Vinings Emergency Room Errors Lawyer
Emergency rooms are places where every second counts, and the slightest medical mistake could mean the difference between a successful recovery and drastic and unwarranted life changes. There is no room for errors when it comes to such urgent situations. Still, negligence occurs in emergency rooms in Vinings, causing damages, and sometimes even death for the patients and their families that are impacted.
For help pursuing the compensation that might be owed to you, contact a dedicated Vinings emergency room errors lawyer who could place your needs at the front of your case. Your seasoned medical malpractice attorney could fight for the favorable outcome you need.
Types of Vinings Emergency Room Errors
Emergency room errors have the potential to happen to nearly any patient. Sometimes these errors are small and do not make a difference in the care or the patient’s outcome. Other times, they are extremely serious and impact the patient for the rest of his or her life. In the worst of outcomes, these mistakes could be fatal.
Emergency room errors could be caused by a physician, nurse, or even ancillary staff. Errors may involve one of these people doing something they were not supposed to do or them not doing something they should have done. Common emergency room errors include:
- Failure to diagnose a condition or disease;
- Failure to order necessary testing to diagnose a condition or disease;
- Failure to notify the patient of abnormal test results, and
- Failure to order medication or the correct medication and dose for a patient.
Compensable Emergency Room Lawsuit Losses
Damages are factors that could determine how much compensation an emergency room injury victim receives. These factors could be both non-economic and economic. As described in O.C.G.A. § 51-13-1(4), non-economic damages might include:
- Pain and suffering;
- Scarring and disfigurement;
- Mental anguish;
- Loss of enjoyment of life; and
- Loss of consortium.
Even though these losses did not come with a financial cost to the victim, they are losses that victims are frequently compensated for depending on the details of their claims. Victims could also claim economic damages for their financial losses such as:
- Lost wages;
- Lost future earning capacity; and
- Medical expenses.
In many cases, the victim receives compensation through a negotiated settlement with the negligent party and its legal counsel. In other cases, no settlement agreement is made, and the case proceeds to trial where a jury decides if the victim deserves compensation for his or her damages and if so, how much. Victims should discuss their options with a Vinings emergency room errors attorney if they wish to hold negligent parties accountable.
Special Rules Regarding Emergency Rooms
Because emergency rooms are hectic, and the people who seek care there are in emergency situations, Georgia legislators have provided emergency room providers with certain protections. Victims of emergency room errors need to demonstrate, per O.C.G.A § 51-1-29, that the health care provider was grossly negligent in his or her actions. This gross negligence must be proven by clear and convincing evidence. Both of these rules place a higher burden on emergency room patients than in a traditional medical malpractice case where gross negligence does not need to be proven and the burden of proof is by a preponderance of the evidence.
With the help of an in-house medical professional, lawyers and victims could then determine if the negligent act rises to the level of gross negligence and prove it with clear and convincing evidence presented with cutting-edge technology.
Consult with a Vinings Emergency Room Errors Attorney
If you sustained an injury from an emergency room error, your life might never be the same, and no amount of money could ever make it the same again. However, with the help of a skilled Vinings emergency room errors lawyer, you could receive monetary compensation to help you not only pay your associated bills and make up for your lost wages but also to help you move forward.
Since your legal rights have an expiration date, it is imperative that you consult with an emergency room errors lawyer in Vinings as soon as possible after your injury. Call today to schedule your free case review and to speak directly to a lawyer who takes calls after hours.
