Mike Herrera, a 58-year-old restaurant owner in Dallas, died of a heart attack after waiting 19 hours in the emergency room before seeing a doctor.
Mike went to Parkland Memorial Hospital with stabbing pains in his stomach. At the time of his arrival, 164 people were in the emergency room waiting to see a doctor. Over the next 19 hours, 180 more people would wait patiently for treatment in the ER.
By the time Herrera was able to see a doctor, he had gone into cardiac arrest. Doctors spent over two hours trying to save his life, but ultimately there was nothing they could do. The medical staff claimed they did everything in their power to save Herrera’s life, and argued that had he been examined sooner, they might have sent him home without treatment.
Parkland Memorial Hospital has had a long history of emergency room problems related to overcrowding. In 2004, one in ten patients left the emergency room without seeing a doctor. Since then, that figure has increased to one in five. Parkland Memorial claims that this problem stems from a lack of beds.
The autopsy determined that clogged arteries were the ultimate cause of Herrera’s death, although his diabetes and morbid obesity played a role as well. His family contends that had he been examined more promptly, he most likely would have survived the heart attack.
If you live in the Beaumont, Orange, and Port Arthur, Texas area and have a medical malpractice claim, please contact the law offices of Bush Lewis P.L.L.C. today for an initial consultation.
