Medical malpractice or medical negligence can be defined as the failure of a physician, nurse, or other licensed healthcare provider to provide treatment in accordance with the medical community’s recognized standards of care. This failure to provide proper treatment usually results in injury to or the death of the patient. Maryland medical malpractice occurs for various reasons such as surgical error, failure to diagnose, or anesthesia error. In most cases, medical malpractice occurs due to the negligence or carelessness of the healthcare provider; therefore, the injuries or death that results from the majority of these types of cases could have been avoided. Robinson & Associates, medical malpractice lawyers, has offices in Maryland and Washington D.C. and can assist victims of medical negligence in neighboring states on a case by case basis.

Medical malpractice can have severe and permanent affects on the life of the victim and their family. Patients put their trust in their healthcare provider and have a reasonable and legal expectation that their healthcare provider will act in their best interest. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Robinson & Associates can offer medical malpractice assistance in Maryland and Washington D.C. (and neighboring states) to those in need of legal representation that have been the victim of medical malpractice.

Anesthesia is a commonly used medication preceding most surgeries and outpatient procedures, and anesthesia errors are fairly common occurrences. The consequences of anesthesia errors can be disastrous and most can be prevented. Anesthesia is used for a variety of reasons and is generally administered to patients undergoing surgery or other types of medical procedures. It can be used to simply help patients relax during stressful or anxiety-producing procedures or it can be used to prevent patients from feeling pain during more involved medical procedures, such as surgery.

Before anesthesia is administered, it is the responsibility of the anesthesiologist to check the patient’s record and medical history to ensure that the use of anesthesia is not going to adversely interact with the patient’s current medications or existing medical conditions. While anesthesia is being administered to a patient, the physician and/or anesthesiologist must closely monitor the patient to ensure the patient is not in distress or experiencing any life-threatening effects from the anesthesia. If these procedures are not followed, the patient can suffer injury or death. Robinson & Associates can provide victims of Maryland medical malpractice with answers to frequently asked questions and important advice regarding where to turn next after a serious, life-altering, medical mistake.

Victims of medical malpractice due to anesthesia errors may be entitled to significant monetary compensation by those responsible for the medical malpractice. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help victims ensure that those responsible for their injuries are held accountable. The responsible medical professionals can be held liable for damages for lost wages, pain and suffering, and medical expenses for the victim of the negligence and their family. Robinson & Associates is happy to speak with victims or their family members regarding medical negligence and to evaluate you case at no charge. Malpractice cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, with our firm paying all up front expenses. We only recover fees and expenses when we win for you.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or death due to an anesthesia error or other form of Maryland Medical Malpractice, we can help. Let our knowledgeable and experienced attorneys assist you with your medical malpractice claim. Please call or click today.

Medical Malpractice

Great strides have been made in the medical field in regard to anesthesia since it was first introduced in the mid-1800s. When anesthesia first began being used by physicians during surgery, patients began to die. At this time, doctors did not fully understand the effects of anesthesia on the body and there were many unanticipated consequences to patients administered anesthesia. It was not until the 1950s that anesthesia related deaths began to be evaluated. It was determined from these studies that approximately 1 in every 10,000 healthy patients administered anesthesia would die as a result. It was determined that anesthesia practices had to be made safer and more effective, and as a result of these changes today’s anesthesia mortality rate is estimated at approximately 1 death per 200,000-300,000 administrations.

While the advancement of anesthesia technology, anesthesia safety precautions, and standard anesthesia protocols have made anesthesia administration more consistent and less deadly, anesthesia accidents still occur. Anesthesia accidents are generally a result of the healthcare provider’s negligence or mistakes; therefore, anesthesia accidents are considered medical malpractice. Anesthesia accidents can occur when the patient is not properly and adequately monitored both during and after surgery. Anesthesia accidents can result from situations and circumstances such as: giving the patient too much anesthesia, delaying anesthesia delivery, failure to provide the patient with proper instructions, and failure to properly administer oxygen during surgery. When an anesthesia accident occurs, the patient can be seriously and even fatally injured. Anesthesia accidents may be the basis for a medical malpractice claim.

There have been reports of incidents in which a patient administered anesthesia wakes up during surgery and is able to feel pain. This occurrence has been termed “anesthesia awareness” and usually is the result of the patient being administered too little anesthesia or delayed anesthesia. When anesthesia awareness occurs, the patient often is paralyzed and unable to communicate with the physicians. Many patients suffer panic and anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and intense fear of medical settings after experiencing anesthesia awareness. The psychological and emotional damage caused by anesthesia awareness can be devastating to both the patient and their family. Anesthesia awareness is estimated to affect between 1 and 2 patients per 1,000 that undergo general anesthesia.

Anesthesia accident victims in Maryland and Washington D.C. that need help filing their medical malpractice claim should contact the law firm of Robinson and Associates. Robinson and Associates provides a free consultation to anesthesia accident victim in both Maryland and Washington D.C. Medical malpractice victims need the services of competent legal counsel in order to prove their case and receive the money to which they may be entitled. Robinson and Associates can provide the expert guidance anesthesia accident victims need.