Can you sue a hospital for early discharge?
Why Some Hospitals Discharge Patients Too Soon
There are many reasons that a doctor or hospital may discharge a patient too soon–none of which are acceptable reasons to deny someone the full medical care they need.
1. Falsely Believing the Patient is Well Enough to Leave
In some cases, doctors may erroneously believe that a patient is stable enough to be released from the hospital without conducting the appropriate tests or imaging to ensure that it’s truly safe for them to leave.
2. Hospital Staffing Problems
The hospital may have limited staff or have too many patients and are worried about the number of available beds. Your health shouldn’t be disregarded simply due to the worry about a possible future issue involving hospital beds or nursing levels.
3. Insurance Running Out
A hospital administrator may encourage a doctor to send a patient home early if their health insurance is about to expire, despite the risks associated with early discharge.
Risks Associated With Premature (Early) Discharge
Here are some of the issues that have occurred when patients have been prematurely discharged.
- Infection. A Wound or surgical incision may appear to have healed, but after discharge, the patient suffers an infection and must be readmitted to the hospital. If caught too late or if left untreated for too long, an infection could require surgery, blood transfusions, or amputation.
- Misdiagnosis. Doctors may have incorrectly identified a medical condition as the source of pain or illness symptoms. The undiagnosed condition is then still progressing and could even have been made worse by the medications given for the misdiagnosed condition.
- Life-Threatening Complications. A serious complication may occur if a doctor doesn’t perform the necessary tests that would have revealed the full extent of the patient’s condition.
Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim for Premature Discharge: Steps and Considerations
In Georgia, the statute of limitations for a medical malpractice claim is two years. This means that you have two years from the date of the malpractice occurred or from the time that the injury should have been reasonably discovered to file your lawsuit.
Your Americus medical malpractice lawyers will help you with all aspects of your claim, including:
- Gathering all records, data, and evidence to support your claim for damages, this will include obtaining your medical records from the hospital visit you were prematurely discharged from and all follow-up care.
- Filing your claim against the doctor, hospital, and their insurance provider for damages that include the medical bills and suffering you endured as a result of their negligence.
- Conducting discovery to obtain all documents and evidence that you couldn’t obtain from the hospital. This could include all doctor, nurse, and staff notes and correspondence between hospital staff members.
- Negotiating with the insurance companies in attempts to settle your case without going to trial.
- Taking your case to trial if the insurance company isn’t willing to give you the compensation you deserve.
You’ll Increase Your Chances of Recovery with an Attorney’s Help
Medical malpractice claims can be difficult to prove without an experienced Americus medical malpractice lawyer to fight against the doctor’s insurance company and to obtain all experts necessary to prove that you are entitled to specific damages.
Call (229) 349-6291 or use the convenient online form to schedule your free consultation with the premier lawyers at The Shrable Law Firm, P.C.
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