Offer suggestions or not?

[ljudge]

Our crew had an interesting decision to make tonight. Before I get into it we decided to keep our mouths shut.

Sitch...a team from somewhere in Maryland (Patterson Mill - where ever that is) came across two state lines to have a scrimmage here in New Jersey. A kid gets hurt near the end of the scrimmage (last series of 10 plays) and the trainer wanted to take him to a hospital as a precaution. The kid's mother was not in attendance (~25 fans or so actually made the trek to watch the scrimmage).

Our crew knows the area well as I myself lives about 10 minutes away from the school. I know the hospitals in the area. A couple really, really suck and there are a couple of quality hospitals and we know where they are and how to get there. There was an ambulance and if you know what you're doing you can usually tell them what hospital to go to. The one hospital we were 95% certain they would go to is so bad that I, yes I, diagnosed my own achilles tendon rupture. They said it was a torn muscle! A basic "thompson test" would have revealed otherwise which therapists know so doctors sure the hell should know!

We knew they came a long way and the coach was standing right next to me saying he'll go with the kid and the assts can go back on the bus. We wanted to offer the "out of towners" some advice but we decide it might not be a good idea and decided against it.

After a quick discussion we decided to mind our own business. We were thinking let's offer some strangers some good advice that we knew they would appreciate, but again, decided against it. Does anyone feel this would been a bad thing to do if we had given advice?

[AndrewMcCarthy]

It doesn't seem like you're offering "medical advice" by telling them which hospital to go to. If you tell them where to go and they have a bad experience you can always tell them it probably would've been even worse at the other place.

Anyway, I suppose you could say something to a crewmate like "I've always had good luck at Such-and-Such General" within earshot of the coach if you're really paranoid about things. That way he's still making his own decision.

[TXMike]

Seems to me any such recommendations would be more correctly made by the home school staff.

[MNBlue]

This is completely not a officiating question. It is a good Samaitan question. If you have information to help another person get proper medical treatment, you should offer it; especially a stranger in a strange town.

No brainer to me. I don't see the dilema. Give your opinion and let the coach make his own decision.

[Texas Aggie]

This is going to sound callous, but I'm not getting involved (nor is my crew) in ANYTHING related to a medical decision for any player. Doing so could open one up to some liability.

For example, its settled law in most jurisdictions that medical malpractice is a "reasonably foreseeable" consequence of medical practice, thus if you are negligent and injure someone in a car accident, for example, you could still be held liable for damages involved in the med-mal portion of the case (say he dies) because you started the chain of events. Yes, this is a different situation than the auto accident, since you were negligent in causing the injury there and here, you aren't, but its not a big stretch to at least argue liability for the one recommending the hospital where negligent care takes place. Different states have different negligence law and its doubtful that, here in Texas for example, this would hold up. But...there's no real reason to put yourself in that position.

This isn't your responsibility. Don't make it such.

[CO ump]

Ljudge,

You make it sound like the hospital you went to is incapable of making a correct diagnosis. If this was true they of course would not be in business.
We live in a very litigous society where a mis step in diagnosis and treatment can cost millions. Too many mis steps and the cost of opening the doors becomes too expensive.
The vast majority of hospitals contract out the emergency room services to private contractors and I wouldn't be surprised if the same company provides the service to both the "good" and the "bad" hospitals in your area.
My point is
I'm sure the kid was treated properly regardless of the hospital, however, if you felt in your heart that the kid was at risk by going to the wrong hospital you certainly have a moral obligation to speak up. There were many ways to do this without liability.
If your son got hurt while out of town would you want responsible bystanders to act out of concern or out of fear of lawsuit?

[bossman72]

i wouldn't have done anything either as Texas Aggie stated- we are too easily sued in this day and age.

[TXMike]

I just don't understand why we need to insert ourselves when there is the home school staff (who likely has as much or more experience with area hospitals than we do) who is right there?????

[ljudge]

Just to be clear we didn't insert ourselves in any way or otherwise get involved. We handled it like any injury, we walked away from the player and let the professionals do their job. It was only a THOUGHT to say something when we were in earshot of the coach saying his parents weren't around and he would go to the hospital.

I was the R of the scrimmage and 3 of the 5 of us had bad experiences at the hospital where they were likely to take him. I told the crew let's just be professional and stay out of it.

The reason I created this post was to get some good dialogue and see what others thought and hear/"air out" the good, bad, and ugly if we had done such a thing. There were some good, valid opinions brought about here.

[JasonTX]

I wouldn't suggest anything to them. Suppose you did make a suggestion and then something bad happens to him there.

[Canfootball52]

I think your crew did the right thing by not getting involved.

[wisref2]

It sure sounds like a stupid thing to do (or not to do, actually). But I have to agree with the way you handled it. Here in Wisconsin we wouldn't have to worry about a lawsuit - our good samaritan law prohibits lawsuits against those lending assistance in a good faith effort. But I still wouldn't get involved while wearing the stripes. There are plenty of people around to lend assistance.

[oHIolj]

If it were you lying in that ambulance.. wouldnt you want to go to the best hospital around.... Have you ever recommened a good restaurant to someone.. Why would'nt you recommend a good hospial.. I think health care is more important than a great burger..... BUT I think that as an official, it would take some balls to step in and do that.. to tell you the truth I probably would have sat back and watched .. so it may not have been the best thing to do ,,, but Ill bet its what 95% of us guys would have done.. A lesson learned

[TXMike]

Based on the responses to this thread it looks like 95% of us would NOT interject ourselves into the situation.

(And as for the comparison to recommending a place to eat....if someone asks you then you might recommend but are you going to walk up to someone on the street and just because they look hungry, tell them where to go eat?)

[HLin NC]

staff in attendance? NC requires a doctor, trainer, or EMT at every game AND practice now. That's their job. I'd stay out of it.

I doubt very seriously that in the history of high school athletics a visiting team's coaches and/or trainer has ever looked up while attending to an injured kid and said "Pardon me my good man but which hospital in the area offers the very best in medical care?"

The words of Ron White come to mind- "the next time you have a thought, let it go" .