Cook County Emergency Room Malpractice Attorneys

Lawyers for Injuries Caused by ER Mistakes in Arlington Heights and Rolling Meadows

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies estimate that emergency rooms around the United States treat more than 140 million patients in an average year or about 390,000 ER visits per day. Most patients who seek treatment at a hospital's emergency department are dealing with a relatively major health problem of some type, or at least serious enough that waiting for their regular doctor was not an option. With so many patients seeking treatment on an average day, the staff in an emergency room is tasked with handling serious health concerns as quickly as they can. Sadly, rushed decisions and treatment can result in mistakes, some of which may constitute medical malpractice.

At Newland & Newland, LLP, our attorneys understand that when you seek treatment at an emergency department, you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect while you receive quality medical care. If you have suffered an injury or an illness caused by substandard care in an ER, our lawyers can help you build a case for compensation.

Challenges Associated with Emergency Medicine

Attorney Gary A. Newland and his team recognize and appreciate the efforts of the emergency room staff in all of the medical facilities in Northern Illinois. We know that the doctors, nurses, and support staff are frequently underpaid, overworked, and undervalued for the services they provide to patients in need-often dozens in just one shift. To make things more challenging, most patients who come to the ER do so looking for answers right away, meaning that emergency medicine doctors put a great deal of pressure on themselves to reach a diagnosis quickly so that treatment can begin.

There is also the difficulty of starting completely fresh with every patient, every time. When you go to your family doctor, the office typically has your medical history on file and knows a great deal about you as a patient, including your general overall health and lifestyle choices. This gives your doctor a starting point when you come in with a new problem. By comparison, an emergency room doctor begins almost completely unaware of your history and lifestyle, and he or she must quickly gather the information necessary for diagnosis. Unfortunately, this combination of factors can lead to mistakes, omissions, and other concerns that could cause serious injuries.

Addressing ER Mistakes in Long Grove and Des Plaines

At Newland & Newland, LLP, we know that there are many types of mistakes that could occur as the result of negligence in an emergency room, including but not limited to:

• Negligent testing, such as failure to order appropriate tests and ordering incorrect tests;
• Inadequate verbal, written, or electronic communication between staff;
• Careless triage processes that leave patients waiting despite serious health concerns;
• Poor patient monitoring;
• Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis;
• Laboratory errors made by technicians;
• Discharging patients too early; or
• Failure to recognize possible problems like drug interactions or allergies.

A mistake or a negative outcome that occurred in an emergency room is not always the result of negligence nor is it always malpractice. Many mistakes are caught and addressed before the patient suffers any harm, but even errors that do cause harm are not always grounds for a negligence claim. An ER error is only considered malpractice if it can be shown that most ER medical professionals with similar experience and training would not have made the same mistake. If negligence caused your emergency room injuries, our team is prepared to help you prove your case.

Call 847-797-8000 Today

For more information about emergency department errors, contact our office. Call 847-797-8000 for a free phone consultation at any of our five locations. Our firm serves clients in Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows, Lake County, DuPage County, Cook County, and throughout Northern Illinois.