Rochester Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Around 185,000 amputations occur annually in the United States, as reported by the Amputee Coalition. By 2050, an estimated 3.6 million people would have had limb loss. When a patient loses a limb as a result of medical negligence, it can have a traumatizing effect on them and their loved ones.
An amputation is a devastating event that requires extensive medical care and creates a myriad of problems for the person and their loved ones. Injured parties who have had limbs amputated often cannot go back to work in the same capacity as before the incident. Professional athletes, delivery drivers, and chefs are particularly at risk. Loss of a hand, arm, leg, or foot could prevent these patients from continuing in their career roles. A healthcare provider found guilty of medical malpractice may be held liable for an aggrieved patient’s current and future economic losses. The statute of limitations for filing a medical malpractice suit and the maximum award for damages that can be obtained varies from one state to the next. If you think you’ve been the victim of medical negligence, you should talk to the lawyers at DeFrancisco & Falgiatano. We have several offices throughout Upstate New York to better serve our clients who have been injured as a result of medical malpractice. The success we’ve had for our clients in cases involving medical negligence is a direct reflection of our years of experience in the industry.
To save a person’s life, amputation is often the only option. However, amputations are often the result of medical errors that could have been avoided with better care. These errors can include things like failing to properly diagnose a condition, failing to treat an infection that spreads after surgery or due to an improperly maintained wound, failing to treat existing blood clots or internal bleeding that can cause poor circulation in the limbs, medication errors due to improper prescription, lack of careful patient monitoring, and failure to treat a patient’s symptoms. Complications after amputation are more common in people with diabetes, prior infections, and cardiovascular disease. So, during diagnosis and therapy, medical professionals must take each patient’s history of health issues into account.
Mistakes in communication are a common cause of medical malpractice, including amputations, which can have devastating consequences for patients. During surgery, you may receive attention from a large team of medical professionals. That makes it more likely that someone will spread misinformation about you. The wrong patient being operated on is another tragic mistake. The possibility of a hospital accidentally operating on the incorrect patient is unfathomable. Before an amputation is performed, doctors will typically use X-rays to check out the surgical site. Incorrect X-ray positioning can lead to amputation of the wrong leg. In some cases, amputating a limb is unnecessary. A misdiagnosis, on the other hand, could let a treatable ailment develop to the point where amputation is necessary. A delay in the patient’s treatment could result in an amputation becoming necessary.
Our lawyers might be able to defend you in a medical malpractice claim against your doctor if he or she provided substandard care that led to your need for a surgical amputation. You may be able to collect damages on your behalf if liability can be established and demonstrated. Damages might come in the form of money paid out for medical care, time away from work, mental discomfort, physical pain, and suffering, and the cost of necessary medical devices.
The time within which you can file a lawsuit, the statute of limitations, can be short, so even if you are unsure whether you want to pursue a malpractice lawsuit, it’s important to reach out to an attorney as soon as possible so you can get all the facts you need to make your decision.
When you choose a law firm to represent you in connection with an amputation caused by another, it’s important to consider its trial experience, reviews, and record of success. If you sustained amputation in the Upstate New York area due to the fault of another, you should call the seasoned attorneys of DeFrancisco & Falgiatano. We have over 3 decades of experience representing accident victims and have recovered over $100 million in personal injury awards. We represent injured clients and their families throughout Upstate New York, including Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, Elmira, Binghamton, Auburn, Ithaca, Oswego, Norwich, Herkimer, Delhi, Cooperstown, Cortland, Lowville, Oneida, Watertown, Utica, Canandaigua, Wampsville, Lyons, and surrounding areas. Please call us at 833-200-2000 or contact us via our online form to discuss your case.
