Although anesthesia is getting safer, tragic anesthesia errors still occur. Dangerous mistakes can happen before, during, or after surgery. If you or a loved one were harmed by an anesthesia mistake, you may be able to pursue an malpractice lawsuit against the responsible anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist. These cases are highly technical, and you should consult an experienced medical malpractice attorney to determine if you have grounds for pursuing compensation from the negligent parties.
Anesthesia Errors That May Be Grounds for an Anesthesiology Malpractice Lawsuit
These are some of the common anesthesia errors that can cause serious harm to patients:
Medication Errors
In as many as 1 in 90 general anesthesia administrations in the United States, something goes wrong with the medications that are used to induce anesthesia. The most common errors are using the wrong medication or administering the wrong dose.
The most common contributing factors to these mistakes are inexperience, time pressure, and communication problems.
Improper Intubation
Intubation involves placing a tube down a surgery patient’s throat so that the patient can breathe. At the same time, they are unconscious under general anesthesia. If the intubation is not done correctly, it can damage the patient’s teeth. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence. One-third of anesthesiology lawsuits are brought because of dental injuries due to intubation errors.
Failure to Properly Monitor the Patient
Because anesthesia is inherently risky, patients need to be carefully monitored. This includes monitoring their oxygen levels and making sure their airways do not become blocked. A failure to do so according to the applicable medical standards may be anesthesiologist malpractice.
Failure to Identify and Treat Complications After Surgery
Severe complications from anesthesia can occur after the operation is over. These complications include inadequate ventilation, excessive blood loss, and hematomas. If not quickly and properly treated, these complications can cause serious injury or death. Almost one-fifth of anesthesiology malpractice claims are for the inadequate treatment of postoperative complications.
What You Can Do If Anesthesia Errors Harmed You or a Loved One
Anesthesia errors often cause tremendous harm. They can lead to permanent disabilities, and may be fatal. If you believe that you or a loved one are suffering because of an error made by an anesthesiologist, you should consult an experienced malpractice lawyer to find out about your legal options.
You can sue for anesthesiology malpractice if the anesthesia errors that harmed you occurred because the anesthesiologist was not acting according to the medical standards of their profession. Depending on the circumstances, the anesthesiologist and the hospital where the operation occurred may be liable for anesthesiology malpractice.
Determining what the applicable medical standards are and whether the anesthesiologist failed to meet them generally requires the professional opinion of a medical expert. The anesthesiology malpractice lawyers at Garmey Law work with a network of top medical experts available to review your case and testify on your behalf if needed.
The Steps Involved in Pursuing an Anesthesiology Malpractice Claim in Maine
- Schedule a consultation with a competent medical malpractice attorney to discuss the facts of your case.
- The attorney may choose to take on your case for further analysis, beginning with review of your medical records. Experienced medical malpractice attorneys will be connected with medical experts who will consult on the complicated issues of negligence and causation. After this process, your attorney will be able to evaluate your claim and determine whether it is meritorious and worthwhile to pursue.
- If you and your attorney decide to proceed, the first step (here in Maine) will involve an expedited “screening panel” process.
- In most Maine cases, you can file a court lawsuit only after the screening panel has been completed. On the bright side, many cases settle after completion of the screening panel.
The Garmey Law, medical malpractice lawyers, have more than 60 years of combined experience and a track record that includes compensation awards as high as six and seven figures. We know how difficult it is to be a victim of anesthesiologist negligence. Our goal is to get you the compensation you need to move on with your life. Call us or fill out the form on our website for a free consultation.