After I had surgery I was sent home after only about an hour in recovery. I was barely coherent and needed help getting dressed and had to be reminded to breathe. After I got home I stopped breathing completely and my friend had to call 911 and do rescue breathing until paramedics arrived. I was taken back to the ER and was told I had a reaction to the pain medicine I was given after surgery. Can I sue the hospital and make them pay for the resulting bills from this incident? Would I be awarded anything further for emotional distress? Thank you in advance.

You probably should have been kept in the hospital and observed rather than discharged. Nevertheless, if you fully recovered with additional care, you probably do not have a financially viable medical malpractice case.  Medical malpractice cases are very costly and time consuming for lawyers to pursue, and in most circumstances attorneys will not take them on unless a patient suffered a significant permanent injury that causes substantial disability as a result of the medical mistake.  Below are some articles you may find helpful.  They are written for a New Jersey audience (where I practice) but the ideas discussed in these articles usually apply in most other jurisdictions as well. Click here for an article that discusses the three main questions I ask when deciding whether to investigate a potential medical malpractice case. This discusses the issue of financial viability.  Click here for an article that explains what you can expect when filing a medical malpractice case. Click here for more information about me. Click here for more information about my firm. Please note that by attempting to answer your question, I am not acting as your attorney. I will do nothing further to protect or preserve your interests in the absence of any additional discussion with you about this matter. John Ratkowitz, Esq. Starr, Gern, Davison & Rubin, P.C. 105 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland, NJ 07068 Office: (973) 830-8441 Cell: (732) 616-6278 Fax: (973) 226-0031 Email: jratkowitz@starrgern.com  Skype: john_ratkowitz Web: www.starrgern.com.