Medical Malpractice Anesthesia in Virginia Beach
Experienced Anesthesia Malpractice Lawyers Will Fight for Fair Compensation
Anesthesia errors often occur due to a lack of communication or simple errors in judgment. We are experienced anesthesia injury lawyers located in Virginia Beach, VA, and will work hard to win your case and secure the settlement you deserve. Anesthesia errors are some of the most dangerous types of medical errors because they may result in severe, permanent injury, or even death.
These errors may be committed by anyone who administers anesthesia: not just anesthesiologists but also doctors and nurses. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to an anesthetic error, contact our law office today to schedule your free consultation.
Why Do Anesthetic Errors Occur?
When you arrive at a doctor’s office, surgery center, or hospital for a procedure, you will likely be given anesthesia by a doctor, nurse, or certified anesthesiologist. During your procedure, it is the anesthesiologist or nurse’s job to monitor your vital signs and take action if a problem should arise. You may require additional anesthesia during surgery, or another medication if a blood pressure problem develops.
Failure to monitor for potential problems, or failing to take the appropriate action to correct anesthesia-related problems when they arise, can result in a potentially life-threatening personal injury.
Anesthetic errors occur frequently when a procedure is performed in an outpatient setting, such as a minor cosmetic procedure in a plastic surgeon’s office, where practitioners do not have medication on hand to counteract anesthesia.
It is important to fully understand your rights and seek counsel from an expert legal team who wants to seek fair restitution for your injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other damages.
Types of Anesthetic Errors
An anesthetic error may occur before your anesthesia has even been administered if your anesthesiologist, nurse, or doctor fails to thoroughly review your medical history. Anesthetic errors represent a type of medical malpractice that can happen for a variety of reasons:
- Overlooking a patient’s allergy to a specific type of anesthesia.
- Failure to recognize dangerous interactions between medications you are currently taking and anesthesia.
- Failure to properly instruct patients on what they may eat or drink, and when, prior to surgery.
- Administering the wrong type of anesthesia.
- Administering too much or too little anesthesia.
- Failing to counteract too much anesthesia, which may result in oxygen deprivation leading to brain injury or stroke.
- Utilizing defective equipment.
- Failure to carefully monitor the patient’s vital signs after administering anesthesia, or failure to intervene when a problem arises.
Potential Injuries
There is a wide range of potential injuries that can occur due to anesthetic errors, some of which may be temporary and are less severe, and others that are very serious:
- If too little anesthesia is administered prior to your procedure, you may “wake up” during surgery, which can be traumatic, though not necessarily result in permanent injury.
- Asphyxia can occur if oxygen is not administered properly. If corrected quickly, the results are likely to be minor; however, if insufficient oxygen goes unnoticed, it can result in brain damage, coma, or death.
- Long-lasting and life-altering injuries may include brain injuries such as an aneurysm, memory loss, or stroke.
- Anesthesia errors may cause a heart attack or other cardiovascular or spinal cord injury, which can result in paralysis.
- You may slip into a coma during surgery, and death is a possibility if medical practitioners fail to take appropriate action when problems arise.
These injuries can drastically reduce your quality of life and greatly impact the lives of your loved ones as well. It is important to fully understand your rights and seek counsel from an expert medical malpractice lawyer who wants to seek fair restitution for your injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other damages.
Contact Our Anesthesia Injury Attorneys Today
Our Virginia Beach-based medical malpractice attorneys handle cases all over Virginia and will discuss your case with you at length for no charge, and we take payment only on a contingency basis. Our team will thoroughly investigate your case, and we will work hard to ensure that you and your family receive the settlement you deserve. Contact our law office today to schedule your consultation and begin your journey toward healing.