Hospital Emergency Room Accidents, Mistakes, & Negligence Attorneys

Serving Kansas City, Independence, Blue Springs & Lee’s Summit

When you or a loved one go to the emergency room, you expect that care would be provided by doctors and other medical professionals who were equipped to handle any medical issues that arose.

Unfortunately, in your case, the ER staff may have made a mistake. If that error was so far below the standard of care that no competent care provider would have made the same error, you may have a claim for medical malpractice.

A medical malpractice claim presents many challenges. You will need an experienced lawyer to investigate what occurred in your case, consult with medical experts and use the resources of the attorney’s firm to pursue compensation on your behalf.

The Horn Law Firm, P.C., is available to help. We have handled many complex medical malpractice cases throughout Missouri. This experience includes cases involving emergency room negligence. We can use our aggressive, rapid response approach to find out what happened in your case and seek compensation for the injuries suffered by you or a loved one.

We conduct initial consultations and investigations at no charge. We want to be confident that we can substantially benefit you as our client. To schedule your case review, call us today or contact us online.

We Investigate How ER Mistakes Occur

Emergency rooms in Missouri and across the U.S. can be overcrowded and understaffed. This environment breeds mistakes. As you may know from your own experience, these mistakes can lead to serious injuries or the loss of someone you love.

When the Horn Law Firm examines your case, we will investigate whether the emergency room error involved:

  • Misdiagnosis of medical conditions or delayed diagnosis – Patients come to the ER with conditions that must be treated immediately, such as blood clots or internal bleeding. Even a slight delay can be deadly.
  • Failure to listen to the patient’s description of symptoms or to run appropriate tests – Patients can be sent home or released from the hospital despite life-threatening conditions. This can result from the failure of ER nurses or doctors to take the time to listen to the patient’s account of the symptoms and provide proper diagnostic care.
  • Misreading tests or failing to follow through on orders for testing – When a patient needs to undergo a CT-scan, MRI or X-ray, it is important that the tests be read correctly and that doctors determine whether the tests show a serious health problem.
  • Failure to keep the ER clean and sanitary – An estimated 1.7 million infections occur each year in hospitals. Some infections, such as MRSA, are extremely difficult to treat. Some infections can be fatal.
  • Failure to follow proper procedures in administering medication – Medication errors can include medications being prescribed but never ordered or administered. There can also be unreasonable delays in administering medications, providing the wrong medication and giving the patient a drug that leads to an adverse interaction with other pills. One study showed that 13 times more medication mistakes were made in ERs without on-site pharmacies.
  • Hand-off errors – These mistakes occur when a patient is transferred from the care of one healthcare provider to another. Too often, important patient information is not provided in the hand-off.
  • >Errors due to interruptions – A recent study found that doctors in an ER are interrupted almost 10 times per hour, causing them to lose focus and make mistakes in treating patients.
  • Failure to follow proper hospital procedures – One study found that an estimated 90 percent of hospital deaths could be attributed to failure to follow systems and procedures set forth to protect patients.

When these and other mistakes occur, the Horn Law Firm understands that it can cost patients dearly. Both the hospital and the care provider should be held accountable and made to pay:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost income/wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Wrongful death damages

However, it is up to injured patients or their family members to seek legal help to protect their rights and secure the compensation they need and deserve.

A Missouri Emergency Room Error Lawyer Can Help You

Medical negligence claims can be complicated. Doctors, hospitals and care providers rarely admit that they made any mistakes. Also, because people visiting the ER are usually suffering from a serious health concern, care providers often try to argue that their mistakes made no difference in a patient’s outcome.

At the Horn Law Firm, P.C., we have the skill, experience and resources to overcome these and other challenges. We can interview witnesses as well as review medical records and other evidence. We can consult with our network of highly qualified medical experts.

We can compile this information and present it to an insurance company or jury in a way that makes it clear what happened in your case and explains why you deserve compensation for your losses.

To learn how we can guide your case through the legal process and allow you to focus on your recovery, call us today or submit our online form. We can get started right away on a free and confidential evaluation of your medical malpractice claim.