The emergency room is often the first point of contact for individuals experiencing acute, potentially life-threatening medical conditions, and patients reasonably expect their symptoms to be evaluated promptly and competently. A failure to diagnose patients in the emergency room undermines that expectation and can have devastating consequences. Because emergency medicine operates under time pressure and incomplete information, errors can occur, but there is no excuse for negligent medical care that falls below accepted professional standards. If you have questions about your rights with regard to the failure to diagnose patients in the emergency room, you should talk to an attorney as soon as possible. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our experienced Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys routinely represent patients harmed by diagnostic errors in emergency settings, and if you hire us, we will zealously pursue a just outcome on your behalf. We regularly represent clients in medical malpractice cases in Syracuse, Rochester, and Upstate New York.
Understanding Failure to Diagnose Patients in the Emergency Room and the Harm it CausesA failure to diagnose patients in the emergency room typically occurs when physicians, nurses, or hospital staff do not recognize or correctly identify a serious medical condition despite the presence of symptoms, abnormal vital signs, or available diagnostic information. Emergency departments are responsible for identifying a wide range of conditions, including strokes, heart attacks, internal bleeding, infections, sepsis, pulmonary embolisms, and surgical emergencies. When providers prematurely discharge a patient, attribute symptoms to a benign cause without adequate evaluation, or fail to order appropriate laboratory tests or imaging studies, a critical diagnosis may be missed entirely. In some cases, diagnostic tests are ordered, but the results are misread, not communicated, or not acted upon in a timely manner, allowing the patient’s condition to deteriorate.
The harm caused by a failure to diagnose patients in the emergency room can be profound. Delayed or missed diagnoses may lead to disease progression, irreversible organ damage, prolonged suffering, or the loss of a chance for effective treatment. For example, an undiagnosed stroke can result in permanent neurological deficits, while a missed infection can progress to sepsis and multi-organ failure. Patients may require more invasive treatment than would have been necessary with timely intervention, and they often face longer hospitalizations, extensive rehabilitation, and permanent disability. In the most tragic cases, diagnostic failures in emergency settings result in wrongful death, leaving families with both emotional loss and significant financial burdens.
Establishing Negligence in a New York Medical Malpractice ClaimWhen injuries stem from the failure to diagnose patients in the emergency room, recovery typically depends on proving medical negligence through a medical malpractice lawsuit. Under New York law, to successfully demonstrate negligence, a plaintiff must establish four elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Duty arises when an emergency room provider undertakes the care of a patient, creating a legal obligation to deliver treatment consistent with the accepted standard of care. In emergency medicine, this standard reflects what a reasonably prudent medical professional with similar training would have done under comparable circumstances, even accounting for the fast-paced nature of the environment.
A breach occurs when the provider’s actions or omissions deviate from that standard. In diagnostic cases, a breach may involve failing to properly assess symptoms, neglecting to take an adequate medical history, misinterpreting diagnostic tests, or discharging a patient without ruling out serious conditions. Because medical malpractice cases involve complex issues beyond the understanding of the average juror, expert testimony is usually required to explain what the standard of care required in the emergency setting is and how the defendant’s conduct fell short of professional expectations.
Causation requires proof that the breach was a substantial factor in causing the patient’s injuries. This often involves showing that an accurate and timely diagnosis would have led to treatment that likely would have prevented or lessened the harm. Expert testimony is again critical, as medical experts may address how earlier intervention would have altered the patient’s outcome. Finally, the plaintiff must demonstrate damages. In New York, compensable damages include economic losses such as emergency and follow-up medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, prescription medication, lost wages, and diminished earning capacity. Non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In fatal cases, families may pursue wrongful death damages for funeral expenses and the loss of financial support and services.
Speak With a Skilled Medical Malpractice Attorney Serving Syracuse, Rochester, and Upstate New YorkA failure to diagnose patients in the emergency room can permanently alter a person’s health, independence, and future, and no patient should bear the consequences of preventable medical error alone. If you or a loved one suffered serious harm because an emergency room provider failed to diagnose a critical condition, it is in your best interest to talk to an attorney. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our knowledgeable Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys are committed to advocating for patients harmed by diagnostic errors, and if we represent you, we will thoroughly investigate your claim and pursue the compensation you deserve. Our primary office is in Syracuse, and we regularly assist clients throughout Syracuse, Rochester, and Upstate New York. You can contact us today to schedule a free, confidential consultation through our online form or by calling 833-200-2000.