Why You Shouldn’t Leave the ER After Being Told to Be Admitted

When you arrive at the emergency room (ER), medical professionals conduct an initial evaluation to determine the severity of your condition and what treatment you need. In many situations, the ER team will recommend that you be admitted to the hospital for further monitoring, treatment, or care. While it may be tempting to leave, whether due to personal responsibilities, discomfort, misunderstanding, or mistrust of the healthcare system, walking out after being told to be admitted can pose severe risks to your health, your recovery, and your future medical and legal standing.

This blog explains why patients should strongly consider staying in the hospital when admission is recommended, what the evidence says about leaving against medical advice (AMA), and how this choice can affect outcomes.

“When a physician in the emergency department tells a patient that they need to be admitted, it is not a casual suggestion. That recommendation reflects a medical judgment that your condition requires ongoing treatment that simply cannot be provided safely at home. Leaving before that care is complete can put your health, safety, and potentially your future recovery at risk.” – John J. Malm, Naperville personal injury lawyer

What Does “Being Told to Be Admitted” Mean?

When a doctor tells you that you need to be admitted, they are saying that your condition requires ongoing assessment and treatment in the hospital. Unlike a discharge with instructions to follow up as an outpatient, admission means that:

• Your condition is serious enough that immediate and continued care is necessary.
• You may need specialized treatments, monitoring, intravenous (IV) medications, or procedures that cannot be performed safely at home.
• Discharge without completing recommended care can allow your condition to worsen, sometimes rapidly.

Leaving the ER after being told to be admitted is often documented as leaving “against medical advice” (AMA). This status has significant clinical and statistical implications for you’re your recovery and any personal injury claims you may have.

What Leaving Against Medical Advice (AMA) Means

Leaving AMA occurs when a patient chooses to depart the hospital before the treating physician recommends discharge. In the context of an ER visit, AMA may mean leaving before hospital admission or before completion of recommended treatment. Studies show that AMA decisions:

• Occur in 0.1 to 2.7 percent of emergency department discharges in some settings.
• Are considered high-risk events by emergency medicine professionals due to the likelihood of adverse outcomes.

AMA decisions are based on factors including mistrust of medical care, dissatisfaction with treatment, waiting times, financial worry, job or family obligations, and personal beliefs about health.

In the specific scenario of leaving after being told to be admitted, the stakes are even higher than leaving after routine diagnostics.

Major Risks of Leaving After Admission Is Recommended

1. Increased Risk of Hospital Readmission

One of the most consistent findings in research is that patients who leave AMA have significantly higher readmission rates compared with those who stay for recommended care.

• Patients discharged AMA show almost double the rate of unscheduled hospital readmission within 30 days compared with those discharged as planned.
• Research shows an elevated risk of hospital readmission that persists up to 180 days after the initial discharge.

These findings suggest that leaving AMA often means your condition has not been fully treated or stabilized, making return visits more likely.

2. Higher Risk of Mortality

Leaving AMA also correlates with higher risk of death after leaving the hospital:

• In large population studies, leaving AMA was associated with higher adjusted rates of mortality, with some research showing more than double the risk of death after discharge compared with patients who remained for full treatment.
• This increased mortality risk can be due to untreated complications or conditions that worsen without proper medical intervention.

3. Incomplete Treatment and Deterioration

When your care team recommends admission, they do so because they have identified clinical reasons why your condition cannot be effectively treated on an outpatient basis. Leaving early can:

• Prevent proper monitoring of vital signs and disease progression.
• Stop necessary medications or therapies before their full course is completed.
• Cause complications or secondary health problems due to incomplete care.

4. Increased Health Care Costs and Burden

AMA discharges are not only risky for your health, but they also increase financial costs for both patients and the healthcare system:

• Patients who leave AMA and are readmitted often have longer hospital stays on readmission than they would have had with the original course of treatment.
• Delayed or incomplete treatment often leads to more expensive and invasive care when symptoms worsen later.

5. Potential Complications and Permanent Damage

Leaving before a medical team has declared you fit for discharge can contribute to:

• Undetected complications, such as infections or organ dysfunction.
• Worsening of chronic conditions.
• Irreversible harm due to lack of necessary medical oversight.

Why Healthcare Providers Recommend Admission

Physicians base their recommendations on clinical judgment supported by evidence and diagnostic findings. When your care team recommends admission, they have usually determined that:

• Your condition requires ongoing monitoring that cannot safely be done at home.
• You need specialized diagnostic procedures (e.g., advanced imaging, biopsies) that take more than a few hours.
• Medication management or therapeutic interventions are safer in an inpatient setting.
• Close supervision is required to prevent complications such as heart rhythm abnormalities, respiratory distress, or neurological change.

Physicians make these recommendations not to prolong care unnecessarily, but to protect your health and safety. Ignoring these recommendations can jeopardize your recovery.

Why Some Patients Leave Before Admission

It is important to understand that patients do leave before recommended admission for a variety of reasons:

• Concerns about medical costs or insurance coverage.
• Family, work, or caregiving obligations.
• Misunderstandings about the severity of their condition.
• Distrust of the healthcare system or previous negative experiences.
• Fear or anxiety about hospitalization.

While these concerns are real and understandable, they must be weighed carefully against the concrete medical risks of leaving before treatment is complete.

How Leaving the ER Against Medical Advice Can Impact Your Personal Injury Claim

Beyond the medical risks, leaving the emergency room after being told to be admitted can have serious consequences for a personal injury claim. Insurance companies and defense attorneys closely examine medical records, and an AMA discharge is often used as a tool to challenge both the severity of injuries and the causal link between the accident and the claimed damages.

Insurance Companies Use AMA Discharges to Minimize Claims

When an injured person leaves the ER against medical advice, insurers frequently argue that the individual:

• Was not seriously injured, otherwise they would have stayed for admission.
• Chose to ignore medical recommendations, suggesting the injuries were minor or exaggerated.
• Contributed to their own condition, shifting blame away from the at-fault party.

Insurance adjusters are trained to look for any gaps or inconsistencies in medical care. An AMA notation in your records gives them an opening to dispute your claim and reduce the value of your case.

Gaps in Treatment Can Be Used Against You

Continuity of medical care is critical in personal injury cases. Leaving the ER after admission is recommended can create:

• Gaps in treatment, which insurers argue mean your injuries were not serious.
• Delayed diagnoses, allowing the defense to claim later-discovered injuries were caused by something else.
• Incomplete medical documentation, making it harder to prove the full extent of your injuries.

Defense attorneys routinely argue that if an injury were truly severe, the injured person would have followed the doctor’s recommendation to remain hospitalized. This argument can significantly weaken a claim, even when the injuries are legitimate.

Comparative Fault Arguments

In many states, including Illinois, personal injury cases are governed by comparative fault principles. Leaving AMA may allow the defense to argue that you:

• Failed to mitigate your damages.
• Acted unreasonably by ignoring medical advice.
• Made your injuries worse by refusing recommended care.

If a jury accepts these arguments, your compensation can be reduced proportionally, even if the other party was clearly negligent.

Impact on Damages and Settlement Value

An AMA discharge can directly affect the value of a personal injury claim by:

• Reducing compensation for medical expenses.
• Limiting recovery for pain and suffering.
• Undermining claims for future medical care or long-term impairment.

Insurance companies often point to AMA discharges as justification for lower settlement offers, knowing that juries may view the decision to leave the hospital as irresponsible or inconsistent with claims of serious injury.

How Proper Medical Compliance Strengthens a Claim

Following medical advice, including staying in the hospital when admission is recommended, helps:

• Establish a clear link between the accident and your injuries.
• Create thorough medical documentation.
• Demonstrate that you took reasonable steps to protect your health.
• Prevent insurers from arguing that your injuries were self-inflicted or exaggerated.

From a legal standpoint, complying with medical recommendations strengthens both liability and damages arguments in a personal injury case.

Frequently Asked Questions about Leaving the ER Before Treatment

Q: Can I legally leave the ER after being told to be admitted?

A: Yes. In most jurisdictions, competent adults have the legal right to refuse treatment and leave a hospital setting, even after being told to be admitted. Legally, this is referred to as leaving “against medical advice” (AMA). However, the decision carries significant health risks, and healthcare providers will often ask you to sign an AMA form acknowledging these risks.

Q:  Will my insurance still cover care if I leave AMA?

A: Most insurance plans will pay for the care you have already received, even if you leave against medical advice, but insurers may scrutinize future related claims. Leaving AMA could affect coverage for subsequent hospital stays related to the same condition, depending on the insurer’s policies and the specifics of your plan.

Q: Does leaving the ER make it harder to get care later?

A: Sometimes. Leaving AMA can interrupt continuity of care and may complicate future treatment plans if your condition worsens. It can also make follow-up care and outpatient management more complex.

Q: What should I do if I disagree with the recommendation to be admitted?

A: If you disagree with the recommendation, the safest approach is to communicate your concerns to your healthcare team and, if needed, seek a second medical opinion before deciding to leave.

Q: Are there alternatives to being admitted?

A: Occasionally, in select cases, alternative care pathways such as outpatient monitoring or follow-up arrangements can be negotiated. These alternatives should only be pursued with the direct involvement of your care team and a clear outpatient plan.

Contact the Seasoned Illinois Personal Injury Lawyers at John J. Malm & Associates

Your health and well-being deserve the most complete care possible. Leaving the ER after being told to be admitted can subject you to serious complications, increased readmission rates, and even elevated risk of mortality. Decisions about your care should be made with full awareness of the medical evidence and risks involved, not under stress, uncertainty, or misinformation.

If you or a loved one has been injured or is facing a contentious decision about hospital admission and discharge after being injured in an accident, contact John J. Malm & Associates for a consultation. We can help you understand the legal implications, protect your rights, and ensure that your medical and legal interests are fully considered in every decision. Do not take chances with your health. Reach out today and let us advocate for you.