Can I sue a Vet Clinic after they sent me and my poisioned cat home because I didnt have money upfront?

Question

My cat had ingested something poisioness, i went to the vet and told them what had happened. They told me, since I didnt get paid till the week after, that I should go home or find someone that I could borrow the money from. When I came back two hours later my cat had started to have sezers and she died the minute the veternarian took her into the exam room.

Answer 1

It's hard to loose a loved cat, but sorry -- No you can't.

They are a place of business and they do business according to their terms and conditions - if that includes paying on site when their services are dispensed then you have to abide by that.

If it were a hospital and a person instead of your cat, it would be different.

A suggestion for your next cat - keep a savings pot to one side and labell it as "vet pot" or such and only ever open that when your cat is ill. If you put a few dollars into it every pay day then you'll have effectively created your cat's health insurance fund.

Answer 2

You can sue for anything, but it's not likely that you will be successful. Most lawyers would require money up front, and then you'd be out even more money if you lost. The other problem is that you can't claim much in real damages as it's unlikely the cat was worth much money. This leaves emotional damages which would be very much up to the jury. This could go many ways as some people don't like cats, others might think you should just get over it.... The another question things would hing on is if the cat had a good chance of living with prompt treament. A lot would depend if vet is insured, and if they were willing to fight or settle.

PS- On the other hand you have to understand their side of things. In college I've dated people who worked at animal clinics, and the ones who took in clients without money up front were constantly scrambling for money. People tend to bring in a pet, and the clinic spends 10 thousand vainly trying to save the pet. Now the clinic has someone who's threatening to sue over the death of the pet, and unwilling to pay.

Answer 3

Cats are flexible, a slight sprain is nothing to really worry over. It isn't unusual for a strained muscle to feel much better in such a short amount of time. If you are on a tight budget, I would use the money to spay her instead of that ridiculously expensive treatment for a sprain. Cats are notoriously good at hiding pain, but if she was not attempting to hide the limping before then I personally wouldn't worry now. A sprain is a sprain, in a person or an animal, and they generally don't require massive amounts to take care of, especially if it is just a "slight sprain". Some vets will gladly cheat you, like any doctor who is money hungry, so sometimes you gotta go with your gut. Get her spayed, and try starting a little savings account or putting money away for real emergencies. :)

Answer 4

Sorry for your loss.That really sucks.
You're going to have to check with an attorney who's familiar with your local laws.Depending on where you live you might be disappointed to find out the laws that apply to immediate emergency care for people don't apply to animals.Hospitals everywhere (in the USA anyways) have an obligation to provide immediate care for human beings in dire need,but that doesn't mean that veteranarians are held to the same standard.
One would hope that a vet is in business because he loves animals,but it sounds like this "doctor" loved money more.
If a local lawyer tells you that you have a case then pursue it.You might find,however,that it's not worth the heartache to pursue the issue.It might be worth dealing with the hassle for a seeing eye dog,but I think no court would award you an amount of money that will make up for your loss,or the time and heartache involved with the litigation proccess for a pet.
When (and if) you're ready to move on and get a new pet do yourself a favor.....go to a different vet!

Answer 5

Unfortunately, probably not. After all, a vet is not under any legal obligation to care for your pet, you are. How did your kitty get into poison? I think the real shame is blaming the vet for your failure to protect your pet in the first place. I would have given them a post dated check or something, anything, to take care of my poisoned pet. Why did they decide to see the kitty 2 hours later? What changed in between? Did you find someone to help pay? Did you promise something? I don't understand why at first they said no, and then ok? Something isn't adding up. Besides, usually you get the treatment then go out in the reception room to pay on your way out, so what happened? I definetly wouldn't take any other pets there, and if I were you, I would think twice about adopting another pet you can not pay for healthcare on. There is more than putting kibble into kitties dish. Sorry about your Kitty, I know you are probably brokenhearted.

Answer 6

awww that is so sad too bad your vet doesnt have a heart im sorry about your kitty he isnt a very good vet if you ask me...if your cat has been poisioned it needed immediate attention worry about the money issues later obviously i doubt you can do anything legal it is more or less a moral issue and i would make sure everyone in town knows your story maybe you can prevent other people from taking their animals to him

Answer 7

Don't know,I doubt it--- as unfeeling and horrible as it was-vet clinics would be overrun with people "who couldn't pay" they have bills to pay also. That sounds so cruel and unfair but its the reality. Vets are so grossly understaffed/underpaid they have to draw the line somewhere. Its awful. Was this your regular vet or was it one you had never been to before. If it was your usual vet, than I'd be very p***ed off, see what legal recourse you have and never go back. if you had never been there before they had no idea if they would ever get paid for their services. I feel for your loss, that was a horrible thing to happen.

Answer 8

Wow that is a sad tale. I guess you could consult an attorney in your area to see what the law says about turning away sick animals. But under no circumstances would i go back to that vet and sorry about your cat.

Answer 9

No, unlike a medical doctor, vets can turn you away if you don't have the money. I would have seen if they had a payment plan or anything. Plus, it's not their fault you left poisonous stuff lying around the house that your cat could eat.

Answer 10

I dont think you can because they do it all the time , the animals are not people although we love them as much. Next time try going to a vet that has some sort of payment plan or insurance you can buy for your pet.