Louisiana residents likely know that when a person seeks medical attention, a swift and accurate diagnosis and immediate attention to treatment can significantly affect the outcome. In a hospital emergency room setting, although medical professionals are under pressure to quickly and efficiently evaluate a patient’s condition and deliver an accurate diagnosis, failure to do so can have catastrophic results for the patient. Recently, a jury in another state awarded a 66-year-old man $3 million after hearing his case of emergency room malpractice.
Early in 2016, the man, who was then 63, fell and struck his face on furniture. He went to a hospital emergency room to seek medical attention. Hospital staff failed to recognize that he had suffered a spinal injury and discharged him. The man is now permanently paralyzed. According to a statement by the man’s attorneys, if medical staff had recognized the extent of his injury and treated him with neurosurgery, the spinal injury could have been reversed.
Reportedly, the award is one of the largest jury verdicts in that county’s history. During the nine-day jury trial, the attorneys presented evidence that the man had suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of the fall. In their statement, they commented on the gravity of the situation, as this man will never be able to fully recover what he has lost.
People in Louisiana and elsewhere, throughout their lifetime, count on medical professionals to use their expertise to deal appropriately with any health concerns, whether minor or severe. However, unfortunately, sometimes details are overlooked, and sometimes an error in diagnosis may ultimately make an enormous difference in a patient’s life, as it has in this case. People who have suffered a similar experience involving emergency room malpractice may wish to contact an attorney experienced in this area of the law to discuss legal options.
