What Compensation Is Available In A Florida Anesthesia Errors Case?
Like other US states, Florida has enacted numerous statutes that hold health care providers liable when their negligence leads to patient harm. State medical malpractice laws dictate that practitioners are required to comply with prevailing professional standards of care when treating patients, and a breach could give rise to legal action. The statute applies to a wide range of individuals and entities, including the anesthesiologists who support surgeons during procedures. When a physician makes an anesthesia error by deviating from the standard of care, patients have legal remedies for recovering monetary damages.
However, while the statute is expansive in covering an array of health care providers, it does not detail the types of compensation in a medical malpractice case. You can trust your Miami anesthesia errors lawyer to address the specifics, but you might benefit from understanding the two types of monetary damages that are available for injured patients.
- Economic Damages
This category covers losses that are associated with an exact dollar figure, and for which there is usually documentary evidence through receipts, invoices, or other paperwork. Your economic damages that could be the result of an anesthesia error include:
Costs of Medical Care: Regardless of the mistake by an anesthesiologist, you will still be responsible for paying medical bills – for both the procedure in which the error occurred AND the care you need to treat the resulting injuries. In addition, keep in mind that the consequences of a mistake could include anesthesia “awareness,” in which the patient remains conscious during a procedure. The emotional implications often require intense psychiatric treatment.
Lost Income: When you suffer serious harm from a health care provider’s negligence, you may be out of work while you recover. It is also possible to recover lost wages in a medical malpractice claim based upon anesthesia error.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses: There may be additional costs linked to treating your injuries, such as prescription medications and transportation to and from doctor appointments. You may be entitled to obtain amounts for these expenses as part of your economic damages.
- Noneconomic Damages
Though you might not have the paperwork to prove it, you sustain other indefinite losses as the result of a mistake by your anesthesiologist. The implications are subjective and personal to your situation, so there can be challenges with proof. Input and testimony from medical experts, actuaries, and financial professionals can help overcome hurdles. Your noneconomic damages stemming from an anesthesia mistake may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Losses based upon how your injuries impact your personal relationships
- Diminished quality of life
A Florida Anesthesia Errors Attorney Can Provide Details
It is reassuring to know that damages are available for your losses, but recovering full compensation in an anesthesia error claim is a complicated process. Instead of putting your rights at risk, count on the team at Freidin Brown, P.A. to pursue your claim. Please contact our offices in Miami or Fort Myers today to set up a free consultation with a skilled medical malpractice lawyer.
