Anesthesia is essential for many people undergoing surgery and other medical procedures. Medical advancements over the years have made anesthesia safer than ever, but there are still risks in this practice area. One provider’s negligence could mean you’re dealing with complications for weeks or months if not years. In some extreme circumstances, anesthesia malpractice can cause the death of a patient.
The Orlando anesthesia injuries attorneys at Freidin Brown, P.A. know that you are facing an uphill battle against providers and their insurance companies. These parties do not want to admit fault and pay you what you are owed, but we are determined to fight for accountability. If you suspect malpractice on the part of an anesthesiologist or other medical provider, reach out to our firm. Our Orlando medical malpractice lawyers are here to seek compensation on your behalf.
What Can an Anesthesia Injuries Attorney in Orlando Do for Me?
If you are recovering from surgery and anesthetic malpractice, the last thing on your mind is legal action. Maybe you think you have no chance at a settlement or judgment, or perhaps you’re feeling pressured to accept a settlement that may not be fair. These injuries can have life-changing effects on you and your loved ones, and you might not know what to do next.
The team at Freidin Brown, P.A. is here to offer peace of mind and experienced advocacy. For over 45 years, our firm has championed for the rights of injured Floridians. We know just how serious medical malpractice injuries, including anesthesia injuries, can be, and we’ve made it our mission to fight for maximum possible compensation. You should be focused on your recovery and your health, and we are here to take on the tough legal battle.
As Orlando personal injury lawyers with a focus on medical malpractice claims, we will:
- Collect Evidence of Malpractice: Evidence is essential to any malpractice case. Evidence supports your claims of negligence, links provider actions to your harm, and establishes your various losses. We can interview witnesses, reach out to insurance companies and medical facilities, and consult experts to build your case.
- Assess the Full Extent of Your Losses: Anesthesia injuries can have long-lasting effects and disrupt every part of your life. Our team will review all of your losses to make sure we account for every type of harm you and your family have suffered.
- Determine Negligence of Involved Parties: At-fault parties are quick to deflect blame—they may even try to blame you for your conditions. As your anesthesia injuries attorneys, we will prove the negligence of the doctor, nurse, or other provider and make a case for damages.
- Negotiate a Settlement: Malpractice cases are typically resolved with a settlement offer from the insurance company. We may never even need to go to court. Our Orlando injury lawyers will strive to negotiate an offer that addresses all the harm you’ve suffered. We will help you weigh your options and review the fairness of the offer before accepting it.
- Represent You in Front of a Jury: Sometimes, settlement discussions are not successful. Insurers may keep making lowball offers or fail to make an offer altogether. If this is the case, a Board Certified civil trial attorney with our firm is prepared to represent your case in court.
Our team is prepared to represent you from start to finish. All you need to do is reach out to our team today.
Victim of Anesthesia Negligence? Let Us Help You Seek Justice
Examples of Malpractice Involving Anesthesia Injuries
Negligence involving anesthesia comes in many forms and affects patients in different ways. Side effects and complications of anesthesia are not always a sign of malpractice, so it’s up to our team to establish the elements of negligence in your case.
Some examples of malpractice include:
Dosing Errors
Anesthesia medications are not one-size-fits-all drugs, and medical providers must carefully administer dosages to patients. Anesthesia doses are important, and incorrect amounts of these drugs can hurt patients.
Too little anesthesia means patients may not stay sedated during procedures, causing a complication called anesthesia awareness. Patients can suffer pain and immense emotional harm because of awareness. Too much anesthesia can make it difficult to breathe, harm your internal organs, and cause many other distressing symptoms and conditions.
Symptoms of dosing errors can also vary based on the type of anesthesia you receive and patient risk factors.
Allergic Reactions and Other Adverse Drug Events
In addition to dosage issues, other medication errors can indicate that a physician or other provider was negligent. For example, you may have allergies to one or more of the medications being used, or you may currently be on medication that will cause adverse reactions when under sedation.
If the healthcare professional failed to account for these factors, they could be considered negligent.
Failure to Monitor Patient
The inherent risk of sedation means providers must carefully monitor patient vital signs throughout the entire procedure. Your team should be watching vitals like blood pressure and heart rate to detect any changes to your health.
Failure to Give Patients Instructions or Inform Them of Risks
Before you undergo anesthesia and your medical procedure, your providers should give you instructions and information about the process. They also make sure you understand these instructions and any risk factors.
For example, patients can suffer from anesthesia aspiration if they undergo surgery with food in their stomachs. A doctor may not have informed you of this risk, or they may have chosen to continue with the procedure despite knowing about the risks to you.
Intubation Errors
Anesthesiologists and their staff may also need to intubate patients. Intubation is essential for many patients if they cannot breathe on their own or are at risk of breathing difficulties when sedated. Improper intubation can cause serious problems for patients due to nerve damage and injured airways. Some patients may even die due to a lack of oxygen from an intubation error.
While these are some of the most common anesthesia errors negligence our Orlando attorneys represent, these are not the only cases we take. Please call Freidin Brown, P.A. now to discuss your case to see if we can help in your fight for just compensation.
Victim of Anesthesia Negligence? Let Us Help You Seek Justice
Anesthesia Malpractice Frequently Asked Questions
What Damages Can I Seek for Anesthesia Injuries?
Injuries caused by anesthesia errors can be serious—you likely have significant medical needs and major financial losses. You may struggle with your mental and emotional health, and your ability to live your life normally is affected. These and other losses can affect you for months or years to come, and we’re determined to fight for compensation on your behalf.
Some of the damages we could seek for anesthesia errors include:
- Past and current medical expenses, including additional surgeries and assistive devices
- Loss of income and loss of earning potential
- Emotional distress and pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Travel expenses
- Out-of-pocket expenses, like in-home medical care
Our firm works with medical experts, economists, life care planners, and other experts who can help us assess the full range of your economic and non-economic damages.
How Long Do I Have to Sue for Anesthesia Injuries in Orlando?
You have a limited time to sue a doctor or another provider for anesthesia malpractice. If you do not file your lawsuit by the deadline outlined in Florida Statutes § 95.11, you could miss your chance to seek compensation.
Our team can determine how long you have to act and if any exceptions to the statute of limitations apply to your case.
Can I Sue if a Loved One Died From Anesthesia Errors?
Tragically, anesthesia errors can kill patients, and this loss can leave family members reeling. What should have been a routine procedure has now left your family struggling in more ways than one. Our Orlando anesthesia malpractice lawyers are here to offer our services during this difficult time and help your family file a wrongful death claim for damages.
We can determine which family members are potential beneficiaries for a claim and evaluate the losses your family can pursue. Some potential damages your family may be entitled to seek include:
- Medical expenses the deceased has before their passing
- Funeral expenses
- Loss of support for surviving family
- Pain and suffering of family
- Loss of consortium and loss of support and services
- Loss of net accumulations
Our team can also help you find a probate firm that can help you set up the estate for the deceased. We know your family is going through a lot, so let us take some of the burden off your shoulders today.
How Do I File My Anesthesia Injuries Lawsuit?
Before our team can even file a malpractice lawsuit against a doctor or other healthcare provider, we must show that your case has merit through a pretrial investigation. During this investigation, we may gather various forms of evidence, such as your personal medical history, the provider’s work history, and witness statements.
Prior to filing suit, we must:
- Establish that we have reasonable grounds for filing a claim
- Obtain an affidavit of merit from a medical expert who agrees that the provider breached the standard of care and caused injury to the patient
Meeting the above does not guarantee that your case will be successful, only that we can proceed with filing a lawsuit. Strong evidence of malpractice is crucial for building a case, especially in anesthesia injury cases where there are many nuances to medical care and standards.
Our anesthesia injury lawyers in Orlando can discuss the various deadlines and requirements for filing if you work with our firm. We will keep you informed of the status of your case throughout the process and address any questions or concerns you may have.
Let Our Orlando Anesthesia Errors Lawyers Represent Your Case
Medical malpractice can leave people and their families struggling emotionally, financially, and physically for years to come. A provider should not get away with a lapse in judgment or other error—we’re here to seek justice for you.
Call the Orlando anesthesia injuries lawyers at Freidin Brown, P.A. today to get started. A member of our team is available for a free consultation now.