ANESTHESIA MALPRACTICE CASE EXAMPLES
Anesthesia has many medical applications, and anesthesiologists are highly trained in this medical procedure. This medication is usually used to transition medical patients into an unconscious or semi-conscious state.
The vast majority of the time anesthesia is applied safely and without significant consequence, but when mistakes happen the results can be devastating and irreversible.
If you suspect that you or a family member have been injured because of anesthesia error, the medical malpractice attorneys at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys encourage you to contact us or call us in order to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation
ILLINOIS MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW FIRM
There are four types of anesthesia:
- General–total loss of consciousness;
- Spinal–also known as an epidural, used in cases of surgery on the lower part of the body;
- Regional–when anesthesia is injected near a nerve to block pain signals to the brain; and
- Local–numbing skin and tissue directly below the skin.
Anesthesia errors are usually found in the application of general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia.
COMMON ANESTHESIA ERRORS AND DEVIATIONS FROM STANDARDS OF CARE
Anesthesia errors can be made by any number of medical professionals including but not limited to anesthesiologists and nurses. Before applying anesthesia, review patient history, select anesthesia, and determine the right dosage. Anesthesia errors are commonly the product of:
- Negligent review of patient risks and history
- Anesthesia overdose
- Applying too little anesthesia
- Allergic reactions
- Dangerous drug interactions
- Inadequate monitoring of a patient who is under anesthesia
EFFECTS OF ANESTHESIA ERROR
The effects of improper application of anesthesia can be devastating. The range of effects is anywhere from brain damage, to paralysis, to wrongful death. More specifically injuries can include:
- Asphyxia
- Brain Injury
- Paralysis
- Wrongful death
- Coma
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Being awake and aware during an operation
Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys’ skilled anesthesia attorneys will use facts to make insurance companies pay fair compensation. Our aim is recovering the maximum compensation available under our legal system in the United States. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
Medical Mistakes Can Happen at Any Hospital in the Chicago, IL Area
When you need a medical procedure in the greater Chicago area, you may choose from many respected, modern, and competitive hospitals.
Options for Chicago hospitals include:
- Advocate Christ Medical Center
- University of Chicago Medical Center
- Loyola University Medical Center
- NorthShore University HealthSystem-Metro Chicago
- Rush University Medical Center
Mistakes can and do happen, regardless of how outstanding the reputation of the hospital where your procedure took place or how well-known the doctor who performed it is. When medical malpractice injures you, you deserve compensation for your damages.
Medical malpractice occurs when the procedure you received deviates from the standard of care applicable in that situation, as we’ll discuss below. Recognizing medical malpractice involves understanding procedure risks and determining if injuries exceed acceptable limits.
Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorneys From Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Are Here to Help
You can recover damages if a medical procedure injured you or are experiencing abnormal pain and suffering following the procedure. Knowing when medical malpractice has happened requires knowledge of the standard of care, relevant cases and settlements similar to yours, and the procedure to apply this knowledge to achieve the best possible outcome in your case.
This information is not easy to come by, as settlements are often private and kept out of the courts. Reading through endless cases to figure out what is relevant to your claim can take quite a bit of time. This is where the value of medical malpractice attorneys becomes apparent. They have the knowledge and experience you need to demonstrate your injury and the damages you deserve.
The medical malpractice attorneys from Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys have decades of combined experience working on medical malpractice cases. Applying this knowledge can support the ideal outcome in your case. To measure your damages, you’ll need additional expert opinions from medical experts and occupational experts. They will determine what injuries you have experienced and how they will impact your ability to work in the future.
An injury from a medical procedure that impacts your ability to work due to a short- or long-term disability entitles you to damages for your injury. These damages include what you can no longer earn. As we’ll discuss below, accurately calculating the damages associated with your injury is a complex process that requires both experience in the area as well as an understanding of relevant case outcomes and precedent.
Medical Malpractice Damages Include Short and Long-Terms Costs and Losses
Calculating all the costs associated with your medical malpractice injury, such as medical care and lost wages, is necessary to determine your entitlement.
In the short term, you may need medical treatments to overcome your injury, as well as medications and rehabilitation. In the long term, there could be ongoing pain treatments, rehabilitation, and other demands to help you maintain your health after the injury. These costs should all be a part of the compensation you collect for your injury, but you can only collect what you can accurately compute and then demand.
Your compensation should also include lost earnings and income potential outside of the significant medical costs associated with your medical malpractice injury. In the period immediately after your injury, you will be unable to return to work until you sufficiently heal. You have the right to claim replacement for your lost wages.
Outside of lost wages in the short term, your damages should also include your lost earnings potential due to your medical malpractice injury. Suppose you cannot return to work that pays as well as before your injury. In that case, you have the right to receive compensation from the moment of your injury throughout your entire working life.
Measuring these damages requires complicated calculations that measure future value in current dollars, take into account changes in the cost of living and inflation, and account for a variety of other factors. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can determine what you are entitled to.
Insurance Companies Benefit From Denying or Paying Less on Your Claim in Chicago, IL
An insurance company paid by your doctor or the healthcare facility will be responsible for covering your damages. Insurance companies are for-profit organizations. They profit by maximizing the premiums they collect from their doctor and hospital customers. At the same time, they minimize costs by reducing what they pay out in claims by denying whichever they can and paying as little as possible on those they must approve.
If you receive a settlement offer from the insurance company following your medical malpractice injury, it is essential to know that the settlement offer prevents you from collecting further damages in the future. The purpose of a quick offer of settlement from the insurance company is not to provide you with a benefit but to save the insurance company and support their profit margins.
If you’ve experienced an injury due to medical malpractice, you have the right to claim damages that extend beyond your medical bills and lost wages. Initial offers of settlement might seem to cover these costs and then some and might seem attractive to you.
Accepting a settlement offer without first consulting with a medical malpractice attorney to measure the actual damages your injury will entail might leave you footing the bill in the future. A medical malpractice attorney can assist you in gathering the evidence required to secure your entitled total compensation as quickly as possible after your injury.
