In the medical industry, anesthesia errors are among the most serious mistakes that are made, especially because they often lead to long-lasting injuries or even wrongful death. While anesthesia is often necessary for surgical procedures, the reality is that a small mistake can cause serious consequences.
Our legal team specializes in medical malpractice and anesthesia errors, and we are here to be the advocates that you need to protect your legal rights. If you think that you have an anesthesia malpractice claim, then reach out to us right away so that we can evaluate your case.
The truth is that these cases are more common than many people realize. Too often, there are monitoring gaps or communication breakdowns that result in injury to the patient. If this happens, then you deserve to be compensated for your injuries.
What Counts as an Anesthesia Error
There are certain qualifications that need to be met in order for you to have an anesthesia case that is worth pursuing. Here are a few examples of when anesthesiology errors are categorized as medical malpractice:
- Dosage mistakes
- Delayed delivery
- Equipment failures
- Or any other preventable mistake that occurs during the preparation, administration, or monitoring of anesthesia
The thing that you need to understand is that even the smallest mistakes can lead to severe anesthesia complications. This aspect of healthcare must be handled with precision to protect the patient and avoid serious side effects.
Most Common Anesthesia Errors
Our legal team has seen many different types of anesthesia errors over the years. We’ll share a list of some of the most common mistakes that can harm patients, including both anesthesia negligence and deliberate mistakes. But keep in mind that this list is not comprehensive. If you or a loved one has been injured by anesthesia, then the best thing you can do is contact us for a case evaluation.
- An anesthesia overdose/underdose, causing the patient to have unstable vitals or awareness during the procedure.
- Improper monitoring, such as a failure to monitor the patient’s heart rate, oxygen, and respiration.
- Mismanagement of the intubation/airway, which might cause hypoxia or other related injuries.
- Incorrect timing or a delayed administration of anesthesia.
- Anesthesia awareness, which means that a patient wakes up at the wrong time (during the surgery).
- Failure to identify medication allergies or pharmaceutical contraindications.
- A poor review of risk factors and medical history before the administration of anesthesia.
- Problems with the machine, including malfunctions or calibration issues.
- Mixing up medications and administering the wrong meds.
- Improper injection technique, causing nerve damage.
- Failure to prevent aspiration.
Leading Causes Behind These Errors
One or more healthcare providers could be found liable if an anesthesia error occurs, including doctors, nurses, PAs, the facility/clinic, and even the pharmaceutical company. In order for you to receive compensation for anesthesia errors, it’s necessary to show how the injuries were caused by the healthcare providers’ mistakes.
Our legal team will perform a thorough investigation to find evidence that shows where the malpractice occurred. Some of the leading causes of anesthesiology errors include:
- Staff members are overworked and fatigued
- Inexperienced staff
- A lack of supervision
- Miscommunication between healthcare providers
- Failure to follow established protocols
- Skipping safety checks
- Equipment is improperly maintained
- Rushed or incomplete pre-op evaluations
- Understaffed surgical centers
Injuries & Complications Caused by Anesthesia Errors
When an anesthesia injury occurs, it often causes very serious consequences for the victim. There are many anesthesia complications that can change a person’s life, resulting in long-lasting problems or even death. Some of the most common complications that we see from anesthesia malpractice include:
- Oxygen deprivation which can lead to brain injuries
- Permanent nerve damage
- Paralysis
- Respiratory failure
- Aspiration pneumonia
- Heart attack, stroke, or long-term cardiac complications
- Psychological trauma from waking up at the wrong time
- Wrongful death
When an Anesthesia Error Becomes Medical Malpractice
When anesthesia is being administered, an anesthesiologist or staff member has a legal duty of care to ensure that everything is handled correctly. If this standard of care is breached and a preventable error occurs, then it can be classified as anesthesia negligence.
But in order to have a successful claim, you need to be able to prove causation and the damages that occurred. For example, evidence needs to show a link between the medical mistakes and the resulting injuries. Additionally, you need to build your case by showing the associated medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Who Is Liable for Anesthesia Errors
The most important thing that you can do is hire an experienced medical malpractice attorney who can help to gather evidence and prove liability. This process can be complicated to determine the person, people, or entities that will be named in the case:
- The anesthesiologist administering and overseeing the procedure.
- CRNAs who were administering or monitoring the patient.
- Surgeons, if their mistake affects the administration of anesthesia.
- The hospital or surgical center where the procedure was done.
- Equipment manufacturers, if mechanical failure contributed to patient harm.
You need an expert review and an experienced law team to determine who is liable for anesthesia. The best thing that you can do is contact us without delay so we can review the information and start gathering evidence. The longer you wait, the harder it is to prove liability.
Evidence That Helps Prove Anesthesia Malpractice
The more evidence we collect to prove anesthesia errors and liability, the easier it is for you to receive fair compensation for your injuries. Our legal team is thorough in gathering necessary evidence, including:
- Anesthesia records (dosage logs and medication lists)
- Vital sign monitoring data
- Surgical notes
- Internal incident reports
- Witness statements from other healthcare providers who were involved
- Expert witnesses to explain how the standard of care was breached
- Maintenance logs for the anesthesia machines
- Anesthesia records, dosage logs, and medication lists.
- Detailed vital sign monitoring data.
- Surgical notes and incident reports.
- Expert witness testimony explaining how the standard of care was breached.
- Maintenance logs for anesthesia machines.
- Witness statements from nurses or techs.
FAQs
Can I sue even if I signed a consent form?
Just because you signed a consent form, it does not excuse negligence. You might still have the right to file a malpractice claim.
How long does an anesthesia malpractice case take?
These cases can be complicated, which is why it often takes months or even years to settle the case. The timeline depends on the complexity of your case and the evidence that is available.
What compensation can victims receive?
Available compensation might include medical expenses, lost wages, long-term care, pain and suffering, and/or damages for wrongful death.
Call an Experienced Attorney for Help with Your Anesthesia Errors Case
In many situations, the most common anesthesia errors that lead to malpractice claims involve preventable mistakes. If this is the situation, then you might have grounds to pursue a medical malpractice case.
Our team at Wormington & Bollinger will help you understand your rights and determine the best way to move forward. For more information, contact us today.