JULY/AUGUST 2018 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 47
How often is medical
malpractice committed
in the hospital emergency
department?
“Unfortunately for patients, emergency room error occurs
more frequently than we would like to think,” says attorney
Jeffrey “Jack” Gordon, a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who
concentrates his practice on fighting negligence by holding
medical professionals accountable for mistakes.
“The emergency room environment can be demanding and
fast-paced,” he says, “and this can unfortunately lead to error.
Misdiagnosis is the most common mistake we see in the ER,
and certain conditions tend to be the likeliest for a misdiagnosis.
These include heart attack, stroke, infection and meningitis.”
According to Gordon, other common types of emergency
room errors include medication errors, delays in treatment
and less-than-thorough examinations.
He believes many emergency room errors could be prevented with
improved staffing conditions. “Increasing the number of qualified
staff members tends to reduce the time that patients wait to
receive diagnosis and treatment, preventing many conditions that
are caused by delays,” says Gordon. “Lowering patient-to-staff
ratios normally increases the amount of time allotted to each
patient; this provides for more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
“We have found in our cases that inexperienced nurses
and physicians are more likely to make mistakes,” he says.
“Some of the hospitals we have prosecuted for malpractice
thereafter implemented staffing ratios based on experience
and seniority. Others have allotted more resources toward
enhanced training to improve the level of care.
“There may be reasons for medical error,” says Gordon,
“but reasons are not excuses. By continuing to hold
doctors and nurses accountable, we can best encourage
compliance with medical standards.”
Jeffrey “Jack” Gordon
Selected to 2018 Super Lawyers
Top 50 Tampa Bay Area / Top 100 Florida
Maney | Gordon Trial Lawyers
101 E. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 3170, Tampa, FL 33602
PH: 1-866-344-LAWS / jack@maneygordon.com
FightNegligence.com
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