Spinal cord injuries are of the most severe and catastrophic injuries that a person can sustain, and the severity of consequences depends on the location of the injury. If you or someone you know has sustained an injury to the spinal cord, it is important to first seek medical attention. Additionally, if an injured person cannot move his or her head or extremities immediately following an accident, do not attempt to move him or her; call an ambulance immediately. A doctor can determine the extent of the injury.

According to a spinal cord injury foundation, the initial level of an injury may not remain consistent. In fact, an injury may intensify or become more severe as time passes. Therefore, if a doctor fails to recognize this potential, he could be held liable for negligence. A diagnosis of a spinal cord injury is extremely important, as time is of the essence.

Once a patient begins treatment, he or she is much more likely to fully recover. A typical physical examination to determine whether or not a spinal cord injury has been sustained will include muscular strengths tests and testing to see if a patient still has sensation in his or her arms and legs. Most patients who believe they have sustained a spinal cord injury should be immobilized by a cervical collar or on a backboard for the vast majority of this testing.

Medicine.net advises that after a patient is diagnosed with a spinal cord injury, he or she will likely be put on a regimen of steroids. This is usually intended to help decrease the amount of damage to the spinal cord, as steroids can help to reduce the swelling and inflammation of tissue and muscle around the site of injury. Steroids are usually only beneficial if they are started within eight hours of injury. If a doctor fails to administer steroids in a timely fashion, he or she could be liable for malpractice as well.

Spinal cord injuries are very serious, and if not treated correctly can lead to vast complications or paralysis. If you or someone you know has sustained a spinal cord injury and suspect that medical professionals did not do all they could to mitigate severe effects, you could be eligible for compensation. Contact an experienced Westport medical malpractice attorney today.

A common nightmare for patients undergoing surgery is having surgical tools left behind inside the body. While a patient is on the operating table, sponges and towels may fall into open wounds. Additionally, broken pieces of instruments, stapler parts, and other sharp objects may also be left inside patients’ bodies.

In 2013, The Joint Commission, a healthcare safety watchdog group, released a report which discovered more than 770 incidents of foreign objects being left in patients both during and after surgery throughout a seven year period. In fact, the cases resulted in 16 deaths. Moreover, 95 percent of the cases required patients to remain in the hospital for a longer period of time. The incidents most commonly occurred in operating rooms, labor and delivery rooms, ambulatory surgery centers or “labs where invasive procedures such as catheters or colonoscopies take place.” Lack of policy and procedure, as well as failure to comply and communicate, were cited as common causes.

One of the goriest stories involving surgical tools left behind include a string of incidents which occurred at the University of Wisconsin. For five years in a row doctors left surgical tools in five patients. Two of these incidents involved a 13-inch retractors—a surprisingly long object to overlook.

Connecticut hospitals, however, do not have a much better track record. According to the Hartford Courant, state hospitals reported 65 cases of surgeons having left objects in patients between 2004 to 2008. One Hartford Hospital patient went through the same devastating experienced as the patient at the University of Wisconsin—a 13 by 2-inch retractor was left inside her body. It was not until two weeks after the initial operation that the mistake was discovered: the patient returned to the hospital complaining of sharp abdominal and neck pain, and then had to undergo a subsequent operation.

If you or someone you know underwent a surgery and experienced subsequent complications, perhaps caused by having surgical tools left behind, the most important step is to seek legal counsel. You do not go through it alone. An experienced Connecticut medical malpractice attorney can assist with your case and look out for your best interests. Call 203-226-6168 today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Journal of American Medicine and as reported by Forbes. In the U.S., a malpractice payout is made every 43 minutes and amounts to a stunning $3 billion in 2012.

However, according to Forbes, there are several steps a person can take to avoid malpractice suits—the most important of which is to be your own healthcare advocate. Understanding medical malpractice and how to approach it is the most important step to dealing with it and getting your life back on track in the event of a malpractice issue.

To begin, you have the right to file a malpractice claim if “a provider’s negligence causes injury or damages to a patient,” reports Forbes. Negative results from medical care do not always amount to a malpractice claim, however, and there are certain limitations regulated by the state when it comes to what types of incidents can be considered malpractice, as well as the timeframe for which a claim can be filed.

More than 80 percent of all malpractice claims filed in the U.S. every year do not result in payouts to the patients or the survivors of affected patients. In addition, there is a statute of limitations in which the claim can be filed. This varies from state to state. In Connecticut, according to the office of the state’s Chief Attorney, Connecticut state law requires that a medical malpractice suit be filed within two years from the date “when the injury is first sustained or discovered or in the exercise of reasonable care should have been discovered.”

The Chief Attorney’s Office notes, however, that if a patient can prove that the medical professional had a continuing duty to warn him or her about the consequences of malpractice or possible negative effects of procedure, the statute of limitations can be extended. There must be evidence that the doctor failed to fulfill his duty in the period that follows the original wrong, and that duty must be proved to be within the typical standard of care.

If you suspect you have been victim of medical malpractice and have questions regarding the medical malpractice statute of limitations, the most important step is to seek legal counsel. Contact a Westport medical malpractice attorney today.