If you visited the emergency room, you were likely in a crisis – experiencing sudden pain, unusual symptoms, or signs of a serious medical condition. In that moment, you trusted the ER doctors and other medical personnel to act quickly, ask the right questions, and make accurate decisions. A misdiagnosis in this setting can have devastating consequences, especially when immediate treatment is critical. Depending on how the mistake impacted your outcome, the harm you suffered due to a diagnostic error may be grounds for a medical malpractice claim.
Why an Incorrect Diagnosis Matters in a Time-Sensitive Case
Arizona emergency rooms are designed to handle urgent, potentially life-threatening conditions. When a doctor makes the wrong diagnosis or fails to diagnose a serious issue entirely, it can delay critical treatment. That delay can lead to permanent injury, worsening of the condition, or even death.
In cases involving strokes, heart attacks, infections, or internal bleeding, every minute counts. A misdiagnosis might mean a patient is discharged when they should have been admitted, or that they’re treated for something they don’t have while the actual problem goes unaddressed. The stakes are high in these fast-paced settings, and even split-second mistakes can lead to long-term harm. If a doctor’s error results from their failure to meet accepted medical standards, an injured patient may have a valid malpractice claim.
What Are an ER Doctor’s Duties to Patients?
Emergency room doctors have a legal and professional duty to provide care that meets accepted medical standards. This duty begins as soon as a doctor-patient relationship is established, even in high-pressure environments like the ER.
Doctors are not expected to be perfect, but they are expected to act with the level of skill and attentiveness that a reasonably competent ER physician would use in the same situation. An ER doctor failing in any of these key duties may give a patient grounds to file a malpractice claim:
- Promptly assessing the patient’s symptoms and medical history
- Ordering appropriate tests based on the initial evaluation
- Interpreting test results accurately and in a timely manner
- Consulting with specialists when necessary
- Making treatment decisions based on current standards of care
- Documenting observations and decisions clearly in the patient’s records
How Can a Lawyer Prove I Was Misdiagnosed?
To build a strong medical malpractice case, an attorney must prove that the ER doctor’s misdiagnosis was more than just a mistake – it was a failure to meet the standard of care. To this end, they’ll conduct a detailed investigation into what the doctor knew, what actions they took, and how those decisions compared to what a reasonably careful physician would have done under the same circumstances.
Your attorney will begin their investigation by obtaining and reviewing any available medical records related to your ER visit and the resulting treatment (or lack thereof), including:
- Emergency room intake notes and triage assessments
- Lab results and imaging studies (e.g., X-rays, CT scans)
- Physician and nursing progress notes
- Discharge summaries
- Test order timelines
Your lawyer may also consult with medical experts to evaluate the appropriateness of the doctor’s actions. The ultimate goal of this process is to persuasively show that the misdiagnosis directly caused you harm that could have been prevented.
Contact an Arizona Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today to Discuss Your Case
If you went to an Arizona emergency room and believe the doctor misdiagnosed your medical issue, you may be entitled to compensation for the resulting physical, financial, and personal harm you’ve suffered as a result of their error. An experienced medical malpractice attorney at Gill Law Firm can review the facts of your case and help you understand your legal options. Let’s discuss how we can support you in your fight for justice. Reach out today for a free, no-obligation consultation with an Arizona medical malpractice lawyer.