When Orlando residents and visitors go to a hospital emergency department, they expect to receive appropriate attention. Unfortunately, tragedy can result when hospitals fail to promptly and correctly treat those presenting with a potentially life-threatening condition. Sadly, a family of a young man who died after seeking emergency care received a multi-million dollar jury award due to a careless delay in treatment.

A young, hard-working professional went to the hospital emergency department complaining of headaches. As Orlando medical malpractice lawyers, we can share that the fact that his headaches were so severe as to cause him to go to the emergency department is, standing alone, significant. However, this fact appears to have been given little weight by the medical staff. After waiting around for assistance for more than five hours, the patient’s condition further deteriorated to a level that required immediate attention. Tragically, by the time he was evaluated by a doctor and sent to surgery it was too late. He suffered a brain herniation and died during the surgery.

While every case is different, these circumstances highlight the importance of hospital nurses properly and timely evaluating patients. They have an obligation to monitor patients and notify physicians so that patients may promptly receive the necessary care. Nurses should be advocates for their patient and do what they can to protect them. Too often in our cases, nurses try to pretend to be incapable of “thinking for themselves.” Of course, this is nonsense. With their training and education, they understand when a patient needs to be seen by a physician quickly.