Medical malpractice lawsuit against freestanding emergency room

There are freestanding emergency rooms all across the country. Many Louisiana residents may have visited one rather than driving to a full hospital. One family took their daughter to one of these freestanding clinics for treatment of a cut she received while swimming in a lake. However, after numerous problems and more than $100,000 in additional medical costs, the family filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the emergency room, which unexpectedly closed a few months after their visit.

The young girl had apparently jumped off of a pier and into a lake where she landed on an unseen object. When she landed on the object, it cut deeply into her right foot. Her parents took her to the emergency room where physicians explored, irrigated, and stitched the one-centimeter long cut closed. The family states that, although the doctors noted that the wound was contaminated, their daughter was sent home without an oral antibiotic.

Later the next day, the girl’s parents say that she became feverish and that the skin around her wound became red and painful. A few days later, the girl was taken to see her pediatrician and was admitted to the hospital. At the hospital, doctors removed the stitches from her foot and irrigated and drained the wound. Samples of the surrounding tissue were also taken and sent for testing. Due to the severity of the infection, the child was soon transferred to a children’s hospital for additional treatment.

The infection caused so many complications that the doctors felt that it was necessary to discuss amputation with the parents. The doctors were also surprised to learn that the emergency room did not take any x-rays, prescribe an oral antibiotic, surgically clean the wound, or follow up within 24 hours. Eventually, after multiple surgeries, doctors were able to avoid amputation, but not before the girl suffered permanent nerve damage.

Many people may not know how serious a small injury can become without proper treatment. Patients in Louisiana who have suffered due to improper treatment may wish to consult a lawyer about filing a medical malpractice claim. Victims may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, or other damages.

Source: timesrecordnews.com, “Former Wichita Falls emergency room facing malpractice, breach of lease lawsuits“, Patrick Johnston, April 9, 2018