Emergency Medicine and Emergency Room Negligence

Emergency rooms can be a chaotic place. Unfortunately, due to the hectic nature of this environment, otherwise preventable errors do happen. If you or someone you love has been harmed due to a preventable error in an emergency room, we can help you take legal action. At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, our Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers are experienced in cases arising from the negligence of doctors, nurses, and other health care providers. We can carefully analyze the facts of your case and provide you with an honest assessment of your options. Our firm represents people throughout Maryland and in Washington, D.C.

Emergency room errors can happen in a variety of situations, such as failing to admit or improperly discharging a patient for financial reasons, or inadequately training or supervising emergency room staff. Patients may be misdiagnosed or provided the wrong medication, and the tests that are ordered may be inappropriate or misinterpreted. Unfortunately, even what seems like a relatively minor mistake may have a devastating and often permanent impact on a patient’s health.

If you have been harmed by a careless or negligent emergency room doctor or nurse, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against the at-fault party. Medical malpractice claims are rooted in the theory of negligence. In this context, negligence occurs when the defendant fails to use the level of care and skill that reasonably competent emergency room staff would have thought it reasonable to use under similar circumstances.

The negligent action by the defendant must have caused harm to the patient. The plaintiff also must have incurred quantifiable damages. Typically, a victim of medical malpractice can seek compensation for the injury itself, medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, costs of future care, pain and suffering, and more. In most cases, the money might come in the form of a lump sum through a settlement or verdict, while in other cases it may be provided in installments, such as through annuities.

In Maryland, as in other states, there is a formal process that must be followed in any lawsuit filed against a health care provider. The claim must go through a mandatory arbitration procedure before it can be filed formally in court. This includes filing each claim with a Certificate of Qualified Expert and a Report. In a pragmatic sense, this means that a physician must review the facts of the case and “certify” that the plaintiff’s health care provider failed to adhere to the appropriate standard of care.

At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, our Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys have considerable experience advising victims of avoidable errors by health care providers. These cases tend to be complex, and having skilled legal representation on your side can make a critical difference. We represent people in Washington, D.C. and in many areas of Maryland, including Baltimore City, Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Rockville, Germantown, Bethesda, Upper Marlboro, Hyattsville, Bowie, Silver Spring, Towson, Columbia, Takoma Park, and other communities throughout Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince George's, and Carroll Counties. Call us at (800) 654-1949 or at (410) 654-3600, or contact us online to set up a free consultation with a knowledgeable injury attorney.