Severn, MD Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Lawyers for Patients Harmed by Doctor Errors, Surgical Errors, and Other Forms of Negligence in Severn, Maryland

Medical care can be crucial in many situations. People who experience serious health issues, injuries, or medical conditions may seek care at emergency rooms or when visiting doctors. They may be treated at hospitals and other medical facilities. Multiple people may be involved in their care, including doctors, nurses, surgeons, lab technicians, and pharmacists. Errors made at any point during care can have devastating results. When patients have suffered harm because of negligent care, they will need to understand what happened and who was responsible.

At Silverman Thompson, we know how seriously people can be affected by medical negligence, including mistakes by medical professionals and negligent care at medical facilities. We have the experience needed to investigate these cases, identify negligence that occurred, and file claims for compensation. We build thorough cases on behalf of our clients, fighting to ensure that they will receive the full compensation they deserve.

Birth Injuries Affecting Children and Mothers

Negligence during childbirth can lead to multiple types of injuries. In many cases, the consequences of birth injuries can last a lifetime.

Injuries to Newborns

Oxygen deprivation during delivery can cause a newborn to suffer serious harm. When medical professionals do not recognize fetal distress during labor and delivery, stress on a child can lead to brain trauma. Other issues that prevent a child from receiving enough oxygen deprivation can cause brain damage that may lead to issues such as cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, cognitive impairments, and developmental delays.

Children may be injured because of a variety of other forms of negligence. The improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction devices can cause skull fractures or other injuries. Brachial plexus injuries can occur if too much force is applied when a child is caught in the birth canal during delivery. Infections that occur during or after delivery may lead to issues such as neonatal sepsis or meningitis, and the injuries children may suffer in these situations can cause permanent harm.

Injuries to Mothers

Mothers may also be affected by medical negligence during childbirth. Failure to diagnose preeclampsia, a serious condition involving high blood pressure, can lead to a life-threatening emergency. Postpartum blood loss that is not recognized and managed can result in an emergency hysterectomy, organ failure, or wrongful death. Failure to properly repair serious lacerations that occur during childbirth can lead to issues such as chronic pain or loss of bladder and bowel control, which may affect a mother's quality of life.

Medication Errors

Doctors or other medical professionals may make mistakes when prescribing or dispensing medications. Medication errors could lead to dangerous allergic reactions or overdoses. If a doctor does not prescribe the correct medication or chooses the wrong dose, a patient could experience serious injuries. Nurses may also make errors related to the doses of medications, or they may provide medications at the wrong times. Pharmacists may also be responsible for medication mistakes if they fail to dispense drugs correctly.

Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis

There are some situations where a patient's condition may not be recognized by a doctor or other medical professional. A misdiagnosis may involve the diagnosis of the wrong condition, or a condition may be missed entirely. A delayed diagnosis in which a condition is identified too late can also cause a patient to suffer harm.

Cancer is one of the most frequently misdiagnosed medical conditions. Breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, or skin cancer may be treated if it is recognized at an early stage. However, if a doctor does not order tests that would have found cancer, or if they misread test results, cancer may advance to a stage where treatment options are more limited.

Strokes are another condition where timing is critical. A person may have a small window of time when treatment will be effective, but if a doctor diagnoses a patient with migraines, vertigo, or anxiety rather than a stroke, the patient may experience permanent neurological damage.

Heart attacks may also be misdiagnosed, especially for women and younger patients. Symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, jaw pain, and shortness of breath may be misdiagnosed as gastrointestinal illness or anxiety. This may allow a cardiac emergency to progress without appropriate treatment.

Other conditions that may not be diagnosed correctly include pulmonary embolisms and aortic dissection. These issues are also time-sensitive, and a delayed diagnosis could lead to fatal results. Infections and sepsis will require prompt identification and treatment. A provider who does not recognize the early signs of sepsis may allow a treatable infection to become catastrophic.

Other Forms of Medical Negligence That Can Harm Patients

• Surgical Errors: Negligence during surgery can cause serious harm. Patients may experience damage to nerves or organs due to mistakes by surgeons, or anesthesia errors may cause damage to the brain. Inadequate monitoring of a patient after surgery may allow preventable problems to become life-threatening.
• Emergency Room Negligence: Emergency departments are required to assess patients accurately, even when they are under pressure due to high volumes of patients or serious situations. If the proper tests are not ordered, or if patients are not assessed correctly, doctors may fail to diagnose serious conditions such as stroke, heart attack, appendicitis, or sepsis.
• Laboratory and Radiology Errors: Test results are crucial for diagnosing medical conditions. When an X-ray technician or a radiologist who performs an MRI or CT scan does not identify abnormalities, or when laboratories do not process blood samples or other specimens correctly, a patient's condition may not be recognized until it is too late.
• Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect: People who receive treatment in assisted living facilities depend on their caregivers to meet their basic health needs. Failure to prevent or treat bedsores, medication errors, falls, malnutrition, dehydration, and other issues can occur because of the negligence of a facility or its staff.

Contact Our Severn Medical Malpractice Lawyers

To address medical negligence, patients and their families can work with the lawyers at Silverman Thompson. We know how to handle these cases, how to file claims correctly, and how to secure the full compensation our clients need for their injuries. Contact our Severn, MD doctor and hospital malpractice attorneys at 410-385-2225 to set up a free consultation.