How Do I Find a Doctor After a Shooting at a Club?
Wrongful Death Lawyer
Violence at nightclubs is nearly always avoidable. Responsible club owners take steps to keep guns out of clubs. They also provide vigilant security to assure that no guns are fired on club property, whether inside the club or in a parking lot.
Most states recognize the responsibility of club owners to protect their patrons from shootings. Alcohol and guns don’t mix. When a shooting occurs at a club, the club owner is nearly always found to have been negligent. A security negligence and shooting lawyer, like a security negligence and shooting lawyer, can advise the shooting victim about the remedies that might be available against a club that failed to prevent the shooting.
The Importance of Finding a Doctor After a Shooting at a Club
The victim’s first concern should be to obtain medical care for the injury. In most cases, the need for medical care will be obvious. Calling an ambulance and listening to the advice of paramedics can make the difference between life and death.
Even when a gunshot wound does not seem life-threatening, there are good reasons to seek prompt emergency care. Wounds can easily become infected if they are not treated immediately. Infections can spread through the body, causing a deadly condition known as sepsis. Prompt treatment of even a seemingly minor wound can help gunshot victims avoid prolonged hospitalization.
Prompt treatment has other advantages. Compensation for a gunshot wound is influenced by the impact of the injury on the crime victim. When victims do not obtain or follow through on medical care, it is difficult to argue that the gunshot wound had much an impact at all. For that reason, it is important to see a doctor as quickly as possible.
It is just as important to follow the doctor’s orders once you have gone to your appointment. If the doctor thinks the victim should be evaluated for physical therapy, the victim should keep every physical therapy appointment, even if it interferes with a busy life. When victims discontinue medical care, insurance companies argue that the wound must have healed and that the victim was no longer bothered by it. The most convincing way to make a record of the true impact of a gunshot wound is to make sure that medical records reflect the victim’s continuing pain or disability.
Finding Post-ER Care After a Shooting at a Club
Emergency rooms must treat every shooting victim who has a life-threatening injury. That obligation exists whether or not the victim is insured. While an emergency room is not required to continue treating patients after they have stabilized, any shooting victim who needs life-saving care is entitled to receive it.
After being discharged from emergency care, a shooting victim should see his or her own doctor for follow-up care. Victims who do not have a doctor can usually find one through their health insurance. Most insurance programs assign a primary care physician who is the starting point for additional healthcare. When shooting victims have a choice of physicians, they can ask friends and relatives for recommendations. Online reviews can also be a helpful source of information.
Shooting victims who do not have health insurance may be able to find care from other sources. Victims who have reached the age of 65 can get treatment from a doctor who accepts Medicare. The victim does not need to apply for Social Security in order to enroll in Medicare. Low-income victims might qualify for Medicaid. Eligibility standards vary from state to state. Veterans may be entitled to treatment at a VA Hospital, particularly if the shooting aggravates a service-related injury. Victims in the Army Reserves or National Guard might have enrolled in an insurance program.
Finally, some physicians will accept a delayed payment in exchange for a lien on settlement proceeds. The victim’s security negligence lawyer may be able to recommend a doctor who has treated other clients in exchange for an agreement to defer payment until the case settles.