Spinal Cord Injuries Caused By Medical Malpractice

A spinal cord injury can be caused by many different kinds of trauma, including negligence medical care, such as improperly performed surgery, the failure to diagnose a tumor, or failure to treat an infection.  Patients who suffer a spinal cord injury can suffer catastrophic injuries, such as paraplegia, quadriplegia, numbness, motor difficulties, loss of urinary and bowel function, sexual and reproductive difficulties, and loss of limb awareness.  Unfortunately, in most cases the victim of a spinal cord injury does not regain their full pre-injury function.  These conditions can greatly impact the ability of the patient to work and the quality and enjoyment of their lives.

Not only are there the obvious physical consequences of a spinal cord injury, but there are also consequences to the victim’s personal life.  This includes employment, marriage, and relationships with others.

An example of medical malpractice causing a spinal cord injury is a patient undergoing surgery on their spine to repair dislocated discs.  The surgeon has a duty of care to perform the procedure to the ability of any other surgeon under similar circumstances.  During surgery, the surgeon may become distracted and as a result nicks a part of the patient’s spinal cord not related to the dislocated discs.  The surgeon may not notice the error or believe it is insignificant.  As a result, the patient suffers a spinal cord injury.  The injury worsens without treatment and the patient becomes partially paralyzed.  The patient may have a claim for damages if he or she can prove the surgeon acted negligently and that negligence directly caused the paralysis.

Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to prove causation, that the negligent actions of the party directly caused the injury, in spinal cord injury cases.  Therefore it is important that your attorney gather evidence to prove causation by reviewing medical documents, reviewing procedure notes, investigating the background of the surgeon, interviewing witnesses, and consulting a medical expert to obtain their opinion.

It important that you contact and retain an experienced attorney, who will represent you in all aspects of your case with compassion and expertise so you can obtain adequate recovery for the devastating injuries you have suffered.

But what do you think?  I would love to hear from you!  Leave a comment or I also welcome your phone call on my toll-free cell at 1-866-889-6882 or you can drop me an e-mail at jfisher@fishermalpracticelaw.com.  You are always welcome to request my FREE book, The Seven Deadly Mistakes of Malpractice Victims, at the home page of my website at www.protectingpatientrights.com.