Annapolis Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Medical Malpractice Lawyer Serving Clients in Annapolis, MD

Whenever anyone visits a doctor or hospital or receives treatment at another medical facility, they should receive quality care. They expect that doctors will fully assess their health, diagnose any conditions they are experiencing, and create effective treatment plans. They also expect that nurses or other personnel will attend to their needs and take the proper steps to protect their health and well-being. Unfortunately, there are some cases where negligence by medical professionals can lead to serious injuries for patients. In these situations, injury victims may take steps to obtain financial compensation.

At Silverman Thompson, we represent medical malpractice victims in Annapolis, and we help our clients hold negligent providers accountable for their negligence. We work to recover the compensation our clients deserve so that they will be able to recover from their injuries, address their financial losses, and move forward with their lives.

Failure to Obtain Informed Consent

Informed consent is one of the basic principles of medical care. Before healthcare providers perform any procedures or recommend treatments, they are required to explain what they plan to do and why. They must inform patients of the risks and benefits of different forms of treatment, as well as other options for treatment that may be available. This will ensure that a patient will have the information they need to make informed decisions about whether to consent to such treatment.

If a provider does not obtain informed consent but proceeds with treatment anyway, a patient may suffer harm for reasons that they never expected. A provider's failure to obtain informed consent may be considered negligence, and a patient may take steps to address injuries that occur in these cases.

There are many situations where issues related to informed consent may be addressed in a medical malpractice claim. A surgeon may have failed to explain the risks of nerve damage that a patient could experience when a procedure was performed. A physician may not disclose that a medication has a significant risk of serious side effects. Our attorneys will evaluate issues related to informed consent and provide guidance on the options for addressing this form of negligence.

Negligence in Doctors' Offices

Negligence leading to injuries can occur when people receive routine treatment from family doctors or visit specialists to address specific concerns. In many cases, these injuries involve diagnostic failures that may allow serious conditions to progress without treatment.

A primary care physician may dismiss symptoms that a patient has reported, and they may fail to order the appropriate tests to uncover health concerns. A specialist may misinterpret the results of lab tests, leading to an incorrect diagnosis. A provider may fail to recognize conditions that could affect a patient's overall health, including cancer, cardiac disease, or serious infections.

When conditions are not recognized and the appropriate treatment is not provided, health issues may progress to the point where treatment may not be as effective. Other forms of negligence may include the failure to refer a patient to an appropriate specialist or improper treatment planning without considering a patient's full medical history.

Negligence in Emergency Rooms

Emergency room errors can cause serious harm. Triage failures may prevent patients from timely receiving care. Misdiagnoses may also affect the treatment patients receive, or patients may suffer harm when they prematurely are discharged from emergency rooms.

Emergency conditions like heart attacks and strokes must be recognized promptly so that the proper treatment can be provided. Emergency room personnel may dismiss cardiac symptoms as anxiety or indigestion, or they may believe that neurological symptoms have been caused by migraines. This can prevent a patient from receiving prompt treatment that could help them avoid disability or death. Sepsis is another condition that may not be recognized by emergency room personnel, and if immediate antibiotic therapy is not provided, organ failure can occur within hours.

Negligence in Hospitals

There are a variety of forms of hospital malpractice that can lead to serious injuries, including:

Surgical Errors

Negligence by surgeons or others who work in operating rooms can cause patients to suffer devastating harm. Surgeries may be performed incorrectly, including situations where procedures are performed on the wrong part of the body. Mistakes during surgery can result in damage to organs or tissues. Objects like surgical instruments or sponges may be left inside a patient's body. Anesthesia errors can put a patient's life at risk during a procedure. These and other surgical errors can result in severe harm to patients.

Birth Injuries

Negligence during labor and delivery can lead to long-lasting or permanent injuries. When birth injuries prevent a child from receiving enough oxygen, they may experience brain damage that could lead to developmental disorders like cerebral palsy. When improper techniques are used during delivery, brachial plexus injuries may occur. Other injuries affecting children may be related to infections, misuse of delivery tools, or other forms of negligence. Mothers can also suffer serious injuries if the proper procedures are not followed during and after childbirth.

Infections

Hospitals are required to follow protocols to help prevent infections. Patients may be exposed to infectious diseases or toxic chemicals if medical personnel do not sterilize equipment correctly or if doctors and nurses do not follow the proper sanitary procedures. Surgical site infections may occur if wounds are not kept clean. Urinary tract infections can occur when catheters are not inserted or maintained correctly.

Negligence in Nursing Homes

Elderly people who receive treatment in nursing homes may be vulnerable to harm when facilities are negligent in providing the proper care and supervision. Nursing home negligence can take many forms. Pressure ulcers/bedsores may develop when residents are not repositioned regularly. Medication errors may occur when nursing home personnel do not take steps to ensure that medications are administered correctly. Falls can occur because of inadequate supervision or hazards in facilities. Residents may also suffer harm if they do not receive proper medical care for conditions that could affect their health and well-being.

Contact Our Annapolis, Maryland Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Because of the serious harm that people may experience when they have been affected by medical negligence, families can seek to protect their rights by working with a lawyer who understands how these cases are handled. At Silverman Thompson, we can provide effective legal representation for injury victims, and we will fight to secure fair compensation for patients who have suffered harm. Contact our Annapolis medical malpractice claim attorneys at 410-385-2225 to arrange a free consultation.