Anesthesia Malpractice Lawyer Cleveland OHWrongful Death Lawyer 

Even the most minor of surgeries pose some type of risk. One of the biggest risks is going under anesthesia. While most people think that going under anesthesia is safe, statistics reveal a very real risk, and a high number of anesthetic errors occur every year. If you or a loved one has suffered injury because of an error committed by an anesthesiologist, contact an anesthesia malpractice lawyer Cleveland OH clients recommend to see what legal options you may have.

Anesthetic Error Statistics

According to current national statistics, one in every 200,000 to 300,000 patients die due to anesthesia complications. A Columbia University study found that there were more than 2,200 anesthesia-related deaths over a seven-year period. Direct complications from anesthesia was the cause of almost 250 of those deaths, while complications related to the anesthesia were a contributing factor in the other 1,970 deaths.

There are many patients who do survive the injuries they suffer from anesthetic errors, but are often left with long-term or permanent damage. The most common injuries include:

  •       Cardiopulmonary arrest
  •       Nerve damage
  •       Organ damage
  •       Teeth damage

A medical malpractice lawyer Cleveland OH families trust knows that victims of anesthetic errors may be reluctant to pursue any legal action against those responsible for their injuries. Many don’t understand that although they were informed of the risks before they had their surgery, many of these errors are caused by the anesthesiologist’s negligence and goes beyond the bounds of acceptable risks.

However, it is important for victims to understand what is involved in a medical malpractice lawsuit for an anesthetic error and what elements need to be proven in order to be successful.

Your medical malpractice attorney must show that the anesthesiologist breached the standard of care owed to the victim. In order to do this, these elements must be present in the case:

  1. There was a duty of care that existed between the victim and the anesthesiologist.
  2. There is evidence that that duty of care was breached.
  3. There is evidence that the anesthesiologist’s action or behaviors that breached the duty of care caused the victim harm.
  4. The victim suffered losses (both economic and non-economic) as a result of the injuries they sustained.

The last element is critical – the victim must have suffered some kind of loss in order to be entitled to financial compensation in a malpractice lawsuit. Many people would be alarmed if they were aware of the actual number of errors that are made by anesthesiologists that are never disclosed to the patient. While a patient should be informed of every error that occurred, unfortunately, this is rarely the case, and patients only become aware when they have suffered actual harm. An error that does not result in harm to the patient would not normally qualify for medical malpractice.

For more information, contact Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co., L.P.A. to schedule a free consultation with a Cleveland OH anesthesia malpractice lawyer today.