While some cases of paraplegia are caused by unavoidable injuries or illnesses, others stem from preventable medical mistakes. When paraplegia develops after medical treatment, surgery, or hospital care, it’s worth questioning whether negligence played a role.
If you or a loved one developed paraplegia under suspicious circumstances, it’s essential to know the signs that paraplegia was caused by medical negligence. Reach out to the Fort Lauderdale medical malpractice lawyers at Anidjar & Levine today. We can evaluate your case and help you pursue compensation for your losses.
What Medical Mistakes Can Lead to Paraplegia?
Paraplegia can occur when something disrupts or damages the spinal cord, cutting off communication between the brain and lower body. In the context of medical care, several types of preventable errors can lead to this catastrophic injury, including:
- Surgical errors: A surgeon who damages the spinal cord, nearby nerves, or blood vessels during an operation can cause permanent paralysis. This can occur during spinal, orthopedic, or even unrelated abdominal surgeries if precautions aren’t taken.
- Anesthesia mistakes: Too much or misplaced anesthesia can cause a nerve injury or oxygen deprivation that leads to paraplegia.
- Failure to diagnose spinal cord compression: Conditions like herniated discs, tumors, abscesses, or infections that press against the spinal cord must be diagnosed and treated promptly. When doctors ignore or misread symptoms, irreversible paralysis can follow.
- Inadequate postoperative care: After surgery or trauma, patients need careful monitoring for signs of infection, bleeding, or neurological decline. A lack of timely response to complications can result in spinal cord damage that could have been prevented.
- Delayed treatment after trauma: In emergency medicine, time is critical. Failing to stabilize the spine or delaying necessary imaging and surgery after an accident can cause avoidable nerve injury and permanent paralysis.
The specific cause in your situation may not be clear right away, but certain signs can suggest that a medical mistake occurred.
Signs That Paraplegia Was Caused by Medical Negligence
If paraplegia occurred after surgery, an injection, hospital care, or a delayed diagnosis, it’s natural to question what went wrong. Here are some signs that medical negligence may have been a factor:
- Sudden paralysis following a medical procedure: If paralysis developed right after surgery, anesthesia, or another invasive treatment, it could indicate that an error occurred during the procedure.
- Unexplained delay in diagnosis or treatment: When doctors overlook or dismiss early symptoms like numbness, tingling, or weakness, and paralysis develops as a result, it may be a sign that proper diagnostic steps were ignored.
- Contradictory or vague explanations from providers: If medical staff cannot clearly explain what caused your condition, or if their explanations keep changing, that inconsistency may point to an attempt to hide an error.
- Missing or altered medical records: In some malpractice cases, records that should document what happened are incomplete, missing, or appear to have been changed after the fact. This can be a red flag that negligence occurred.
- Ignored warning signs of spinal cord injury: If a patient repeatedly complained of pain, weakness, or numbness before paralysis set in and doctors failed to act, that inaction could qualify as malpractice.
- Improper administration of anesthesia or spinal injections: A misplaced needle or excessive dosage in or near the spinal column can directly injure nerves. If paralysis followed such a procedure, medical negligence is a likely cause.
- Failure to monitor for postoperative complications: When hospital staff fail to check for issues like blood clots, swelling, or infection that later cause spinal cord compression, preventable paralysis can occur.
These signs don’t guarantee that malpractice occurred, but they’re strong indicators that something went wrong.
The Physical and Emotional Impact of Paraplegia
Living with paraplegia changes every part of a person’s life, from physical independence to mental well-being. Victims often face lifelong physical limitations and emotional struggles, such as:
- Loss of mobility: The most obvious effect is the permanent loss of leg function. Even with rehabilitation and adaptive equipment, many people lose significant independence.
- Chronic pain and medical complications: Paraplegia can lead to pressure sores, muscle spasms, bladder and bowel issues, and respiratory challenges that require constant management.
- Emotional distress: Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress are common, especially when the paralysis was caused by a preventable mistake.
- Financial strain: The lifetime cost of medical care, home modifications, assistive devices, and lost income can reach millions of dollars.
What to Do if You Suspect Medical Negligence
If you believe a medical mistake led to paraplegia, and you or someone you love was the victim, it’s important to take these steps:
- Get a second medical opinion: A specialist can review your records and treatment timeline to determine whether a mistake likely occurred.
- Request complete medical records: Obtain all hospital and doctor records as soon as possible. These documents are essential for evaluating what happened.
- Document your symptoms and experiences: Keep a detailed log of your condition, the care you received, and any conversations with medical staff. This can help establish a clear record of events.
- Consult a medical malpractice attorney: A lawyer who handles malpractice cases can investigate whether negligence caused your paraplegia and identify potential defendants.
- Avoid direct communication with insurers: Insurance companies may try to get you to settle quickly or downplay liability. Let your attorney handle those conversations.
Speak to a Medical Malpractice Attorney
No one should have to live with the consequences of a medical provider’s carelessness. If you suspect negligence played a role in the development of your paraplegia, a medical malpractice lawyer from Anidjar & Levine can take on your case and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Schedule a free case review to take the first step toward justice.
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