Emergency Room Negligence Attorneys Service All of Rhode Island
Millions of people visit emergency rooms in the United States every year. Seeking immediate care for injuries, sudden illnesses, worsening conditions, and other potentially life-threatening or catastrophic issues, each visitor trusts emergency room personnel—from security to surgeons—to prioritize their safety and wellbeing. Tragically, as the Providence emergency room malpractice lawyers at Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell know, this is not always the case.
What Is Emergency Room Malpractice?
Emergency room malpractice occurs when a medical professional fails to meet the standard of care while treating a patient, resulting in serious or fatal injury. This failure may be even more disastrous in an emergency room, where errors in providing urgently needed care can have devastating consequences.
Patients of all ages—from newborns through the elderly—regularly seek treatment in emergency rooms in Providence and throughout Rhode Island. Patients rely on the skill of the emergency room staff to understand the likely cause of their complaints, perform adequate and thorough physical examinations, determine and order the laboratory testing/radiology imaging needed, and provide appropriate interventions and follow-up.
All of this must be done rapidly. The one common denominator in emergency room visits is urgency. People only visit an emergency room because they need attention NOW. When staff fail to act promptly or operate in a way that is negligent or harmful, they can be held liable for injuries that occur as a result of their action/inaction through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Have You Been Injured in an Emergency Room in Providence?
If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed due to emergency room negligence, you may be entitled to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and so much more. Call Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell at 410-273-8330 to schedule your FREE and confidential case review and learn how we can help. Our Providence emergency room error lawyers proudly represent victims of serious injury living throughout Rhode Island and nearby areas of Massachusetts.
Examples of Emergency Room Malpractice
There can be periods when the number of emergency room staff is insufficient to address the needs of the patients present. When the emergency room is very busy, a visit there may include many seemingly endless hours in the waiting room.
Rhode Island Emergency Rooms are staffed by medical personnel of varying levels of skill. They may include general physicians (and physicians in training), medical specialists, physicians’ assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), nurses with different degrees of training, and clerical staff. Sometimes the available care provider’s skills are inadequate for the needs of the patient. In almost all instances, patients do not know the level of training of the person providing their care.
Emergency Room Negligence can include:
Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose in the Emergency Room
One of the most frequent emergency room errors is the misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose a serious or fatal condition. This can happen when symptoms are overlooked, tests aren’t ordered, or emergency room personnel fail to recognize the symptoms of serious conditions such as heart attack, stroke, or infection.
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, emergency room diagnostic errors alone affect roughly 7.4 million patients annually, with an estimated 370,000 suffering permanent injury or death.
Emergency Room Medication Errors
Medication errors, such as administration of the wrong drug, incorrect dosage, or failure to account for a patient’s allergies or preexisting condition, are common in emergency room settings. Tragically, these errors can lead to adverse reactions, complications, and even death. Proper documentation and careful oversight are essential in preventing these mistakes.
Delayed Treatment in an Emergency Room
Emergencies leave no room for delays. When treatment is not administered promptly—especially in cases involving heart attack, trauma-related injuries, and other potentially fatal issues—the consequences are often severe. Whether from understaffing, overcrowding, or poor prioritization of cases, when protocols do not exist, are ignored, or are misapplied, significant harm can result.
Improper Discharge from an Emergency Room
Discharging a patient too early or without proper after-care and follow-up instructions can also constitute emergency room malpractice. Patients may leave the hospital without being fully stabilized or without understanding how to manage their condition. This lack of care can lead to further complications, rehospitalization, or even death. Proper discharge procedures and aftercare instructions are essential for ensuring patient safety.
Surgical Errors and Emergency Procedures
When emergency surgery is needed, life may be on the line. When surgical errors occur during these procedures—such as performing the wrong procedure, leaving surgical instruments inside the body, or improper sterilization—the results can be catastrophic. Surgical error may require additional procedures, extended recovery times, substantial pain and suffering, and an increased risk of death.
During your free case review with one of the Providence emergency room malpractice lawyers at Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, we will carefully review the details of your claim to help you determine if you are eligible to take legal action.
Types of Injuries Caused by Emergency Room Negligence
The injuries resulting from emergency room malpractice can be life-altering and, in the worst cases, fatal. When doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers make mistakes in the emergency room, consequences can include:
- Worsening of the Existing Condition
- Permanent Disability
- Brain Injury
- Internal Organ Damage
- Infection
- Adverse Drug Reactions
- Seizures
- And More
Depending on the type of emergency room malpractice experienced, a patient may face any number of serious and life-long complications. Some of these can prevent a patient from working or engaging in familial and social interactions. Others may result in a vegetative or minimally conscious state. Others still may produce complications that shorten life expectancy, cause chronic pain, and produce emotional and psychological complications.
Serious injuries demand the attention of an experienced legal team with a history of holding negligent healthcare providers accountable. Our lawyers have decades of experience handling these cases. We will listen to the ways your injury has and will continue to impact your life to help you determine what your emergency room negligence claim may be worth.
Compensation for Victims of Emergency Room Malpractice
When emergency room negligence results in serious injury or death, victims are entitled to seek compensation for related damages, which can include:
Medical Expenses
The cost of medical care can quickly escalate after an emergency room error. Victims may require additional surgeries, rehabilitation, long-term care, or medications to address the consequences. Compensation to cover past and future medical expenses helps to ensure victims and their loved ones are not burdened by out-of-pocket costs for these treatments.
Lost Wages
Many victims of emergency room negligence are unable to return to work due to the severity of their injuries. Others can return, but only in a limited capacity. Compensation for current and future wages provides essential support for individuals and families forced to deal with income loss.
Physical and Emotional Pain and Suffering
Physical pain and emotional distress can accompany emergency room malpractice. Compensation for pain and suffering acknowledges the intangible but very real impact the physical agony, emotional trauma, and reduced quality of life medical errors can have.
Loss of Consortium
When emergency room negligence results in the loss of a loved one or leaves an injured person permanently disabled, families may be entitled to compensation for loss of companionship, support, and affection. This is particularly relevant for spouses and children who are left to cope with the long-term absence of a family member’s love, guidance, or support.
Wrongful Death
When emergency room malpractice leads to death, families may be able to file a wrongful death claim and seek compensation for funeral expenses, loss of income, loss of companionship, and more.
Each emergency room malpractice case is unique. The exact compensation you may be entitled to depends on the specifics of your situation. The Providence emergency room negligence attorneys at Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell will investigate your claim, evaluate your damages, and help you seek the full compensation you deserve.
The Role of an Emergency Room Malpractice Lawyer
Victims of emergency room negligence, error, and malpractice face an uphill battle. As with all medical malpractice claims, the laws, regulations, and legal process for pursuing compensation can be extremely complex. This can add stress to the physical, emotional, and financial impacts of injuries sustained in emergency rooms. Healthcare professionals have legal teams that deal with these issues.
Having a lawyer on your side helps protect you from defense attorneys and insurance adjusters who are primarily interested in dismissing your claim or forcing you to settle. Your lawyer will stand between you and these tactics, protecting your best interests and fighting for your rights while seeking the maximum compensation you are entitled to.
Having a Providence emergency room malpractice lawyer on your side helps with:
- Establishing Negligence. Gathering evidence, obtaining expert testimony, and demonstrating how a healthcare professional’s negligence, error, or malpractice led to your injury.
- Fighting for Fair Compensation. Negotiating with insurance or arguing your case in front of a jury to secure compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and all related damages.
- Handling the Legal Process. Providing guidance and support through the legal process, enabling you to focus on recovery.
Having an emergency room negligence lawyer on your side helps to protect your rights, ensure the proper parties are held accountable, and provide a clear path to damage recovery. Without legal assistance, decisions about your compensation will be made by people who have no real interest in your recovery.
Contact Our Providence Emergency Room Malpractice Lawyers for FREE
Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell is dedicated to helping victims of medical malpractice seek justice. We know that each case is unique. We will take the time to listen to your story, investigate the details of your claim, and build a case tailored to your specific circumstances.
Our decades of experience in emergency room negligence allow us to anticipate the tactics that hospitals and medical institutions may employ to avoid responsibility. We are prepared to fight against these tactics to help you secure the compensation you are due.
When you work with us, you will always have direct access to our experienced attorneys—not just paralegals or junior staff—and the full support of a team that truly cares about your recovery and future. To this end, we offer our No Fee Promise, you only pay our legal fees after we have successfully recovered compensation on your behalf. We believe that everyone deserves access to effective legal representation, regardless of their financial situation, and are proud of the significant verdicts and settlements we have achieved for our clients.
At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, our lawyers and nurses have extensive medical knowledge and consult regularly with medical experts in their assessment of the merits of potential cases. Contact us online or call us today to schedule your complimentary case review and learn more about your options and your rights. Located in Providence, our emergency room malpractice lawyers proudly serve clients throughout Rhode Island and nearby areas of Massachusetts.
