Signs That You Were Wrongfully Discharged from a Florida Hospital

Given the serious consequences of their actions (or inactions), health care providers in the hospital environment are held to a high standard care in providing services to their patients, from initial diagnosis and treatment to discharging you. They can be held accountable for mistakes at any point along the patient’s journey, including their release from the hospital. Statistics from the National Institutes of Health reveal that hospital readmission rates are on the rise, due in part to improper discharge.

Whether you leave too early or suffer unexplained delays, the responsible parties may be liable for a wrongful discharge from the hospital. You should discuss your situation with a Florida medical malpractice attorney if you experience any of these signs that there was misconduct in releasing you.

Treatment Isn’t Working 

When you’re discharged from the hospital, your physician may write a prescription, suggest over-the-counter medications, or recommend at-home treatment that you can handle yourself. If you’re diligent about following your doctor’s orders, you should start to experience improvement of your medical condition within a short amount of time. It could be a sign of wrongful discharge from the hospital if you don’t start to feel better or if your condition worsens. 

You Don’t Have Complete Test Results 

No patient should ever be discharged from the hospital until the full set of laboratory, imaging, and other tests results have been reviewed by a health care provider – generally a physician. These exams are intended to identify medical conditions and complications, so physicians can deliver a diagnosis and set the patient up with the appropriate course of treatment. Your care may be incomplete if you’re sent home before tests results come back and your treating physician has a chance to scrutinize them.

You’re Going Home Alone 

Discharge from the hospital is a transition to at-home care. It’s not the end point, as you’ll continue to recuperate after your release. If you require a certain level of care once discharged, it may be malpractice for a hospital to send you home without some assurance that there are care mechanisms in place.

You Were Not Examined by a Physician Before Discharge

Because physicians have significantly more training and experience than nursing personnel, it is important to be seen by a physician when you present to an emergency room with serious symptoms.

Set Up a Free Consultation with a Florida Medical Malpractice Attorney 

If any of these signs of wrongful hospital discharge seem familiar, it’s important to reach out to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer right away. To learn more about your rights, please contact Freidin Brown, P.A. to schedule a no-cost case evaluation at our offices in Miami or Fort Myers. One of our attorneys can review your circumstances and explain your legal remedies to recover compensation.