names of all providers and the results of any testing done at the facility and have them reviewed by your regular doctor.
Unfortunately, despite taking precautions, emergency room negligence can still happen and often has serious adverse impacts on patients. If you or someone you love is a victim, you are entitled under the Florida Statutes to hold negligent providers accountable for your losses.
Contact Our Tampa Medical Malpractice Attorneys
At Greco & Wozniak, P.A., we help victims of medical negligence hold at-fault providers accountable. To discuss your rights in filing a claim, call or contact our office online today and request a consultation with our Tampa medical malpractice attorneys.
Sources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7972370/
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0766/0766ContentsIndex.html
