What would you do?!

What would you do?

My son jumped out of our backyard swing and hurt his elbow. I took him into the er in town and they took x-rays and told me that it was just bruised. The next day his elbow was huge so I took him to a different hospital and they told me he had broke his elbow. They put it in a sling and told me to see our regular doctor the following week. I don't know what to do because the one hospital should have seen it because the other one did not even 24hrs later. Would you talk to an attorney about malpractice? My son is 5yrs old.

I work on an orthopedics floor in a trauma center. It is really common to not see a break right at first. When the first place took x-rays there is a possibility that the break was so small (hairline fracture) and that the bones hadn't separated yet. Then in the 24hours following that first x-ray the arm was moved around so that bones shifted making it easier to see it on any x-ray. I would be upset as well being a parent but all these test and machines they use in the medical field isn't fool proof. The malpractice thing would be a personal call, however I wouldn't. Based on the info I listed above, it might now hold up in court especially these days with all the courts being against frivolous lawsuits. But maybe it would because they didn't suggest to you to have it x-rayed again in a day or two.

Good luck to you and I hope your son is feeling better.