Medina, NY asked in Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury for New York

Q: in April of 2022 I went to the ER for a hurting neck. they didnt take exrays or even look at my neck they gave me pain

meds and sent me on my way about a month later through horrible pain I find out i have a broken neck. Do i have a case for the pain and suffering for the time in between I went in to the time i had sugery

2 Lawyer Answers

A: I'm very sorry for your injury and the ordeal it has caused you. Yes, it's possible you might have a case - but attorneys would probably want to review the matter in further detail before advising definitively. It could depend on the symptoms you presented with, statements you made during your examination, observations of ER staff, findings shown by diagnostic imaging, and other details. The best way to answer your question would be to reach out to attorneys to try to arrange a free initial consult. That's the norm in the industry. If a law firm expressed interest in pursuing your matter, they could retrieve your reports and imaging studies to review with a medical professional(s). Good luck

A: Sorry to hear what you went through. In any malpractice case, you need to demonstrate 1) a departure from the standard of care; and 2) harm or injury caused by the departure. Even assuming that the hospital departed from the standard of care in not ordering x-rays of your neck, you'd still need to show that the failure to take an x-ray caused and/or contributed to your need for surgery (or perhaps necessitated treatment you would have not otherwise needed). One month of pain and suffering, without more, will not justify the time and expense of a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.