As citizens we rely heavily on emergency responders. For the most part these emergency responders do a great job and show up to the scene of a crisis quickly and perform the necessary medical procedures to save a life. They are trained to perform great work while under stress.
For many emergencies that include injuries or illness, paramedics are often the first in line to fight for the life of their patients. Although they are generally great at this, there are some paramedics who perform their duties in a negligent manner. This can lead to the patient to sustain further complications—or even die. When this happens the paramedic or EMT technician may be held liable in a medical malpractice claim.
Some of the common actions that a paramedic may take that would be considered to be medical malpractice are:
- Misdiagnosing. When a paramedic arrives to an emergency, he should be able to treat and diagnose the patient until they patient arrives at the hospital. Misdiagnosing the problem the patient is experiencing can have life-threatening consequences.
- Delay. It is important that a paramedic arrives at the scene in a timely manner. Failing to do so may result in the loss of a life. Every second counts when there is an emergency.
- Medication errors. The paramedic may need to administer some sort of medication in order to help the patient. Administering the wrong meds may cause the patient to suffer more then she would otherwise.
- Failure to stabilize. It is crucial that the paramedic stabilizes a critical patient until they get to the hospital. When the paramedic fails to do so the patient’s condition may worsen and cause death.
Have you become the victim of medical malpractice at the hands of a paramedic? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. For more information you should read through our extensive library of articles. To speak with an experienced attorney, call 757.625.1214 today.