Transverse myelitis (TM) is a neurological condition that can cause paralysis, pain, and other life-altering symptoms. When diagnosed and treated early, doctors can minimize the side effects of TM, and some patients can fully recover. However, the opposite is also true, and those who do not receive prompt medical care can experience long-term suffering and disability.
Our team at Freidin Brown, P.A. has significant experience with cases involving TM, and our track record proves it: we have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients who had TM that was improperly or untimely treated.
If you have TM due to a diagnostic error or medical mistake, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. A transverse myelitis lawyer with our law firm can help you seek financial compensation to pay for your medical bills and more.
What Is Transverse Myelitis?
Transverse myelitis is a neurological disorder caused by inflammation of both sides of the spinal cord. This inflammation can damage the fatty tissue covering your nerves, called myelin. When damaged, the scarring can interrupt the signals your spinal cord sends through your body, resulting in paralysis and other neurological dysfunctions.
Symptoms of TM can appear suddenly or develop over one to two weeks and may include the following:
- Pain in your lower back, legs, arms, or around your chest or abdomen (depending on where the inflammation is around your spine)
- Tingling, numbness, or feelings of coldness or burning
- Sensitivity to light or extreme heat or cold
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of balance
- Bladder and bowel dysfunction, including frequent urination, urinary incontinence, urinary retention, and constipation
- Headache
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- General discomfort
- Sexual dysfunction
If you experience the symptoms of transverse myelitis, seek medical treatment immediately.
TM Causes and Related Conditions
Doctors do not know exactly what causes TM, but it is associated with certain viruses, bacterial infections, and inflammatory conditions, including the following:
- Influenza
- Herpes viruses
- West Nile virus
- Zika
- Hepatitis B
- Mumps, measles, and rubella
- Epstein-Barr
- Cytomegalovirus
- Echovirus
- Lyme disease
- Syphilis
- Tuberculosis
- Pertussis
- Tetanus
- Diphtheria
- Multiple sclerosis
- Neuromyelitis optica (Devic’s disease)
- Autoimmune disorders
- Sarcoidosis
Prompt Diagnosis and Treatment Can Reduce Transverse Myelitis Side Effects
Prompt diagnosis and treatment are crucial to preventing long-term transverse myelitis side effects. If you have signs and symptoms of the condition, seek emergency medical care immediately, especially if you have an associated health problem.
A healthcare provider can treat the underlying cause of TM and take steps to reduce the inflammation before it causes permanent damage. Treatments may include:
- High-dose intravenous steroids
- Plasma exchange therapy (plasmapheresis)
- Intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) therapy
- Immune-system suppressing medications
- Medications to manage pain and other side effects
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation to increase mobility and manage symptoms
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, about one-third of patients with TM make a near-full or complete recovery. Another one-third retain some symptoms. The final third suffer from “significant” and life-long disabilities.
Was Your Permanent Injury from Transverse Myelitis Caused by Medical Negligence?
Transverse myelitis is rare. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are only around 1,400 new cases yearly in the United States. Because doctors see it infrequently, they may fail to recognize the signs, leading to medical misdiagnosis.
You may have a medical malpractice claim or lawsuit if a doctor or health care provider failed to diagnose and treat the symptoms of transverse myelitis. Examples of medical negligence that could lead to delayed, missed, or incorrect diagnosis include the following:
- Failure to conduct a thorough physical examination
- Failure to take a patient’s health history
- Failure to identify conditions associated with TM
- Failure to timely order an MRI or other diagnostic imaging
- Failure to timely conduct a spinal tap, blood testing, or other labs
- Failure to communicate test and imaging results in a timely manner
- Failure to monitor a patient or provide follow-up care
How Can You Prove You Are the Victim of a Medical Error?
Sometimes, doctors can do everything right, and a patient will still experience symptoms of transverse myelitis. So, how can we prove that your condition was caused or worsened by a diagnostic error or medical mistake?
Establishing medical malpractice requires proving the following four elements:
- Professional duty of care. The professional duty of care is a healthcare provider’s legal obligation to treat you according to the accepted standards of the medical field. Proving your doctor owed you this duty means establishing the existence of a doctor/patient relationship.
- Breach of duty. A provider breaches their professional duty when they do something that a reasonably careful provider would not do under the circumstances. A breach can also include a failure to act when necessary.
- Causation. Causation proves the connection between a provider’s actions and your physical injury.
- Damages. Damages are proof your injury led to economic and non-economic losses.
A transverse myelitis attorney with our team can help you build your case using evidence, which may include the following:
- Your healthcare provider’s treatment notes
- Your medical history
- Medical records
- Eyewitness accounts
- Medical and scientific research
- Diagnostic imaging and lab test results
- Expert testimony
- Estimates, receipts, bills, and other proof of your financial losses
- Testimony establishing your right to pain and suffering compensation
Victim of Medical Negligence Leading to Transverse Myelitis? Our Lawyers Can Help!
Medical Malpractice Damages
You should not have to pay for a doctor’s mistakes. If medical malpractice caused your transverse myelitis, you can seek compensation with a claim or lawsuit with the help of our personal injury lawyers. Damages may include the following:
- Medical expenses. You can recover current and future medical costs. Medical damages may include emergency department services, hospitalizations, doctor’s visits, medical procedures, prescription medications, mobility aids, rehabilitative therapy, and nursing.
- Lost wages, earnings, and employment benefits. If you miss work due to your condition or treatment, you can recover your back pay, tips, bonus, and additional earnings and benefits.
- Lost future earning capacity. If you suffer permanent and disabling transverse myelitis symptoms that interfere with your ability to work, you may qualify for compensation for your lost earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering. The physical side effects of TM can take a toll on a sufferer’s mental health. Pain and suffering damages, also called non-economic damages, compensate for these intangible losses. You may recover awards for mental distress, emotional anguish, scarring, disfigurement, loss of bodily function, loss of mobility, physical and chronic pain, and reduced quality of life.
Who Is Financially Liable for Your Transverse Myelitis Injuries?
Liability for your transverse myelitis will rest with the party whose error led to your lack of diagnosis and treatment. Fault could rest with a doctor, but liable parties may also include emergency room physicians, nurses, lab technicians, and other providers. In some cases, the mistake may be the fault of a hospital or medical facility’s negligence, or the facility may be vicariously liable for its employees’ actions.
How Long Do You Have to Pursue Compensation?
Florida medical malpractice claims begin with serving the negligent provider with a notice of your intent to sue. This notice must include an affidavit of merit from a medical expert asserting that you have a valid claim. Once you serve this notice, it begins a complex 90-day presuit process. We will draft and serve the notice and represent you throughout pretrial negotiations.
If we cannot reach a settlement agreement outside of civil court, Florida Statutes § 95.11 (4)(c) generally allows two years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit, although exceptions may apply. If the statute of limitations expires, the court will likely throw out your case, even if you have solid proof that medical negligence caused your injury. So it’s important to consult an experienced medical malpractice lawyer right away.
Let Our Transverse Myelitis Attorneys Take On Your Case
Florida’s medical malpractice laws can be confusing, and establishing medical negligence can be challenging. You may find yourself in over your head without representation, especially when up against large and powerful medical facilities, insurance companies, and their lawyers.
While you focus on your recovery or managing your TM symptoms, our legal team can:
- Investigate your transverse myelitis medical malpractice claim
- Identify liable parties and prove medical negligence
- Identify and calculate your damages
- Complete and file insurance and legal paperwork
- Handle case-related emails, phone calls, and meetings
- Aggressively negotiate on your behalf
- Protect you from bad faith insurance tactics
- Keep you informed with frequent and timely updates
- Represent you during a civil trial
Our law firm has over 100 years of combined legal experience. We know what it takes to construct a successful medical malpractice claim and how to avoid common pitfalls. We prepare every case for trial and will not back down until we secure the maximum compensation possible.
Contact Freidin Brown, P.A. for Help With Your Transverse Myelitis Claim
If you or your loved one suffer from severe or permanent transverse myelitis caused by medical malpractice, Freidin Brown, P.A. can help you pursue economic justice. We serve clients across Florida and have successfully secured more than 20 settlements and verdicts in excess of $1 million. When you work with us, we will not stop until we recover the maximum compensation possible for you and your family.
Contact Freidin Brown, P.A. to schedule a free consultation. Our firm’s transverse myelitis lawyers can take your medical malpractice case on contingency, meaning we will not charge upfront fees or costs. We only get paid when you do. Connect with a lawyer near you today!