Emergency-room docs offer inside scoop: How to get treated faster, better

You accidentally filet your finger with your sharpest kitchen knife. Your daughter breaks her arm at a gymnastics meet. Or the fool who's texting while driving totals your car -- with you in it. At some point in life, chances are you'll be taking a trip to the emergency room. Some 120 million Americans do every year. And it won't be a picnic.

Before seeing a doctor, expect to wait more than 55 minutes, the average ER wait time across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Show up on a busy night or weekend and the wait could drag on for several hours.