Paralysis is a life-changing condition that takes a toll on the patient and the family. Far too often, it results from the negligent actions of a healthcare provider. When paralysis occurs after spinal cord medical treatment, it is necessary to determine whether the doctor contributed or caused the condition. The medical malpractice attorneys of Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. want to assist the residents of Baltimore, Washington DC, and Maryland by providing insight into the possible connection between spinal cord treatment and paralysis.
Proper spinal cord treatment requires extreme care. Some of the medical errors leading to paralysis include:
- Surgical mistakes. Surgical errors can damage nerves and lead to partial or complete paralysis. This is particularly true for procedures involving the brain or spine. It only takes a slight misplacement of the scalpel or improper administration of anesthesia to impact a patient’s life forever.
- Failure to treat a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord malpractice may also arise from a misdiagnosis or failure to treat. For example, a patient presents to an emergency room with severe back and neck pain. He is prescribed pain medication and sent home without examination of the spine. Two days later, the patient returns to the hospital unable to move his legs and fingers. It is discovered that he has a spinal condition that could have been corrected at his first ER visit, had a proper diagnosis been completed.
- Postoperative negligence. Following a surgical procedure, the hospital staff is responsible for monitoring the patient for possible infections, such as meningitis. This serious condition causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, which can result in paralysis.
Determining the cause
To determine the cause of paralysis, ask the following questions:
- Did the patient seek and/or receive medical treatment for a spinal cord injury prior to the onset of paralysis?
- Did the patient recently undergo a surgical procedure?
If the answer to either of these questions is yes, there is a chance that the patient’s paralysis stems from improper medical treatment.
The next step in making a determination is more complex, requiring knowledge of medical industry standards of care. For example, upon reviewing the care given to a patient, an impartial medical professional may determine that reasonable standards were not met. The attorneys of Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. have the resources and contacts within Baltimore, Washington DC, and Maryland to undertake these technical examinations and provide a medically sound explanation for the paralysis.
Holding Baltimore, Washington DC, and Maryland physicians accountable for misdiagnosis
If you or a loved one experienced paralysis or a spinal cord injury following a spinal cord procedure, put 30 years of medical malpractice experience to work in your case. The attorneys of Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. are Baltimore and Washington DC medical malpractice attorneys you can trust. Contact the office at 410-234-1000 for a consultation.