On Call Never answer

[cptjackrabbit]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Illinois


.

My jaw got broken in 2 places yesterday. Went to ER and the doctor tried getting a hold of the on call surgeon for hours then sent me home when he co My jaw got broken in 2 places yesterday. Went to ER and the doctor tried getting a hold of the on call surgeon for hours then sent me home when he couldnt. We have been trying all day to get a hold of the surgeon... A friend advised me that the on call surgeon can be legally responsible for not answering? Advice?

 

[Banned_Princess]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Illinois


My jaw got broken in 2 places yesterday. Went to ER and the doctor tried getting a hold of the on call surgeon for hours then sent me home when he couldnt. We have been trying all day to get a hold of the surgeon... A friend advised me that the on call surgeon can be legally responsible for not answering? Advice?

fixed that.

try another hospital, or how about a private one, do you have insurance? how small is your town that you only have one surgeon?

so is your friend a lawyer prepared to represent you, or just a high school buddy.

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Illinois


.

My jaw got broken in 2 places yesterday. Went to ER and the doctor tried getting a hold of the on call surgeon for hours then sent me home when he co My jaw got broken in 2 places yesterday. Went to ER and the doctor tried getting a hold of the on call surgeon for hours then sent me home when he couldnt. We have been trying all day to get a hold of the surgeon... A friend advised me that the on call surgeon can be legally responsible for not answering? Advice?

What are you expecting to have happen here?

If the on-call surgeon isn't available, he isn't available. Why hasn't the hospital tried to contact a different surgeon?

As far as any additional damages are concerned, I would have to assume that the hospital secured your jaw well enough in order to prevent any further damage while they wait for the surgeon to consult and treat you further. If they did not, then you might have something to worry about. And if the injury just happened today, you are getting WAY ahead of yourself here.

 

[cptjackrabbit]

first ... friend is just a friend. He wasnt positive, nor told me to get a lawyer right now.. just said look into it, hence me here. Just seeing if this is true.

Second, they didnt do anything to my jaw..xray, said its broken in a couple places, gave me some pain killers and sent me home.

I even had copies of the xrays given to me on CD... I got that much done. The doctor said it was pointless to admit me.. and I probably wouldnt get a hold of someone to work on it till Monday.. and it was broke on Friday

 

[arsenic]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Illinois


.

My jaw got broken in 2 places yesterday. Went to ER and the doctor tried getting a hold of the on call surgeon for hours then sent me home when he co My jaw got broken in 2 places yesterday. Went to ER and the doctor tried getting a hold of the on call surgeon for hours then sent me home when he couldnt. We have been trying all day to get a hold of the surgeon... A friend advised me that the on call surgeon can be legally responsible for not answering? Advice?

Legally responsible for what?. If you want to pursue it, the hospital may get on the surgeon's tail (depending on their agreement for coverage, and how much business the surgeon brings in), but you are not going to get any money out of it.

There are several specialties where fast availability is required. ENT is not one of them.

In your case, and not knowing specifics, the surgeon if contacted might just have had you visit his office in a day or so.

 

[Adam G]

Were you damaged by the lack of a callback? That's a prerequisite to a lawsuit.

 

[cptjackrabbit]

As long as it doesnt set in this broken position.. in the mean time there is no talking, liquids only, and a pain to swallow until then.

Again, Im not exactly looking to try to profit from this or anything.. jsut following up a suggestion... if it s a dead end, so be it. I just prefer to be educated in areas like this so as to not progress in naivety.

 

[Hot Topic]

I suspect the surgeon would wait 24 hours to allow the swelling to subside.

When I broke my ankle, the doctor put the cast on before the swelling had completely gone down. When it did, the cast "bounced" up and down. It healed alright, but it would have been better had he waited.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

" As long as it doesnt set in this broken position.. in the mean time there is no talking, liquids only, and a pain to swallow until then."

No worries about this setting incorrectly in this short a time period. And unfortunately, the treatment is often immobilization with liquids only and difficulty talking.

Gail

 

[davidmcbeth3]

Don get hurt on Friday or the weekend ... really, the OP's case is commonplace.

He has no suit though...

 

[arsenic]

As long as it doesnt set in this broken position.. in the mean time there is no talking, liquids only, and a pain to swallow until then.
......

Hate to tell you, but the likelihood is that you are looking at a few more weeks of the same. Well, you can talk, but thru (wire-and-rubber enforced) clenched teeth.

 

[cptjackrabbit]

Update

New development. As nothing has been done yet.. Finally got a hold of the surgeon. The surgeon they were trying to get a hold of was thw wrong surgeon to begin with. He stated he was not and is not the on call surgeon for the hospital and he doesnt handle things like emergencies. So I may have to go back to the ER just to get admitted and routed again to a different posible surgeon in hopes it is the right one.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

You can hope, however, absent insurance, your availability for required treatment is more limited. You would be better off, going to a low income hospital clinic for outpatient care. This is not an emergency issue.

 

[ecmst12]

This is no longer an emergency, you should just follow up with a surgeon on your own. Do you have insurance? Have you contacted your PCP for direction/follow up?