Urgent Care Malpractice
Urgent Care Malpractice Attorney Somerset County, NJ
Bridgewater Walk-In Care Malpractice Lawyer
Urgent Care Malpractice
Beginning in the 1970s and growing greatly in popularity in the 1990s, Urgent Care centers are now located throughout the nation and provide an intermediary service between emergency rooms and primary care physicians. Sometimes known as Immediate Care or Convenient Care, Urgent Care centers provide treatment to patients with acute conditions and minor trauma. Urgent Care centers do not accept patients with serious, life-threatening, or permanently disabling conditions, but for those suffering from slightly less serious injuries, it often makes sense to choose Urgent Care because of the favorable prices when compared to Emergency Rooms, as well as the faster service.
While the convenience and pricing of an Urgent Care Center appeal to many, the lack of regulations including uniform standards and guidelines between facilities can and does lead to oversight and sadly, injury to patients. If you or a loved one has been injured or harmed while seeking treatment in an Urgent Care facility, you may have a medical malpractice case. Schedule a free and confidential consultation with Somerville medical malpractice attorney
Brian J. Levine today to discuss your case.
Do I Have an Urgent Care Malpractice Case?
As previously noted, the lack of uniform standards and guidelines regarding Urgent Care can sometimes lead to oversights and errors in your Urgent Care treatment. For example, some urgent care doctors may not be properly trained in emergency medicine or may lack experience examining and diagnosing patients. Or, physician’s assistants, who are required to be supervised by a doctor, may only be supervised over the phone or by email. Other times, the need to quickly diagnose and treat patients in order to help the next patient may lead to a missed or incorrect diagnosis.
The most common medical malpractice cases stemming from Urgent Care centers include (but are not limited to):
- Misdiagnosis
- Failure to Diagnose
- Failure to Treat
- Medication Errors such as Over/Under-Dosis and Incorrect Prescriptions
- Lack of Proper Follow-Up Instructions
If you have been injured as a result of any of the above actions in an Urgent Care center, you may have a medical malpractice case. Schedule a free and confidential consultation with the Somerville, NJ law offices of Brian J. Levine today to discuss your potential case and learn more.
Somerville, NJ Urgent Care Malpractice Attorney Provides Additional Information
In Urgent Care facilities, there is no on-going relationship between the patient and the doctor. Patients are examined, provided prescriptions if necessary, given basic treatment for their injuries or illnesses, and then recommended to visit their primary care physician or a specialist in order to continue treatment. For example, if you break your leg, and Urgent Care facility will most likely be equipped to take an X-Ray and set the bone, and then they will recommend that you speak with an orthopedist who can give you a more complete check-up and course of treatment.
Some urgent care facilities are owned or affiliated with hospitals and physician groups. However, many more are owned and operated by private corporations or individuals with little to no knowledge of practicing medicine. While urgent care facilities do employ doctors, many patients are treated by physician assistants or nurse practitioners rather than a doctor. While physician assistants do not have the complete education a doctor does, they are capable of examining patients and writing prescriptions while being supervised by a doctor.
While many organizations are working to improve urgent care center regulations and quality standards, for the moment it remains difficult for patients to either obtain safety record information of specific centers or file an official complaint against a center when something goes wrong.
In the event of an accident or injury within an urgent care facility, your best option is to contact a medical malpractice attorney to discuss your situation and determine your best course of action moving forward.
Contact a Hunterdon County Urgent Care Malpractice Attorney Today
Attorney Brian J. Levine is a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Civil Trial Attorney. This is an accolade earned by only 2% of the active lawyers in the state and signifies his excellence in legal knowledge and courtroom skills. Practicing exclusively medical malpractice and personal injury law, Brian J. Levine has the experience and history of excellence you need when pursuing an urgent care malpractice claim.
To schedule a free and confidential consultation with our Somerville, NJ offices today, contact us online at BLevine@bllawnj.com or by phone at
908-243-0111 All medical malpractice cases are taken on contingency, meaning you do not have to pay until we win your case.