Hospital emergency rooms have been known to have long waiting times. These medical facilities in Illinois and throughout the United States have been criticized for the amount of time patients are stuck in waiting rooms. A 30-year-old man was in the waiting room for over eight hours when he died in the chair. The facility is being accused of hospital negligence.
The man visited the hospital due to a skin rash, but when he checked in, he was forced to spend eight hours in the waiting room. He was later discovered dead in a chair by security personnel. An autopsy was performed by the medical examiner to find out the cause of death. A spokesperson with the hospital stated that the facility does not have a policy that requires them to check on a patient’s condition in the waiting area.
The patient’s mother believes that no person should be forced to stay in a waiting room for such an extensive time period. At this time, the cause of death has not been determined, but it is possible that he could have died from any number of ailments. A similar case occurred at an Illinois hospital when a woman went to the emergency room experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. The doctors did not attend to her right away and, two hours later, she died in the waiting room. The incident was ruled as a homicide by a coroner.
When a loved one suffers permanent damages or death because of hospital negligence, it can be devastating for the family. Illinois families may have the right to file a medical malpractice suit against a doctor or hospital to recoup damages associated with the fatality that occurred. Compensatory damages may be awarded if evidence deems the doctor or hospital was negligent in a way that resulted in death.
Source: durangoherald.com, “Death in the waiting room: Is it homicide?”, , June 8, 2014