Anesthesia Errors That Result in Death
Anesthesia is a powerful sedative that can help patients through delicate medical procedures. Anesthesia, however, requires specialized training and is so powerful, misuse including life long disability brain damage and/or death
could quickly result in devastating physical consequences for the patient. Unfortunately, these types of errors can occur (more often than we would hope) in doctor offices, hospitals, and surgical centers.
Anesthesia: A Brief Background
As previously mentioned, anesthesia serves to protect patients from pain and memory of the surgery while undergoing delicate medical services. Medical care providers that handle anesthesia are referred to as anesthesiologists, and they play a very significant role when it comes to medical procedures and survival. Anesthesiologists can control/affect a person’s life functions, temperature, breathing patterns, heart rate, and blood pressure. When it comes to the safe delivery of the sedative, anesthesiologists are the primary responsible parties.
Seeking Financial Compensation After an Anesthesia Error
Although anesthesiologists are primarily responsible for the reasonable assurance that a patient’s safety will be maintained, they are not the only potential negligent parties. We find that in cases resulting in serious injuries and death. Individuals who have suffered as a result of a medical error may find that other medical care providers, hospitals, and even the manufacturer of the drug are responsible for the error(s).
When errors involving anesthesia do transpire, the results can be catastrophic. Patients can suffer paralysis, severe brain damage, severe pneumonia, coma, and even death. The injuries can result in many months of treatment and suffering before the patient eventually succumbs to the error.
Anesthesia errors can be very costly. In the event that a family member has perished as a result of an error, some of the most common burdens involve:
- High medical expenses before the passing of the patient,
- Burial costs,
- Funeral costs,
- The loss of potential income and support, and, of course,
- The loss of the love and care from the victim.
Undoubtedly, anesthesia errors can be costly, and the victims have the legal right to file a lawsuit against the responsible party for the injuries and/or unexpected loss. If an anesthesia error has caused the death of a patient, the family can seek restitution by filing a wrongful death lawsuit. In the event that the patient has sustained devastating injuries but has not perished, the victim can seek financial compensation by filing a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Obtain Proficient Legal Support After an Anesthesia Error Has Occurred
This is a complex and highly specialized area of law and medicine. If you, or someone you know, has been injured as a result of an anesthesia error, it is imperative to seek the legal support of an attorney who is well versed in the field of medical malpractice.
