Emergency Room Malpractice Attorney in Philadelphia

When you are a patient in an emergency room (ER), the last thing you expect is to become even more injured. Unfortunately, due to overcrowding and short staffing, many emergency room patients become victims of malpractice or wrongful death while being cared for in the emergency department. Since 1958, The Beasley Firm has been successfully litigating wrongful deaths and emergency room malpractice cases with documented results. The Beasley Firm is a nationally recognized medical malpractice firm that has been awarded over $2 billion on behalf of our clients-including two record-setting verdicts of $100 million and $55 million for medical malpractice.

A highly publicized emergency room wrongful death case in Philadelphia showed just how inadequate, or wrong, a triage nurse's assessment was of a patient. It also revealed how inattentive the nurses and doctors were to a critical change in a patient's condition. Joaquin Rivera, a 63-year-old school counselor, was triaged in the ER at Aria Health's Frankford Hospital at 10:45 p.m. He complained of pain in his left arm. Pain in the left arm in an adult male can be a symptom of a heart attack or myocardial infarction. Instead of being placed on a heart monitor, he was told to have a seat in the waiting room. Video surveillance shows that he was dead 11 minutes later. For an hour after his death, he remained slumped over in the chair while three other people in the waiting room robbed him.

Common Cases of Malpractice in the ER

If you or a loved one has been injured while in an emergency room, we can help you. Here at the Beasley Firm, we recognize that a large percentage of medical malpractice or negligence occurs in the emergency department and have spent the last 60+ years evaluating cases of this sort. Common emergency room medical malpractice involves the following:

• Emergency Room Deaths
• Misdiagnosis
• Medication Errors
• Misinterpretation of Laboratory Tests
• Misinterpretation of X-Rays
• Misinterpretation of EKG’s
• Failure to Consult a Specialist
• Delays in Treatment
• Failure to Diagnose a Heart Attack
• Stroke
• Ruptured Appendix
• Bowel Obstruction
• Failure to Promptly Administer tPA or Clot-Busting Drugs
• Nerve Damage from Intravenous Lines or Blood Draws
• Failure to Diagnose a Ruptured Spleen after an Automobile Accident
• Failure to Diagnose Meningitis
• Failure to Diagnose Head Trauma
• Failure to Monitor Blood Pressure/Vital Signs
• Inappropriately Discharging
• Inadequate Triage Regarding the Severity of an Injury/Illness
• Patient Dumping or EMTALA
• Failure to Keep a Suicidal Patient Safe
• Failure to Keep a Seizure Patient Safe
• Using Adult Equipment on a Child (Providing Inaccurate Readings & Insufficient Treatment)

Emergency Medical Treatment & Active Labor Act

In addition, in 1986, a law was passed called "EMTALA" or The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. It is also sometimes referred to as "COBRA" or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. This law was put into effect to make sure that any patient who goes to an emergency room for evaluation must be given an appropriate medical screening to see if that patient is suffering from an emergent medical condition. If the patient has a medical condition that is an emergency, the hospital is obligated to provide the patient treatment until the emergency becomes stabilized and if need be, transfer the patient to another hospital that can more appropriately treat the medical condition. In addition, any pregnant woman who comes to the hospital in active labor must be admitted and treated until the baby is delivered. A hospital can be found in violation of this law and held accountable if it fails to abide by it. Our highly experienced medical and legal teams have uncovered numerous EMTALA violations in the past. Our knowledge assisted us in successfully fighting on behalf of infants who were severely brain damaged due to a hospital's failure to abide by this law.

We Win Your Battles. Call (215) 866-2424 for a Free Consultation.

Misclassification of patients and wrongful deaths occur every day in emergency rooms. However, this only requires greater vigilance on the part of healthcare professionals who ought to be kept in check for life-threatening mistakes. If you or a loved one have been injured while in the ER, discuss your case with skilled Philadelphia emergency room malpractice lawyers. All of our experienced ER attorneys have been included in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® list and are more than capable of handling your case. We relish the opportunity to hold guilty parties accountable for your injuries and will work tirelessly on your behalf to ensure your case is well-prepared and well-tried. We are known throughout Pennsylvania and the rest of the nation for our keen abilities in the courtroom and thorough investigation and case preparation.

We operate on a contingency fee basis and offer free case evaluations. Call (215) 866-2424 to speak with a Philadelphia ER malpractice attorney today.