Palm Beach Gardens Anesthesia Error Lawyer

Anesthesiologists in Palm Beach Gardens must complete an accredited anesthesiology-training program as well as pass a board examination to maintain certifications under Fla. Stat 458.3475. As medical professionals, anesthesiologists have a duty to ensure they provide patients with appropriate care. However, anesthesia errors can result in serious complications and side effects that may affect someone for years afterward. A professional Palm Beach Gardens anesthesia error lawyer could help gather evidence to prove liability and determine the impact of an injury on a plaintiff’s life. Read on to learn more about how a dedicated injury lawyer could help make a difference in your case today.

Anesthesia Errors and Injuries

Anesthesia typically consists of a powerful cocktail of medications including narcotics, sedatives, intravenous agents, and muscle relaxants. When doctors use them effectively, these medications can work in unison to ensure a patient does not feel pain during a surgical procedure. However, because of the strength of these medications, even a small error can result in serious complications.

Some of the most common anesthesia errors are due to administering too much anesthesia, failing to monitor the patient’s vital signs, failing to consider and evaluate a patient’s medical history, failing to inform a patient of the risks of anesthesia, improperly intubating a patient, or by using defective equipment. According to an article in the Journal of American Society of Anesthesiologists, one of the most common anesthesia errors is the result of medication errors and adverse drug events. Any of these errors can lead to injuries such as:

• Brain damage from lack of oxygen
• Damage to the trachea
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Loss of body function
• Spinal cord injury
• Coma
• Death

An experienced Palm Beach Gardens anesthesia error lawyer can assist those who have sustained these injuries through aggressive representation in court.

Understanding Liability

In any medical malpractice case, it is critical to understand liability and how this may impact a case overall. To begin, Florida Stat. Section 766.102 provides that a doctor or healthcare provider can be liable when they deviate from the professional standard of care. This means that an anesthesiologist must meet all expectations set forth in Fla. Stat 458.3475. However, another important concept is how the court apportions damages. Anesthesiologists work as part of a patient’s medical team, which means that a thorough injury lawyer should explore whether another doctor, nurse or health care provider may be partially liable for the accident.

Florida Statute section 768.81(c) states that damages can rest on each party’s percentage of liability. Therefore, in order to fully recover from a medical malpractice claim for an anesthesia error, it is critical to identify all doctors, nurses, and other parties who may be responsible for an injury. It is also important to understand the relationship the anesthesiologist has with the hospital or healthcare setting. Many anesthesiologists do not work directly for a hospital or even for a doctor. Rather, many anesthesiologists work for another independent company or are independent contractors.

Proving Fault for an Anesthesia Error

To prove liability in an anesthesia error case, a lawyer will often look to medical records including pre and post-operative notes and instructions. A lawyer may also conduct interviews and depositions of nurses, doctors, and others involved in a patient’s treatment to look for any indication that an anesthesiologist deviated from the appropriate standard of care. A skilled Palm Beach Gardens anesthesia error lawyer will often turn to external professionals to help prove that an anesthesiologist was negligent and caused an injury. A third-party medical professional will be able to explain the complicated medical terminology, and also be able to testify if a certain course of action and treatment was improper given a patient’s condition.

Contact a Palm Beach Gardens Anesthesia Error Lawyer

If you or a loved one suffered an injury because of an anesthesiologist’s error, consider reaching out to a qualified Palm Beach Gardens anesthesia error lawyer today. Medical malpractice cases involving anesthesia errors can be incredibly complicated, and an anesthesia error attorney could help fight to advance your claim and receive the compensation you deserve.