Emergency rooms are designed to provide rapid, lifesaving care, but even routine visits can have tragic outcomes when mistakes or systemic failures occur. The story of Sam Terblanche, a young college student in good health, highlights how quickly things can go wrong.

After two visits to the ER for what doctors initially diagnosed as a “viral syndrome,” Sam passed away just days later. His case serves as a powerful reminder that medical errors and system shortcomings can have devastating consequences, and it underscores the importance of patient advocacy and accountability.

What Happened to Sam Terblanche?

As reported by The New York Times, Sam first went to the emergency room on September 17, 2023, with flu-like symptoms, including headaches, chills, fatigue, and mild shortness of breath. Doctors ran standard tests for influenza, COVID-19, and RSV, but all returned negative results. Based on this, he was sent home with the diagnosis of a viral syndrome, with the expectation that his illness would resolve on its own.

Within 24 hours, Sam returned to the ER with worsening symptoms. Persistent vomiting, fever, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing had developed, yet he was again discharged with the same diagnosis. Tragically, he passed away just a few days later. An autopsy later revealed pulmonary hemorrhage of undetermined origin. This sequence of events highlights how subtle but critical warning signs can be missed, even in patients who seem low-risk.

Systemic and Clinical Failures Highlighted in the Terblanche Case

Several factors contributed to this tragedy, illustrating common areas where medical errors occur.

Overcrowded and overworked ERs: Emergency departments often operate under intense pressure, with clinicians managing high patient volumes and multiple critical cases simultaneously. In these conditions, important warning signs can be overlooked, and assessments may be rushed.
Electronic health record (EHR) issues: Sam’s medical chart reportedly contained excessive notes, contradictory entries, missing vital signs, and signatures from doctors who had not seen him. While intended to improve efficiency, poorly maintained EHRs can obscure critical information, complicating accurate diagnoses and continuity of care.
Assumptions about low-risk patients: Because Sam was young and previously healthy, clinicians may have assumed his symptoms were likely to improve on their own. This reliance on standard assumptions, rather than a thorough evaluation of red flags, may have contributed to the delayed recognition of a potentially serious condition.
Inadequate follow-up for bounce-back visits: Returning to the ER shortly after discharge is widely recognized as a warning sign. In Sam’s case, this “bounce-back” did not trigger additional testing or hospital admission, highlighting a significant gap in patient safety practices.
Communication breakdowns: Busy ERs, shift changes, and staff turnover can hinder effective communication among providers. When multiple clinicians are involved and documentation is inconsistent, critical observations may be overlooked or lost.

Sam’s case highlights how quickly an ER visit can turn fatal when warning signs are missed and systemic pressures interfere with care. It is a sobering reminder that even routine medical encounters can carry serious risk, and it underscores why patients and families must stay vigilant when seeking care.

Tips for Protecting Yourself and Your Loved Ones When Seeking Medical Care

While no one can prevent every medical error, patients and families can take steps to reduce risk:

Advocate actively: If symptoms persist, worsen, or return after a discharge, request additional evaluation, tests, or even a second opinion. Persistent or escalating symptoms should never be dismissed.
Keep detailed records: Document symptoms, test results, discharge instructions, and conversations with providers. Accurate records can help identify oversights and support follow-up care or legal review if needed.
Ask questions and seek clarity: Ensure that medical providers explain their reasoning behind diagnoses and treatment plans. Understanding the rationale behind decisions can highlight potential gaps or overlooked risks.
Include a support system: Bringing a trusted family member or friend to appointments can provide an extra set of eyes and ears, help track details, and ensure that questions are asked and answered.
Recognize systemic limitations: Awareness that staffing, workloads, and record-keeping practices can affect care helps families advocate more effectively for patient safety.

Seeking Answers and Accountability Through Legal Action

When a patient is seriously harmed or dies due to medical errors, families are often left with more questions than answers. How did this happen? Could it have been prevented? Filing a medical malpractice or wrongful death claim with the help of an attorney provides a structured way to uncover the full story. Attorneys work with independent medical experts to examine records, reconstruct the timeline of care, and identify both individual errors and systemic failures that may have contributed to the outcome.

This process gives families clarity and insight into what went wrong. It is not simply about assigning blame; it is about understanding the sequence of decisions and oversights that led to harm. In many cases, hospitals or providers may resist acknowledging mistakes, and legal investigation ensures that these issues are fully documented and evaluated.

In addition to providing answers, pursuing a claim can drive accountability. By exposing lapses in care and weaknesses in hospital systems, families can prompt improvements that protect future patients. While compensation for medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering is an important part of a claim, the broader purpose is ensuring that mistakes are recognized, responsibility is addressed, and lessons are learned to improve patient safety.

If You’ve Been Harmed by Medical Malpractice, Power Rogers Can Help

The death of Sam Terblanche is a stark reminder of how quickly even routine medical visits can go wrong when warning signs are missed and systemic failures occur. Families facing similar situations often have questions about what happened, whether it could have been prevented, and how to hold providers accountable.

At Power Rogers, our Chicago medical malpractice lawyers help families navigate these challenges. Through medical malpractice claims and lawsuits, we can help you pursue answers, accountability, and compensation while highlighting systemic issues that can protect future patients and prevent similar tragedies.