Maryland, Virginia & Washington, D.C. Anesthesia Negligence Lawyers

Fighting for Victims of Anesthesia Malpractice

If you or someone you love were injured by a medical provider’s negligent administration of anesthesia, you may be entitled to compensation.

Anesthesiologists, physicians, and other health care providers who use anesthesia have legal obligations to meet an accepted standard of care. When providers fail to meet this standard and injure patients as a result, they can be held financially liable for victims’ losses.

Portner & Shure, P.A. is a nationally recognized trial practice with a reputation for litigating complex medical malpractice lawsuits on behalf of injured patients and families across the DMV. Comprised of trusted award-winning lawyers, we have the experience required of challenging cases involving anesthesia errors and the insight to maximize our clients’ compensation.

If you have questions about an anesthesia malpractice lawsuit in Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia, we want to help. Call (410) 995-1515 or contact us online for a FREE consultation.

What is Anesthesia Malpractice?

Health care providers are obligated to treat patients in accordance with a duty of care that meets the accepted standards of their profession.

Regardless of who the provider is (an anesthesiologist, plastic surgeon, nurse anesthetist, or other type of medical professional) and regardless of where the anesthesia is administered (such as a hospital, outpatient facility, emergency room, or doctor’s office), those who prepare and administer anesthesia must meet the applicable “duty of care.” In other words, they must treat patients in the same skillful and knowledgeable manner that would be expected of an ordinarily careful professional under similar circumstances.

Unfortunately, substandard care involving anesthesia happens frequently in a variety of settings. This includes anesthesia errors involving:

• Anesthesia dosage errors (too little or too much anesthesia).
• Failure to properly monitor patients after anesthesia is administered.
• Failure to identify signs of distress or complications and promptly intervene.
• Medication errors, including failures to manage medications and drug interactions.
• Administrative errors involving anesthesia mix-ups and other protocols involving anesthesia and patient care.
• Administration of anesthesia to patients with a known allergy or intolerance.

General, regional, and local anesthesia use powerful medications that produce a temporary, controlled loss or sensation or awareness in patients. While anesthesia is vital for many modern medical procedures, it poses considerable risks for patients that must be managed.

When providers fail to appropriately manage these risks or are otherwise negligent in administrating anesthesia, serious injuries can result. Some examples include:

• Allergic reactions / anaphylaxis
• Stroke or heart attack
• Blood clots
• Oxygen deprivation resulting in brain damage
• Wrongful death

Who is Liable for Anesthesia Mistakes?

For patients and families harmed by anesthesia errors, determining who can be held financially responsible is critical to a successful claim. Depending on the facts of a case, victims may have grounds to take action against:

• Negligent anesthesiologists.
• Hospitals, physician groups, or medical practices that employed a negligent provider or bear responsibility for administrative errors.
• Dentists, oral surgeons, plastic/cosmetic surgeons, and other professionals who negligently use anesthesia in outpatient settings.
• Manufacturers of defective equipment or drugs used in the administration of anesthesia.

Do I Have a Case?

You may have grounds to pursue an anesthesia malpractice lawsuit if:

• You or a loved one underwent a procedure involving the use of anesthesia; and
• An injury resulted from an anesthesia error.

Determining whether patient injuries resulted from anesthesia – and whether providers failed to meet accepted standards of care when administering anesthesia – is a challenging task that demands the insight of qualified attorneys and medical experts.

Our attorneys leverage extensive experience in this field to evaluate the merits of potential claims. We also work closely with consulting medical experts who provide their opinions about whether providers failed to meet accepted standards and supply testimony that supports our clients’ claims in court.

Ultimately, the best way to evaluate whether you have a legitimate case against an anesthesiologist or other provider responsible for an anesthesia error is to have your matter reviewed personally by an attorney. Portner & Shure, P.A. offers FREE and confidential consultations precisely for this reason.

Recoverable Damages in Anesthesia Malpractice Suits

Victims who prevail in anesthesia malpractice actions can recover financial compensation for their damages. While the value of any case is dependent on the specific facts and circumstances involved, some general examples of recoverable damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Past and future medical bills
• Lost income and lost future earnings
• Disfigurement and disability
• Emotional anguish
• Loss of emotional and financial support
• Other economic and non-economic losses

In addition to constructing claims that position victims to prevail in their claims, our anesthesia malpractice lawyers invest considerable time and effort into calculating and conveying the full scope of damages suffered by our clients. This allows us to pursue recoveries that reflect our clients’ losses and to fight for the maximum compensation possible.

Our Results

Portner & Shure, P.A. has cultivated a legacy for litigating complex and consequential cases, we have recovered more than $400 million in compensation on behalf of patients, including millions of dollars for victims of medical malpractice:

• $2.6 million settlement in a birth injury case involving a baby who suffered brain damage resulting in cerebral palsy after a hospital physician and mid-wife failed to adequately monitor the mother and child following a placental rupture.
• $990,000 settlement for the family of a mentally disabled minor who died after he removed his restraints and breathing tube. Our team was able to locate evidence that the nurse failed to adequately supervise the patient and stepped out of the room while he was unrestrained and negotiate a more than 75% reduction of a Medicare lien that exceeded $300,000.
• $360,000 settlement for the family of a patient who was given morphine upon his release after undergoing gall bladder surgery and subsequently died from an allergic reaction.
• $300,000 settlement in a case involving a pregnant mother who was negligently released and sent home by hospital staff after her water broke at 31 weeks, only to present the following morning indicating no movement with the baby. Our team contended that had a sonogram been performed, the baby would have been delivered healthy.

Call or text us For a FREE Consultation: (410) 995-1515

Anesthesia errors can have devastating repercussions for victims and their families, including profound emotional and financial losses.

At Portner & Shure, P.A., we know clients and families come to us in trying and emotionally turbulent times. It’s why we are passionate about providing exceptional support as they process their losses and the legal firepower they need to fight back against negligent providers and powerful insurance carriers.

If you have questions about a potential case anywhere in Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, D.C., our anesthesia negligence attorneys want to help. Call (410) 995-1515 or contact us online to request a free case evaluation.