Seattle, WA asked in Medical Malpractice for Washington

Q: Can I hold a hospital responsible.

I went to the emergency room, by way of ambulance I could not walk, with two swollen feet and on my right foot my big had lost the toenail and had a black stripe running down the pad of it. They diagnosed me with possible frostbite gangrene and just called the other foot swollen. They gave me a prescription for antibiotics in a bus pass and watch me crawl from the emergency room 500 yards to the bus stop. I went back a week later with the big toe completely black & the foot swollen worse than ever the pain was mind bending. This time they admitted me and gave me antibiotics by way of IV. I was there for a week. Up to the last 2 days my pain rate was at a 10, where they're able to bring my pain under control. There was talk of definitely removing my big toe and possibly the whole foot. I believe if they would have admitted me on my first visit &removed the dead tissue that was present I wouldn't be looking at losing all of my toes and possibly the whole foot. Anxious and scared.

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: I'm sorry for your injuries and the anxiety they've caused you. A Washington attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for a week. In terms of your position about measures by the hospital that could have averted the situation, a medical opinion would be needed there. One option is for you to reach out to med mal attorneys. Try to see if you could arrange a free initial consult - many law firms offer them in med mal cases. If a law firm felt that your theory is sound and warrants further exploration, they could retrieve your records and review with a medical professional. Med mal firms generally work on a contingency basis. Good luck

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