Hospital negligence

I went to the emergency room at Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Pasco Washington for a bad infection of my right foot. I had my kids that weekend and my foot was getting worse so on Saturday afternoon around 4:00pm I dropped them off at their cousins and told the parent that I was going to the emergency room and would be back in a couple of hours. They admitted me and said that I had a bad infection in my foot (I thought I had been bitten by a spider, but this was never confirmed and it was never determined what caused the infection). My foot was swollen, red and painful when I put pressure on it. So they started some intravenous antibiotics and gave me a shot of morphine or fentanyl or something like that and I don't remember much after that. I woke up out in my truck with the keys in the ignition about 4:00am Sunday morning. I still had an IV stuck in my right arm and it took me awhile to figure out where I was and why I was there, I remembered my kids and went to call them from my cell phone and saw I had about 20 missed calls and several messages from people wandering where I was at and if I was coming to get my kids or what. I picked up my kids and then that afternoon I dropped them off and went to visit a girl I know that just happened to work at another hospital in our area Kadlec Medical center. I asked her why I had an IV still in my arm and she told me it was probably becasue they wanted me to come back in the next day (which was that day now) to get more anti-biotics, I told her it was coming out and felt uncomfortable and she told me not to remove it because the tip my get stuck in my arm. My foot felt alot better and it was late Sunday and I had to work early Monday so I went home and wenmt to bed. I woke Monday morning and my foot hurt so bad I could barely walk and the iv had come out during the night. I went back to the emergency room and told them I was there saturday and don't remember leaving or in follow up directions. I didn't have any paperwork and that the iv had came out of my arm. The admitting person was dismayed that I was allowed to leave by myself after receiving a shot of such a potent pain relief medication. I was told that I signed the follow up paperwork and was given a copy which i replied well I would have signed or said anything as high as I was. Now the infection was serious enough that I had to go in twice a day for three days and get two shots of anti-biotics in the ass each time and then take strong anti-biotic pills every 4 hours or I may lose my foot is what the doctor said. Well to makke a long story short I have now received a bill for nearly $4000 which I think is unfair since I didn't know I wa supposed to come back, in fact I think I have grounds to sue them for negligence becasue if I would have driven and got in a wreck and killed someone I know they would be responsible for letting me leave. they knew I was by myself and yet they let me walk right out of there. Do i have a case of negligence and can I get that bill dismissed I have enough bills as it is and I don't need another one.

Thanks for any input!

Phil

It is certainly possible you have a case based on what you say here; you could take a brief description of these events as well as your medical records to a malpractice attorney and see if the attorney thinks you have a claim; often you need to contact several attorneys to find one to take the case; the review of your case and records is often free and then they will normally take the case on a contingency fee basis if they think you can win--