When you admit your child for surgery, you are effectively putting your child’s life in another person’s hands, which is a very brave thing to do. You are putting all of your faith in the abilities of the surgeon, nurses, and the anesthesiologist on hand. But sometimes, things can go wrong.
If your child was given the incorrect amount of anesthetic, this could have the potential to harm them. It can be difficult to successfully estimate the amount of anesthetic to administer on young children. However, when an error is made, it could cause panic and trauma and have the potential to bring serious injury or even death.
What are the risks of anesthesia?
Anesthesia can bring many risks to children, including brain cell damage, and an adverse effect on the developing brain. A small number of children unfortunately die due to problems relating to anesthesia.
There was an anesthesia error in my child’s surgery. Do I have a medical malpractice case?
Medical malpractice cases almost always depend on the perceived competency of the medical professionals involved. Sometimes, unforeseeable circumstances occur, and even the most competent doctor or anesthesiologist in the country would not have been able to prevent a negative outcome.
However, in most complications during surgery, the cause can be traced back to some level of human error. If it can be shown that a hypothetical doctor could have prevented such an error from happening, and if this error directly led to a tangible negative outcome, then the medical professional in question, and the hospital he or she is employed by, could be held responsible.
Deadlines for filing a medical malpractice claim in Iowa
In the state of Iowa, the statute of limitations states that an adult should file a claim within two years since they knew about the injury or death. If a minor suffered an injury while under the age of 8, the deadline is extended up to six years.
It is never a simple process to establish whether a patient or a parent of a patient has a viable medical malpractice case. Therefore you should research the specifics of your situation so that you are more informed.
If you have been the victim of medical malpractice, contact our firm today to get started with a free consultation.