How Can I Prove Anesthesiologist Negligence?

When you go in for an operation, whether it is a simple appendectomy or complex open heart surgery, there are multiple physicians and nurses in the room. You are under the care of numerous medical professionals, all of whom have a job to do and a standard to uphold. One of the most important members of your medical team is the anesthesiologist. This physician is essential to the procedure, controlling your level of consciousness during the operation, and ensuring life support systems like oxygen delivery.

Considering the importance of the anesthesiologist during a procedure, any negligence on their part can lead to you suffering significant injuries. If in the days and weeks following your operation, you realize you were injured in a way connected to the anesthesiologist’s duties, you have the difficult task of proving the anesthesiologist’s negligence during a medical malpractice claim.

The Ohio medical malpractice attorneys of Kisling, Nestico & Redick are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about filing a medical malpractice claim and how to prove a physician’s negligence. Call us at 1-800-HURT-NOW to schedule a free initial consultation.

Common Anesthesia Errors

Negligent care by an anesthesiologist can lead to a number of moderate-to-catastrophic injuries. The injuries you suffered may be relatively common for the type of anesthesia administered, or they may be more closely related to the specific procedure you underwent.

Some common anesthesia errors that lead to patient injuries include:

• Failing to provide proper pre-operation instructions like abstaining from eating or drinking for a period of time prior to the operation, which can lead to surgical complications or a delay in your procedure.
• Providing too much anesthesia, which can cause an overdose, respiratory distress, prolonged unconsciousness, brain injuries, and more.
• Providing too little anesthesia, which could cause you to regain consciousness or feel pain during the procedure.
• Improper intubation can damage your teeth, trachea, esophagus, and lungs. It can also lead to oxygen deprivation during the procedure.
• Failing to monitor oxygen delivery, leading to respiratory distress, brain damage, and death.
• Failing to monitor your life signs, which can lead to oxygen deprivation and brain damage.
• Failing to recognize developing complications that could be avoided or minimized.

Proving an Anesthesiologist’s Negligence

Once you realize you suffered an injury during your surgical procedure, you are likely to seek additional medical care or another physician’s opinion. The information initially provided to you about your new injury may be enough for you to connect the injury to the anesthesia during your operation. This raises the question of whether what happened was the anesthesiologist’s fault, and whether it amounts to medical malpractice. The next best step is to contact one of our experienced medical malpractice lawyers at Kisling, Nestico & Redick.

To prove anesthesiologist negligence during a medical malpractice claim, you must first establish the physician’s standard of care toward you. Next, you must present evidence that the anesthesiologist acted in a way that was below the standard required. There must be evidence that the doctor failed to uphold their duty to you as a patient. You must also prove this negligence caused you an injury you can be compensated for.

Types of evidence that may be used to prove an anesthesiologist’s duty and breach of duty include:

• Your medical records. We will thoroughly review your medical records including notes regarding what happened prior to, during, and immediately following the procedure.
• Eyewitness testimony. We will speak to other medical professionals who have firsthand knowledge of the anesthesiologist’s actions.
• Expert witnesses. We will retrain medical experts who can testify regarding the anesthesiologist’s standard of care and whether the doctor’s actions failed that standard.

Contact Our Ohio Medical Malpractice Lawyers

If you were injured because an anesthesiologist did not properly do their job during an operation, contact us at Kisling, Nestico & Redick as soon as possible. Medical malpractice claims can be difficult to prove. However, we have experience in a wide range of malpractice claims and medical terminology, and we are ready to find the expert witnesses you need to strengthen your case. Call us today to work with a legal team who is prepared to fight for your right to compensation.

Call us at 1-800-HURT-NOW, or contact us to schedule a free case consultation.