Undoubtedly, anesthesia is an incredibly powerful drug. And so, anesthesiologists must practice with great care when administering it to patients undergoing surgical procedures. Read on to discover if you can sue a negligent anesthesiologist for the injuries and damages you have suffered and how a seasoned New York City anesthesia error attorney at Mark Bodner, P.C. can help you explore your potential legal options.
What are the different types of anesthesia and their potential implications?
Depending on the type of procedure you underwent, your medical history, and your basic characteristics, you may have received a certain type of anesthesia. The different types are as follows:
- Local anesthesia: this type is limited to the area that is undergoing surgery and to minor procedures (i.e., procedures administered via injection).
- Regional anesthesia: this type can either be epidural or spinal and is used to numb a certain part of the body for surgery or otherwise (i.e., childbirth or a C-section).
- General anesthesia: this type is used to put an individual to sleep during their invasive or complicated surgery.
- Conscious sedation: this type is used to relax the patient so that they are less aware during their procedure.
And if any of the above types of anesthesia are administered incorrectly, then there may be serious implications. For example, a patient may suffer from an allergic reaction, brain damage, heart attack, stroke, or in the worst cases, death.
Can I sue my anesthesiologist for negligence?
First of all, common examples of anesthesiologist negligence are as follows:
- An anesthesiologist fails to check a patient’s medical history before determining the type of anesthesia and its dosage.
- An anesthesiologist fails to check a patient’s height and weight before determining the type of anesthesia and its dosage.
- An anesthesiologist fails to evaluate a patient’s surgical procedure before determining the type of anesthesia and its dosage.
- An anesthesiologist fails to suitably monitor the patient and the anesthesia dosage throughout the surgical procedure.
- An anesthesiologist fails to suitably communicate with the medical team.
- An anesthesiologist mixes up a patient’s chart with another patient’s.
With that being said, if your anesthesiologist acted negligently in any of the aforementioned ways, then you may be eligible to sue them for medical malpractice. For your lawsuit, you must be able to prove the following as true:
- The anesthesiologist in question was indeed your doctor.
- The anesthesiologist in question owed you and duty of care.
- The anesthesiologist in question breached their duty of care by acting negligently.
- The anesthesiologist in question directly caused you to incur injuries and damages by acting negligently.
Rest assured, a competent New York City hospital negligence attorney can assist you in fulfilling this burden of proof. So give us a call today.