Anesthesia Malpractice in New York

Anesthesia is administered routinely every day in hospitals, doctors' offices, dentists' offices and other medical facilities throughout the country.; it is a critical part of surgery and many other medical procedures. Anesthesia negligence can include the failure to follow prescribed precautions; improper usage or monitoring of sedatives, the failure of alarm devices or monitoring devices; the failure to monitor a patient’s blood pressure, respiration or pulse; or the failure to properly place a patient’s breathing tubes.

There are four major types of anesthesia-general, spinal, regional, and local. Malpractice can occur during the administration of each.

General anesthesia is commonly used to put patients into a semi-conscious state, to prevent memory formation and to relax the body during a procedure. However, more and more cases of anesthesia malpractice are arising due to the wrongful administering of the medication, a mistake that can lead to cases of cerebral palsy, stroke and even death.

Spinal anesthesia (commonly referred to as epidural) is generally used for surgery involving the lower body, abdomen or pelvis and is often used during labor. Spinal anesthesia negligence can include using the wrong drug, or administering the wrong amount of a drug. Errors can also include failing to identify or address bleeding into the spinal canal (which can cause paralysis or trauma to the spinal cord or nerve roots), epidural hematoma, spinal cord infraction, meningitis and epidural abscess.

Regional anesthesia includes nerve block injections where anesthetic drugs are injected near a nerve to temporarily block pain signals to the brain. Regional anesthesia negligence can result from a needle being negligently inserted directly into the nerve.

Local anesthesia usually involves the numbing of the skin and the subcutaneous tissues. Negligence involving local Anesthesia can cause allergic reactions and skin damages as well as long-term coma and brain damage.

In addition, thousands of people each year experience anesthesia awareness, a condition where they are awake but unable to move or communicate their pain to the doctor.

When the anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist are negligent and make a mistake during surgery, the patient can experience severe pain, and may be left with post traumatic stress disorder, brain damage or other devastating injuries, coma or death.

Most people tend to think that anesthesia malpractice only takes place in the operating room; however, this isn’t always the case. Anesthesia malpractice can happen while the patient is being prepared for surgery, after surgery and even while a patient is in the recovery room. It can also take place during childbirth and during even the simplest of dental procedures.

If you think you or a loved one have been the victim of anesthesia malpractice, it is very important to speak with an experienced New York medical malpractice attorney right away. An attorney who has experience handling these types of medical malpractice claims will know what to look for when analyzing your medical records, what questions to ask witnesses and experts, and how to prepare a strong and compelling claim. The hospital and/or doctor you have filed the lawsuit against will have powerful attorneys defending them, so you need to ensure you have an equally strong and experienced attorney representing you.

Experienced New York Medical Malpractice Attorney

The Law Offices of Sam Rosmarin is backed by 30 years of experience exclusively in New York medical malpractice law and has prosecuted many lawsuits for anesthesia malpractice. Lead attorney Sam Rosmarin spent the first 15 years of his career defending hospitals being sued by patients, so he understands how the other side operates. The last 15 years of his career have been spent representing plaintiffs like you who have been wronged or injured by their doctors. Mr. Rosmarin's unique experience gives him an advantage when going head to head to with hospitals, doctors, and their attorneys.

If you are a victim of anesthesia malpractice, you deserve to be compensated for your injuries. Contact the Law Offices of Sam Rosmarin today at (914) 686-4000 to discuss your case with an experienced and dedicated New York medical malpractice attorney!