We Uncover Past Diagnostic Errors
There are many cases where an individual needs to seek medical attention but their condition is too pressing to schedule an appointment and wait to see the doctor. However, the illness or injury may not be serious enough to warrant a visit to the emergency room. Urgent care facilities are designed to help those who are suffering from a condition which falls in this in-between category. Examples of conditions which could be treated at an urgent care include cuts or sprains, back pain, a fever, stomach issues, difficulties with breathing, and more. The patient does not need to make an appointment but is able to walk into the office and wait to be seen.
These facilities in the healthcare industry were not seen until the 1970s. Since then, almost 100,000 urgent care facilities have been opened in order to meet the needs of the surrounding communities. The goal is to get medical care to those who need it without having to go to the already over-crowded emergency rooms. Although these environments may not be as stressful or busy as an emergency room, errors can still arise due to these issues. Often, doctors are rushed to see patients and errors in diagnosis, treatment, medication, and more can arise as a result.
If there is a reason for you to believe that your doctor was negligent, speak to a medical malpractice attorney from The Law Offices of Joseph Lichtenstein. With over 60 years of experience, we can determine whether or not you have a legitimate medical malpractice claim.
Medical Malpractice in Outpatient Care
Although hospitals face many lawsuits in regards to doctor negligence or errors, a study found in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that almost half of lawsuits were directed towards outpatient care facilities like urgent care. Not only that, but this number is growing. Of these errors, diagnostic errors were found to be the number one problem.
One case study of a female patient in Colorado serves as a sobering example of the errors which could happen in these facilities. The patient visited a local urgent care facility because her right foot was red and swollen. The doctor said that she was suffering from gout and gave her prescription gout and pain medication to deal with the symptoms. However, only two days later, the pain was worse and there were red streaks reaching past her knee. After returning to the urgent care, she was taken immediately to the emergency room where she was told she had necrotizing fasciitis, flesh-eating bacteria. Her leg had to be amputated to below the knee in order to control these bacteria.
Diagnostic Lawsuits in Urgent Care
Diagnostic errors are not only an issue in urgent care facilities as approximately 40% of all medical malpractice lawsuits involve issues in diagnosing a patient. As there are so many different conditions a patient may be dealing with, it is a difficult yet crucial step in the treatment process. Jumping to conclusions rather than examining every detail of the case and thinking through other options can result in injury or even death to the patient. In fact, studies suggest that between 40,000 and 80,000 people are killed every year because of a misdiagnosis.
receive fair compensation
In any case where you believe you received improper medical care, it is best to speak to a medical malpractice attorney. Should negligence on the part of the doctor and/or medical staff be established, you are entitled to receive fair compensation.
contact a New York medical malpractice lawyer
Whether it was due to a misdiagnosis or the patient was confused with another patient, medication errors are also common in urgent care centers. If you are prescribed the wrong drug, not only will the condition fail to be treated and improve, but the drug could actually exacerbate the illness. This could lead to further medical bills and even time that had to be taken off of work in order to recover.
If you believe that you were injured because of an urgent care error and your doctor displayed negligence in your treatment, you should contact a New York medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible. We will do everything in our power to get you justice.
The Law Offices of Joseph Lichtenstein provides legal services to most areas around New York City, including the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, as well as Long Island, Westchester, Suffolk County and Nassau County. We offer New York communities our expertise as birth injury lawyers, among other legal services. Call us today at (888) 392 3104 or send us a message through our Contact Us page to set a consultation with one our medical malpractice lawyers. All initial consultations with us are absolutely FREE.