Case 5: ED Bounceback
After being discharged from the hospital, the patient and his friend were walking out of the hospital. The patient had a knee immobilizer in place and was using crutches. Unfortunately, he fell as he was leaving the ED. He was then brought back into the ED for reassessment. The nursing triage note is shown here. […]
Case 5: Knee Pain
This case is about a 70 year old veteran who presented to a VA Emergency Department with pain in his left leg after falling on a deck about one week prior to presentation. Below is the triage documentation completed by one of the nurses. The physician then saw the patient, documenting essentially the same history. […]
Case 4: Documentation Review
As in any medical malpractice case, the physician’s documentation is closely scrutinized. Thorough but concise documentation helps lay the groundwork for an effective defense, because it helps explain your thought process to the expert witnesses who are analyzing your care, the attorneys, and possibly the jury. This case contains very little information in regards to […]
Case 4: Medical Review
For this case’s medical review, we will use the opinions of the expert witnesses to help guide the discussion. The crux of the case essentially comes to down to whether or not the patient’s presentation prospectively warranted further medical or traumatic workup. There is a range of risk tolerance among EM doctors that falls within […]
Case 4: Legal Outcome
A lawsuit was brought by the fiance of the deceased patient. It was filed in 2014, about 2 years after the patient had passed away. The case slowly worked its way through the court system over the next few years. Preparations were being made for a jury trial, when the two sides eventually reached a […]
Case 4: Expert Witnesses
A lawsuit was brought by the deceased patient’s family members. They filed suit against the ER physician, as well as the ER group that employed him. The plaintiff’s legal counsel hired two expert witnesses (one Emergency Medicine expert, and one Infectious Disease expert). The defendant’s legal counsel also hired two expert witnesses (one Emergency Medicine […]
Case 4: Autopsy
Autopsy report is available only for email list subscribers: To see the expert witness opinions used by the attorneys this case, continue to the next page.
Case 4: Referral Hospital
The patient arrived to the referral hospital in critical condition and was taken immediately to an ICU bed. The admitting physician’s note describes the patient’s condition, and his rapid demise shortly after arrival.
Case 4: ED Bounceback
2 days following the car accident, the patient presented back to the same Emergency Department. He was seen by the same doctor. The patient’s fiance brought him back after noting that he has gotten progressively more confused. The physician documented that he was unable to obtain a history due to “condition”. Worse today Was sick […]
Case 4: ED Visit
The patient arrived via EMS and was transferred to a bed. He was seen at 11:25am by the ED physician. Documentation was completed on a T-sheet. The physician’s handwriting is very difficult to read and discern. References with deciphered text are listed under each of the pages of the T-sheet documentation. 1: Lost control secondary […]