Lake Worth Wrongful Premature Discharge Lawyers Advocating for Rights After Negligent Early Release Harm in Palm Beach and Broward Counties
When you are admitted to a hospital or other medical facility, the day that you get to return home is usually one that is celebrated. In-patient treatment for injuries or illnesses is stressful, uncomfortable and inevitably expensive, so returning to the comforts of your own home should be a positive development. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The negligent early discharge of patients from hospitals and other treatment facilities in Palm Beach County and throughout Florida often exacerbates conditions from which the patient has yet to fully recover, and can actually result in the need for much more extensive and ongoing treatment—in other words, medical care that is required to treat conditions that might not exist had the patient simply remained in the initial facility for the proper amount of time. Our Florida negligent early discharge lawyers can help you.
At Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A., we have dedicated our careers to protecting the Florida community from harm caused by actions like negligent early discharge from a medical facility. We believe in paying attention to the details in every case and will methodically investigate the often-complex circumstances involved in establishing liability in negligent early discharge cases. Our lawyers pride ourselves on offering compassionate support to the Hispanic community of Florida as they recover from their injuries, and our offices are fully bilingual so that we can discuss your issues in English or Spanish.
Premature Discharge from Florida Medical Facilities May Cause Significant Harm
Negligent early discharge from a Florida hospital or medical facility can occur under any number of circumstances, but may be actionable in cases where the doctor or other medical professional in question:
- Failed to ensure that the patient was mentally stable enough to leave (in other words, that the patient was capable of making decisions or was released into the care of a competent loved one),
- Improperly diagnosed or treated the condition in question,
- Failed to properly monitor the patient for infections and other side-effects of the original treatment,
- Prematurely releases a surgical patient who has had insufficient time to recover while monitored,
- Failed to execute the testing necessary to ensure the patient was ready to leave the facility,
- Failed to appropriately note the factors that indicate a newborn is healthy enough to be released from the hospital,
- Failed to schedule necessary follow-up treatments or visits with the patient, or failed to properly instruct the patient on the need (or potential need) for continuing care.
Gonzalez & Cartwright Fight for Your Rights When Negligent Early Discharge Amounts to Medical Malpractice
Discharging a patient before that patient has fully recovered is not actionable medical malpractice in every single case. In order to pursue a claim that a medical professional’s early discharge of a patient was negligent, and thus amounted to medical malpractice, it is first necessary to establish that a similarly situated medical professional would not have discharged the patient given the circumstances of the case. To do this, our Florida negligent early discharge lawyers will consult with expert witnesses who will give their sworn opinion that someone with similar medical training would not have discharged the patient from care.
This, however, also is not sufficient to establish a cause of action for negligent early discharge. We will also work tirelessly to establish how you were harmed because of the negligent early discharge by showing, for example, that:
- Your condition worsened because of the negligent early discharge, causing the need for more invasive treatment, or
- You developed a new condition because of the negligent early discharge, creating the need for care that reasonably would not have arisen if not for the early discharge.
The key factor in these cases is establishing that the harm you suffered would not have occurred if not for the negligent early discharge. For example, if you developed a post-surgical infection that caused you additional harm after your doctor released you early after surgery, and a reasonable doctor would not have released you so early, the harm is only actionable after establishing that you likely would not have developed that infection but for the negligent early discharge.
Call Today to Schedule a Free Initial Consultation
Negligent early discharge cases present potentially complicated issues in every case, so call our skilled Florida medical malpractice lawyers today to discuss whether you might have a claim for compensation. You can also fill out this secure online form and our Florida negligent early discharge lawyers will respond promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Negligent Early Discharge Cases in Florida
The harm itself can also take on a variety of forms, including increased medical expenses that would not have been necessary if you had remained in the hospital for the proper amount of time. Additional pain and suffering caused by the early discharge, as well as loss of enjoyment of life or lost earning capacity resulting from a worsened or new condition may be available depending upon the circumstances.
Our experienced negligent early discharge lawyers have the resources necessary to conduct a full investigation, which includes extensive consultation with experts in the field, to determine what happened in your case—as well as the likely results had you remained in the hospital for the appropriate amount of time. We know that medical malpractice cases can be confusing, but we are dedicated to helping our clients sort through these issues and will put all of our resources to work to protect your right to fair compensation.