Had a jerk for an E/R Doc yesterday

[sellis]

My 12 yo son got squirrley through a rhythm section yesterday and did a face plant into the face of a jump during a practice time after races were done for the day. He was wearing all protection including a neck brace, as well as a chest protector. He was also wearing a prescription goggle inserts. The impact of accident broke the frames of the inserts and they split his forehead open from the hairline to his eyebrow. Lots of blood, chipped tooth, black eye, but OK. It was obvious he needed stitches so we packed the truck and made it to the ER. My husband was not with me at the time, but I had a good friend who was well trained in first aid go with me to the ER. The doctor asked how this happened and we said motocross racing. He asked what that was and we explained it was motorcycle racing. He rolled his eyes. Right then I knew it was going to be a long visit. They came to get my son to get xrayed to make sure his cheekbone and/or nose wasn't broken. In the meantime, the doctor came in to talk to me about the accident, not just once, or twice, but 4 times he walked into the ER room and told me that I was:

1. Not being a responsible parent for letting my son races motorcycles.

(I am responsible. He had on ALL his gear)

2. That this is dangerous, he could get killed, he could be injured for life.

(I know, I signed the release)

3. He should be riding a bicyle or walking to get exercise.

(Yea right, We live off a highway, lots of semi's)

4. All 2 wheeled and 4 wheeled recreational vehicles should be banned.

(Umm yea, hardly)

If we hadn't already had the xrays I would have walked out. But I figured I would get in trouble if I had two ER visits on the same insurance claim so we stayed.

In the meantime, we had 5 different families that gathered outside of the ER waiting area to check up on my son. I am thankful for their support. One of the other Dad's stayed with my son while they stitched him up because I don't do blood very well. On the way home my son said the doctor told him that his parents wouldn't let him do sports when he was a child because they wanted him to go up to be "distinguished".

My husband hit the roof when I told him how we were treated. He thinks we should write a letter to the hospital board complaining about our treatment. Oh, and another thing. From the outside of the hospital by the ER entrance, you can see into the ER rooms. Everyone that was there was able to see every single stitch the doc put in my son's head. I would think that would be against HIPPA policy.....

What do you think???

SusanE

[jbroom]

for future referance... never tell anyone that you or your son got hurt "racing".... insurance doesn't always cover racing injuries.

tell them it was practice, or on his bike, or in the backyard... whatever. just don't say "racing"

last year i broke my collarbone and a couple ribs on my "mountain bike"... just happend to be in the same neighborhood as a racetrack and on the same day as a race...

[sellis]

Yea, my husband chewed me for not having him change clothes first. I didn't see the accident, which I told looked really bad, and they wouldn't let me see his face. It looks ALOT worse than it really is. He was lucid and not dizzy or disoreinted so he would have been able to change first. But I was being quickly shuffled off to a waiting vehicle and it seemed like an emergency at the time. I can't decide if we would rather be canceled from insurance for too many claims or to be canceled for lying about the accident.....

[jbroom]

it's not about getting cancelled... just not getting covered for the doc/hospital bills. you'd be ok with him in his gear as long as he wasn't in a sanctioned race... which he wasn't... he was practicing... just make sure everyone from here on knows that.

[Throttlejockey]

I agree, I've had many "mountain bike" accidents.

[Flyin Dub]

On the way home my son said the doctor told him that his parents wouldn't let him do sports when he was a child because they wanted him to go up to be "distinguished".

What do you think???

SusanE

Sounds like your doc has an acute case of the "mommy never let me have any funs". He's clearly "distinguished" himself as a bitter ass. Not to mention how hypocritical it is for an ER doc (or paramedic or firefighter) to criticize people who thrive on adrenaline.

[BobbySands]

i find this interesting. over the last 14 months i've taken 31 stitches to my face (4 seperate incidents) while playing hockey. i've also lost two teeth (and had one of the replacements crowns knocked out-- does that count as a three teeth?). every time i've been honest about how it happened and i've NEVER had an issue with my insurance company. are you telling me that if i eat it and get smacked up in a hare scramble, my insurance might not cover it? this seems just crazy. should i be more careful about what i disclose to the ER next time i'm cut?

by the bye, my GF hurt her shoulder while riding, and she told the doc that. she then received a notice from her AUTO insurance... she had to call and straighten it out. told them she was just riding someone's motorcycle in the back yard and fell over. (errr... close enough).

[wheelchaser]

I would send that letter.

[jbroom]

yup... health ins doesn't have to cover you if you are racing a motorcycle, horseback riding or skydiving... something like that. i researched it a little when i had to get new insurance last year.

sucks. what the hell do i pay them so freaking much for?

[DrMark]

I deal with these jerks every day. You should hear them freak out when I tell them I ride also!

[sellis]

We had to file a report with the insurance company only once several months ago about my son's incidents not being covered by motor vehicle insurance due to it being off-road. After that I didn't have to do anything else for his other visits. Unfortunately he hasn't had the best of luck riding. It's not that he is a bad rider, he just tries really hard and some times things get pushed a little too far. Mostly he has had chiro appts to realign his back but he has had a broken collarbone, broken arm (plates), torn mcl and now these stitches, all within 4 years. He did break his leg in June playing basketball. He's just jinxed. My husband rode for several years when he was younger and did have a rider placed on his medical insurance that they wouldn't cover any accidents incurred at an AMA sanctioned race. Luckily we don't ride at that many AMA races now, but I can see them putting it on any motorcycle related accident. Then we'd all have to quit.....

[AkRider]

I had to deal with the same thing when I broke my foot. I wanted to walk out but I couldn't.

[honda88]

I had the same problem with insurance.I just sat i fell in the toilet .No seriously insurance companies might not cover MX injuries.And your ER doctor was way wrong for giving his opinion of the sport.I tore my acl last year and my knee doctor gave the riot act especially when i told him i ride and race with my son.Here's what i say to people that don't understand our sport.There are more people killed in car accidents than MX and where i ride there is always an ambulance on site.Yes we all know the dangers we try not to think about it too often but hopefully prepare for the worst.Be safe and have fun.

[DrMark]

Doctors should mind their own business. Extreme sports are not illegal or immoral. How many people have been injured by medical errors?

Far more then in motocross injuries.

Mark Sanders, MD

[Fryboy]

I don't know how accurate this is, but I've pulled it from a Motorcycle club's webpage. Throw some of these figures at them ER doc's:

Hospital Emergency Room people and Doctors are the first to tell everyone how dangerous motorcycles are. The next time you hear this kind of mindless yapping, throw these stats into the conversation.

Number of physicians in the U.S. - 700,000

Accidental deaths caused per year - 98,000

Accidental deaths per Doctor - 0.14

or

One out of every 7.14 doctors caused an accidental death.

Number of motorcycles in the U.S. - 4,000,000

Accidental deaths per year - 2,000

Accidental deaths per bike - 0.0005

or

One rider was killed out of every 2,000 bikes.

Therefore, doctors are approximately 280 times more dangerous than motorcycles!

[sellis]

Therefore, doctors are approximately 280 times more dangerous than motorcycles!

Nice one!

I had to find a new dentist to fix my son's chipped tooth. Our previous dentist is no longer in the practice and I didn't like the other dentists in town. Found one that comes to a small town by where we live once a week. When my son walked in with his stitches and swollen face the doc asked "What happened?" My son hesitated for a minute like, "Oh no, not again.... " He explained about the accident and the doc said "Cool, I used to race too!!!" As he fixed my sons tooth he talked where and when he and his brother used to race. He told my son next time he comes back he'd better bring pictures.

I'll definately be back....

[DrMark]

I have never killed anyone. I'm in the doctor business 25 years. Haven't been sued in 13 years. Don't include me.

[sellis]

Present company excluded!!!

Thanks for your advice on the bruised thigh and the twisted knee. I still feel like my knee is a little loose but it didn't stop me from riding last week.

[PaiNLeSS]

I have never killed anyone. I'm in the doctor business 25 years. Haven't been sued in 13 years. Don't include me.

Typical and predictable response. However, yes, you are included.

And spare us the, "Everyone hates a lawyer/doctor until they need one!" BS.

Fact is, we hate you even when (god forbid) we need you. Probably more.

[justapitperson]

We had 1 ER DR that did a good job and was nice the whole time. He had to put a bunch of stitches in my sons forehead.

Another time we had one that was just brutal. He went out of his way to cause as much pain as he could and was sarcastic about everything. This time it was a deep cut under the kneecap from a big rock. I used to work for a Vet and I never saw any animals treated the way this Dr treated my sons knee Thank goodness he wasn't the one to do the forehead stitching!