What Are The Most Common Emergency Room Errors?
Gregg Hollander | January 13, 2025 | Medical Malpractice
When you enter an emergency room, you expect to receive care that addresses your urgent health problems. You trust that the medical staff will pay close attention to your condition, ask the right questions, and give you the proper tests. If you are suffering, time matters, and mistakes can cost you more than delays—they can lead to serious harm.
Unfortunately, not every patient receives the care they deserve. In some cases, the medical team fails to meet accepted standards.
If you believe this has happened to you, contacting a medical malpractice lawyer can help. A medical malpractice lawyer can listen to your story, review your records, and explain if you have a valid claim.
Why Do Emergency Room Errors Occur?
Emergency rooms face a lot of pressure. They are busy places where doctors, nurses, and other medical staff must make decisions fast.
Patients come in with a range of problems, some minor, others life-threatening. The staff must decide who needs help first and what tests to run. They must interpret symptoms and decide on treatments, sometimes in a matter of minutes. Mistakes can happen because of this rushed atmosphere, poor communication, lack of proper monitoring, and not following standard procedures.
A doctor might fail to recognize signs of a stroke, heart attack, or serious infection. A nurse might give the wrong dose of medication or overlook a symptom that signals a serious condition. Records might not be updated, confusing a patient’s needs. Overwork, stress, and poor training can also lead to errors. Patients who think they have suffered from poor care can speak to a medical malpractice attorney about what happened.
Can Misdiagnosis Happen In The Emergency Room?
Misdiagnosis is one of the most common errors in the emergency room. When a patient arrives with certain symptoms, the medical staff should conduct tests, ask questions, and examine the patient carefully. If they jump to conclusions or miss important signs, they might call a serious condition something less severe. For example, chest pain might be brushed aside as heartburn when it is a sign of a heart attack. A headache might be seen as minor when it points to a traumatic brain injury.
Misdiagnosis can delay needed treatment, causing the patient’s condition to worsen. The patient might leave the emergency room only to return later with more serious problems.
If you believe a misdiagnosis has harmed you, a medical malpractice lawyer can review the records and clarify if you have a legal claim. A medical malpractice lawyer can show how the staff’s error caused you harm.
What About Medication Errors In The Emergency Room?
Medication errors can also occur. These can include giving the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or the wrong time.
When doctors or nurses rush, they can make mistakes in reading prescriptions. Staff might not check a patient’s allergies, leading to a harmful reaction. If the patient is in pain, giving the wrong medication or dose can worsen their condition. An infection can spread if the patient receives antibiotics too late.
Patients may experience side effects that the correct medication may have prevented. If such an error caused you harm, speaking with a medical malpractice lawyer can clarify your rights. A medical malpractice attorney can gather evidence that shows the staff did not meet accepted standards.
Can Imaging Errors Happen In The Emergency Room?
Yes, imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs are often used in emergency rooms to identify problems. Serious injuries or conditions may go unnoticed if these tests are not performed or read correctly. A doctor might miss a fractured bone if they don’t review the image carefully. The staff might miss internal bleeding if they fail to order the right imaging or misread the results.
These errors can lead to treating the wrong condition or not treating the correct condition at all. The doctor might send the patient home without knowing they have a serious injury that needs care.
If imaging errors harmed you, consider talking with a medical malpractice lawyer. A medical malpractice lawyer can help show that the staff did not follow accepted steps in reviewing, ordering, or interpreting imaging tests, leading to potential harm.
Do Staffing Issues Play A Role In Emergency Room Errors?
Sometimes, emergency rooms are understaffed. There might not be enough nurses or doctors working at a given time. This can lead to long waits, rushed evaluations, and less attention to detail.
Overworked staff may not double-check medication orders or examine test results closely. They may assume someone else will handle a patient’s care. If a patient’s condition is complicated, insufficient trained medical staff can lead to dangerous oversights.
Is Failure To Follow Up Common In The Emergency Room?
Sometimes, the emergency room staff identifies a potential problem but fails to follow up. For example, if a patient’s test results show signs of infection, but no one acts on those results, the patient’s condition may worsen. This might happen if the staff is too busy or there is no system to check all test results. Without proper follow-up, serious conditions can go untreated.
Failure to follow up can mean the difference between catching a condition early or worsening it over time. If this led to harm, a medical malpractice lawyer can help show how the lack of follow-up was unreasonable. A medical malpractice lawyer can present evidence that the staff should have known about the results and acted.
Can Errors In Laboratory Tests Occur In The Emergency Room?
Doctors often use laboratory tests to diagnose conditions and guide treatment. Patients can suffer if doctors do not perform these tests properly or report their results accurately.
Maybe the lab mixed up samples, leading to the wrong results for the wrong patient. Maybe a test that might have shown a serious infection was never performed. These errors can lead to delays in treatment or the wrong treatment.
Patients might leave the emergency room thinking they are fine, only to discover later that they are very ill. If a lab error harmed you, a medical malpractice lawyer can investigate. A medical malpractice lawyer can review how the staff handled the tests and whether they followed accepted procedures.
What About Errors In Procedures Or Surgeries Done In The Emergency Room?
Some procedures are done right in the emergency room. These include setting open/compound fractures, placing breathing tubes, or treating wounds. If the staff does not follow these procedures carefully, serious harm can occur. A doctor might cause nerve pain while setting a bone. A doctor might place a breathing tube incorrectly, cutting off a patient’s air supply. A healthcare provider might not clean a wound properly, causing an infection later.
If a procedure in the emergency room causes injury, a medical malpractice lawyer can look at the steps taken by the medical team. A medical malpractice lawyer can determine if the staff followed accepted care procedures or if they cut corners that led to harm.
Is Misreading Patient Histories A Problem In The Emergency Room?
Patients arriving at the emergency room may be in pain or cannot explain their full medical history. Doctors and nurses often rely on the patient’s records, previous visits, or family members for this information. If the staff fails to review these records carefully or misunderstands them, they might treat the patient in a way that ignores their history. For example, giving a drug to which the patient is allergic can cause severe reactions.
Taking the time to understand each patient’s background can avoid these mistakes. If misreading or ignoring patient history causes harm, a medical malpractice attorney can help review the records and show that the staff did not act as they should have. A medical malpractice attorney can gather the right evidence to support such claims.
Does Lack Of Proper Training Lead To Emergency Room Errors?
If medical staff are not trained properly or do not keep their skills updated, they might make wrong decisions that cause harm. An emergency room must ensure that all staff understand how to use equipment, interpret test results, and follow treatment guidelines. If someone without the needed training attempts a procedure, that might lead to complications. If a nurse does not recognize certain warning signs, the patient’s condition might worsen before help arrives.
Proper training may have prevented such mistakes. If a lack of training leads to harm, a medical malpractice lawyer can investigate the hospital’s policies. The lawyer can show that the hospital failed to prepare its staff properly, leading to avoidable errors. The lawyer can also examine whether the hospital provided adequate resources or oversight to ensure proper training.
Can Poor Record-Keeping Cause Emergency Room Errors?
Emergency rooms must keep accurate records of a patient’s condition, treatments, and results. If these records are incomplete or incorrect, the next medical provider who sees the patient may make decisions based on bad information. A doctor might give a medication already given because the record did not show it. A nurse might not know that a patient is waiting for a critical test result. Poor record-keeping can lead to repeated mistakes that harm the patient even more.
If poor record-keeping contributed to your harm, a medical malpractice lawyer can help reveal these errors. A malpractice lawyer can request medical records, compare them with accepted practice guidelines, and argue that the hospital or staff did not manage information correctly. The lawyer can also identify discrepancies supporting your case and strengthen your claim.
Are Patients Protected If They Speak Up About Errors?
Some patients worry that speaking up about an error might cause trouble. However, patients can seek justice if they believe poor care harmed them. A medical malpractice lawyer can handle communication with the hospital or insurance company, so you do not have to face these parties alone. The lawyer can actively protect your rights throughout the process.
Why Include A Medical Malpractice Lawyer Early In The Process?
The sooner a medical malpractice lawyer gets involved, the better they can protect the patient’s interests. Early involvement means the medical malpractice lawyer can gather fresh evidence, talk to witnesses while memories are clear, and ensure that important records are not lost. Waiting until later might mean key information has vanished.
A medical malpractice lawyer can also prevent the patient from making statements to insurance companies that can harm their case. They can advise on how to handle hospital requests for information. A medical malpractice lawyer guides the patient and sets the stage for a stronger claim.
What Should Patients Do If They Suspect An Emergency Room Error?
If you suspect an emergency room error harmed you, consider contacting a medical malpractice lawyer. Collect any medical records, note the dates and details of your visits, and write down what you remember about the interaction.
A medical malpractice lawyer can tell you what steps to take next. They might advise seeking a second medical opinion or help understanding the evidence needed.
Acting quickly can make a difference. Contacting a medical malpractice lawyer early improves your chances of building a strong case. Do not let confusion or fear stop you from seeking answers. You deserve to know if your harm was preventable and whether you can receive fair compensation.
Reach Out to a Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today
Emergency room errors can lead to serious and lasting harm. Patients who feel they did not receive proper treatment should speak up. Speaking with a medical malpractice lawyer can help clarify what happened and whether the hospital, staff, or both bear responsibility. A medical malpractice lawyer can guide you through the process, from reviewing records to negotiating with insurance companies.
If you or a loved one suffered in the emergency room due to what you believe was poor care, do not wait. Reach out to a medical malpractice lawyer today. Doing so protects your rights and may help prevent similar errors from affecting others. A personal injury lawyer is ready to listen, advise, and, if appropriate, fight for the compensation you deserve.