When you walk into an emergency room, you expect urgency, competence, and care. After all, these are the moments where every second counts. But when medical professionals in the emergency room make critical errors—whether through delays, misdiagnoses, or inadequate care—the results can be devastating.
What Is Emergency Room Negligence?
Emergency room negligence occurs when a patient is harmed because ER staff failed to meet the standard of care expected in fast-paced, high-pressure medical situations. It is simply a form of medical malpractice.
It’s important to understand that not every bad medical outcome is the result of negligence. Some injuries or harm to patients cannot be avoided. But when errors stem from carelessness, understaffing, or poor communication, patients and their families have the right to hold the responsible medical providers accountable, including doctors, radiologists and nurses.
Common Examples of ER Negligence
Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis
In a busy emergency room, the speed and accuracy of a diagnosis are critical. But too often, life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, pulmonary embolisms, or brain hemorrhages are misdiagnosed as something far less serious—like migraines, or indigestion. These errors can delay essential treatments and interventions, allowing conditions to rapidly worsen for patients. A delay of even minutes can mean the difference between recovery and irreversible harm or even death.
Failure to Order Necessary Tests
Every patient’s symptoms require a careful assessment. But due to understaffing, time pressure, or miscommunication, emergency room providers may fail to order crucial diagnostic tests—such as CT scans, MRIs, bloodwork, or electrocardiograms (EKGs). Missing these steps can prevent the identification of internal injuries, infections, or other urgent medical problems, leading to a missed diagnosis.
Medication Errors
Medication mistakes are alarmingly common in emergency room settings at hospitals. These can include:
- Giving the wrong medication altogether
- Administering the wrong dose
- Failing to check for allergies or interactions with a patient’s existing medications
- Improper labeling or dosage instructions during discharge
Even one misstep in the administration of medications to patients can result in severe allergic reactions, drug toxicity, or dangerous interactions—some of which may be fatal.
Delays in Treatment
Emergency rooms triage patients to prioritize those in critical condition—but when that system breaks down, patients can face dangerously long wait times. In cases of sepsis, internal bleeding, or stroke, delays can have catastrophic consequences. Patients may also face delays due to charting errors, communication lapses between departments, or simple overcrowding, all of which are ultimately the hospital’s responsibility to manage safely.
Improper Discharge
Being discharged from the ER too early or without proper follow-up instructions can put patients at serious risk. This can happen when medical providers:
- Fail to recognize the severity of a patient’s condition
- Don’t schedule or recommend necessary follow-up care
- Omit crucial information about medications, symptoms to watch for, or what to do in case of worsening conditions
Improper discharges often result in patients returning to the ER in worse condition—or suffering complications that could have been avoided with proper care and inpatient treatment.
Why Does ER Negligence Happen?
Emergency rooms are often overcrowded, understaffed, and operating under intense pressure. But none of these challenges excuse negligent care. Hospitals are required to have procedures in place to ensure medical providers treat patients in a timely and competent manner, regardless of how busy the ER may be.
Breakdowns in communication between doctors, nurses, and specialists are a common cause of preventable errors. So too is failure to adhere to established medical protocols and documentation procedures.
The Consequences Can Be Life-Changing
Emergency room negligence can result in long-term disability, permanent injury, or even death. In some cases, a condition that could have been treated effectively—if caught in time—spirals into a far more serious medical issue. These aren’t just medical outcomes; they’re life-altering events that can impact someone’s ability to work, care for their family, or live independently.
What Should I Do if I’ve Been Harmed in an Emergency Room?
If you believe you or a loved one has suffered due to negligence in an emergency room, you may have a valid medical malpractice claim. In Massachusetts, these cases are subject to specific procedural requirements, including expert medical testimony to prove that negligence occurred and that it caused harm. Importantly, Massachusetts law generally requires that medical malpractice claims be filed within three years of the date the injury was discovered—or reasonably should have been discovered—but no more than seven years from the date of the alleged malpractice, with limited exceptions.
At SUGARMAN, we have decades of experience representing individuals and families harmed by medical negligence—including in high-stakes emergency room settings. Our personal injury attorneys understand how to investigate ER records, work with expert physicians, and build strong cases that hold hospitals and providers accountable. If you or someone you love has been impacted by emergency room negligence and you would like to speak to an attorney, contact us today by calling (617) 542-1000, emailing , or by filling out our Contact Form.