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Jul 7, 2017 Posted by Gary Ingles on Jul 7, 2017 in Personal Injury | 0 comments

Emergency Departments: Regrettably a Place where Many cases of Misdiagnosis are Committed

Emergency Departments: Regrettably a Place where Many cases of Misdiagnosis are Committed

People who are rushed to a hospital’s emergency department (ER) are met by a nurse who would ask them (or their family members) about their health complaint, symptoms experienced and other things related to their condition. This nurse is called a triage nurse, the person responsible in determining the severity of health conditions – the basis of who will need to be treated first. This is because, in emergency departments, priority of treatment is never based on a first come, first serve basis, but on the severity of the patient’s condition. Thus, a person with a life threatening condition will need to be treated ahead of everyone else even if he/she arrived much later than all of them. Waiting to be treated, sometimes for long hours, is very common in emergency departments; but, regardless of how infuriating waiting is, especially to a patient who may be suffering from extreme pain, but whose condition is less severe than another, medical personnel have no other choice but to attend first to those with more serious complaints. A reasonable rule, but only if all complaints are diagnosed correctly. Correct diagnosis of a patient’s health complaints is critical in medical treatment as this is the only way a doctor would be able to provide timely and correct treatment.

Many times in emergency departments, however, the contrary happens. Many blame the over-crowdedness and the chaotic atmosphere of ER’s; include to this too the lack of personnel and nurses despite the overload of patients. Then there are also the issues of poor communication and lack of collaboration between nurses and doctors. Due to all these, misdiagnosis becomes very common. The most common types of conditions often misdiagnosed in ER’s are stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, meningitis, and appendicitis. A misdiagnosis, or wrong diagnosis, is a form of medical malpractice which can result to the worsening of a patient’s original health complaint, cause a new serious health condition, or even lead to fatal consequences. Probably worse than all these probabilities, however, is the fact that this type of malpractice is a product of negligence, thus, making all of its ill effects preventable. As stated in the website of the Sampson Law Firm, “Emergency rooms and the staff that operate them are expected to quickly provide treatment to individuals who need immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, as you may be well aware, these facilities and their staff are sometimes negligent in their duties. Now that you or a loved one has been mistreated while undergoing emergency medical care, there is no reason that you should be made to bear the financial burden of what will be associated with the recovery process.”

Emergency rooms are equipped to provide immediate medical care to people who need it. So, although you had every reason to expect that you would be properly cared for when you sought medical attention in an Oceanside emergency room, there is good reason for you to pursue compensation now that your health was adversely affected by some form of negligence during your time at the ER. Seeking help from a personal injury or medical malpractice attorney, even at the slightest hint of misdiagnosis, will provide patients and their families with the necessary legal information and assistance in pursing legal action against the liable party. Choosing the right lawyer, however, is important since not all lawyers have the same depth of skills, length of experience and level of dedication. Entrusting a medical malpractice case to any lawyer may only result to loss of chance to receive compensation from the liable doctor, medical personnel, or even the hospital where they are employed.

Jul 6, 2017 Posted by Gary Ingles on Jul 6, 2017 in Car Accidents | 0 comments

Hit & Run: A Disturbing Plague in many Major Cities in the U.S.

Hit & Run: A Disturbing Plague in many Major Cities in the U.S.

At about 7 PM of November 17, 2012, an 18-year-old special needs male student was struck by a hit-and-run driver while he was crossing Broadway Avenue in Los Angeles. The unidentified driver did not stop to render aid, a requirement under the law, leaving the young boy to die at the scene.

Hit-and-run accidents killed 147 individuals and injured another 19,009 in the state of California alone in 2010. Nationwide, 2010 record of fatal hit-and-run crashes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show 1,393 incidences.

Hit and run is just one type of fatal car crash; some other types of car crashes, based on NHTSA records, include head on collision, accidents involving motorcycles and bicycles, truck accidents, and pedestrian accidents. Factors that lead to these and other types of car crashes, on the other hand, include drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving and reckless driving.

While many injured victims in car crashes are able to claim compensation from at-fault drivers, many are left with nowhere to go, either because they do not carry personal insurance or the at-fault driver has run away with no one able to identify him/her.

Since 2005, the number of fatal hit-and-run crashes has continuously risen. The most common victims, or course, are pedestrians and cyclists. Incidents wherein hit-and-run drivers just leave their injured victims to bleed to death have increased in many major cities too, making this type of accident a disturbing plague.

Hit-and-run, also referred to as hit and skip or fleeing from/leaving the scene of an accident, is defined as the act of leaving/fleeing from a scene of an accident to evade responsibility over anyone who may have been injured in such accident. Under the law, drivers, especially the ones liable for the accident, are legally obliged to stop and provide assistance to whoever has been injured or has lost consciousness. The conscious driver, if he or she can, is also required to contact traffic authorities and wait for them to arrive at the scene. If both drivers are unhurt, then the law requires them to exchange information, providing each other with their respective identification, insurance provider and contact details, while accidents which occur in parking lots, the liable driver is required to leave a written notification of his/her identity and contact details if the owner of the vehicle that he/she damaged is nowhere in sight.

Financial support for victims of hit-and-run, is very important. To avail of financial help, they can file a claim with their state’s Office of Victim Services or Victims Compensation Services, or, if they have one, then with their accident insurance provider. Seeking assistance from a highly-skilled personal injury lawyer, both for pursuing the hit-and-run case as well as for making an application for claims, may prove beneficial to a victim.

On this same concern, Iowa car accident lawyers say, “If you are considering pursuing legal action, it is in your best interest to secure the services of a qualified attorney who you can rely on to provide effective legal representation.”

A lawyer will know how to pursue investigations related to hit-and-runs and, with regard to application for claims, will know what documents to prepare and how to legally deal with providers to make sure that application for a claim is not denied or the payment of benefits not delayed.

 

 

 

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