Is there any legal recourse for being discharged without any explanation of what could possibly be wrong with me?
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Is there any legal recourse for being discharged without any explanation of what could possibly be wrong with me?
I went into the emergency room on Sunday complaining of heart problems and after EKG ,echocardiogram, and a nuclear stress test I was discharged Tuesday evening without any explanation of what could possibly be wrong.I literally spent about 4 minutes with a cardiologist and the only thing I left there with was an enormous bill and nothing but unanswered questions. I wasn’t even given my test results or explained in any way whatsoever what the problem could be. After I complained about not seeing the doctor or getting any of my test results I was discharged and left there in exactly the same position that I went in with. Only now I’ll have a hospital I can’t afford to pay. Is there anything that I can do?
Asked on October 30, 2018 under Malpractice Law, Florida
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
Malpractice is when you suffer physical harm from the treatment (or lack thereof); since you do not describe physical harm, this would not be malpractice. If you believe they took your money without providing the services they should, you may have a case against the ER for fraud (for essentially tricking you into paying for something of little or no value) or breach of contract (the agreement, even if only an oral, or unwritten, one, pursuant to which you agreed to pay for the tests and the results/information. You may have a viable claim (lawsuit) for the money you paid out of pocket on these bases, but it would only be for the money back, and it would not be a malpractice claim.
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