Should I get a lawyer?

Question

On november 2, 2004 i found out that i was pregnant. I started haivng pains on November5, 2004 and went to the ER. I waited int he waiting room for nearly 3 hours under "urgent" and when i finally got called into a room the doctor did a speculum exam as well as a vaginal ultrasound to verify pregnancy and to see what was wrong. Keep in mind i was just 2 days shy of 6 weeks. The doc told me i was fine and pumped me fullof morphine to stop the pain and sent me home. Well on Monday November 8, 2004 the hopsital called to see if i wanted to come in for a follow up. I decided to go and see if everything was ok. I started cramoing again on the way to the appointment and when i was seen by the doctor he told me that the pregnancy was ectopic and before i could even say huh? i was being prepped for emergency surgery to stop the hemorraging because he said any longer and i would die. Im mad that the doctor before didnt say anything when i asked Am I still pregnant? Should i get a lawyer?

What could have changed in the weekend that i was home taking it easy?

i am really appreciating seeing answers from both the yes get a lawyer side and the no u dont have a case side. I want to thank you all for answering honestly. <3

Answer 1

you could haev a case. i'd discuss it with a lawyer and of course get some second opinions from OB doctors on the proper practice in a situation like that.

sounds like the ER was hopping that night and therefore the ER can't always be blamed for a long wait.....however, they can be blamed for a poor diagnosis and treatment.

there was a reason for your pain and they should have dug a little deeper to find out why.

also, keep in mind that ER doctors aren't specialized in anything...they see cases from miscarriages to someone with a gunshot to the chest to a kid with a broken leg.....
so, they may have done the best they could.

if you really feel that something could have been prevented then, go see a lawyer and they'll tell you if they think you have a case.

take care and i'm sorry for for your loss....

i think people are missing the point that it sounds like the ectopic pregnancy caused the hemorrhaging that the first dr didn't find. since, it wasn't diagnosed it just progressed over the weekend until you went back.
people can internally bleed to death and not realize it.

Answer 2

NO, for what would you need a lawyer? Because the first doc didn't notice the ectopic prgnancy? Did his missing that cause you any harm? NOT really, because an ectopic pragnancy could never ever come to term and was just a matter of time before. The doc did not cause your condition. You would have to have been harmed by the doc's choices. Ectopic means "out of place." In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg has implanted outside the uterus. The egg settles in the fallopian tubes more than 95% of the time. This is why ectopic pregnancies are commonly called "tubal pregnancies."
As the fetus grows, it will eventually burst the organ that contains it. This can cause severe bleeding and endanger the mother's life. A classical ectopic pregnancy never develops into a live birth.
So from what you have said the doc's actions did not hurt you, in fact you should be thankful you are alive.

Answer 3

If he did an ultrasoudn the first time, he would have noticed that the embryo was not in the uterud. He would have known then that it was am ectopic pregnancy. You should have gone in right there and then and had it removed. It could have burst the fallopian tube. You might want to get a second opinion from another Dr about what happenend

Answer 4

Are you just angry because he didn't answer the question? You don't need a lawyer for that. The doctor took the x-rays and things were fine the first time, but a serious problem developed later. Sometimes the symptoms are not enough to warrant a diagnosis, and that documentation will be on file. You probably have no case unless the baby dies.

Answer 5

People it was an ectopic (or tubal) pregnancy a tubal pregnancy cannot survive and if the tube ruptures the mother can bleed to death. Should have shown up on x-ray, she shouldn't have been sent home, and yes, I would consult an attorney. The first Dr. should have spotted that the pregnancy was in the tube and you should have had surgery on the first visit not the second. They should have never sent you home.

Answer 6

i believe it is better stay away from legal procedures
if it was ectopic pregnancy,and complications are avoided - a real problem is solved.
and my personal experience shows that my lawyer is earning money from me, and does not want to face with doctors (psychiatrists)

Answer 7

no, you are not still pregnant. and the doctor didn't cause you to lose the baby, you would have never been able to have that baby because it was not in the proper place, it was not in your uterus (womb) but instead in your fallopian tube. it would have been nice if the dr. had caught it earlier but the outcome would have been the same. i'm sorry for your pain

Answer 8

get the lawyer the first should have seen it right away sue the first doctor and the hospital

Answer 9

No, you will lose this one. Fact is you had a medical condtion both times and were treated.

Answer 10

I THINK YOU SHOULD, IT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE THE FIRST TIME YOU WENT IN HE JUST DIDNT WANT TO DEAL WITH IT. GO GET THEM THEY ALMOST KILLED YOU. THAT DOCTOR SHOULD NOT BE IN PRACTICE