Epidural Errors
Many births involve the use of an epidural, or a localized anesthetic that is injected into the mother’s back at a specific place and time during labor and delivery. The purpose of an epidural is to numb the lower half of the body to make birth pain more manageable. If an epidural is not administered safely, carefully or correctly, however, it can cause serious and even permanent birth injuries.
What Are Epidural Errors?
An epidural is an anesthesia drug that temporarily numbs the feeling of pain for a pregnant woman during childbirth. It is a regional anesthetic that is administered through the placement of a catheter in the epidural space of the mother’s spinal cord (the space between the walls of the vertebrae and the dura mater sac surrounding the spinal cord).
Epidural errors refer to mistakes made upon the administration of an epidural injection. Examples include:
- Unnecessary epidural
- Administration at the wrong stage of the birthing process
- Injecting the anesthetic directly into the spinal cord
- Piercing, injuring or destroying a nerve
- Attempting too many punctures
- Excessive force used during injection
- Administration of the wrong drug or amount
- Failure to properly monitor the patient
- Lack of effective communication
- Ignored or violated hospital protocols
Epidural errors can cause severe harm to the patient, including a drop in blood pressure, persistent headaches, excessive numbness, long-term nerve damage, neurological problems, paralysis, chronic pain, muscle weakness and infection.
Medical Malpractice and Epidural Errors
There is a right way and a wrong way to administer an epidural. If a doctor or nurse is negligent, or violates the required duty of care, when giving a patient an epidural injection, the mother can suffer one or more serious injuries. Sadly, some epidural injuries are irreversible and cause permanent damage.
Professional negligence by a health care provider is known as medical malpractice. To prove and win a medical malpractice claim in New Jersey, a plaintiff or injured party must show that the health care provider owed them a professional standard of care, deviated from this standard, caused an injury or harm, and that the plaintiff suffered damages as a result.
Financial Compensation for Epidural Errors in New Jersey
If there is evidence showing that an epidural error was caused by medical negligence, the victim may be eligible for financial compensation to cover her related losses. This may include reimbursement for medical costs, subsequent treatments needed, pain and suffering, emotional or psychological distress, permanent damage or disability, and lost wages.
How an Epidural Error Lawyer in New Jersey Can Help
Personal injury cases involving medical mistakes such as epidural errors can be complicated on a legal level. It is difficult for the average person to protect their rights and achieve a fair case outcome without getting assistance from a medical malpractice attorney in New Jersey.
If you suffered harm due to a preventable epidural error, an attorney can give you critical legal advice, information, resources and representation during this difficult time. You can focus on healing from your epidural injury while a lawyer investigates the medical error, gathers evidence to support your birth injury claim and fights for maximum compensation for you.
For a free epidural error case review with an experienced local attorney, contact us at the Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Hasson, P.C. anytime.