Wrongful Amputation Attorney Ohio

Medical negligence and amputations in Ohio

Medical negligence comes in many forms. From missing a diagnosis to prescribing the wrong medication, the consequences can be devastating and potentially deadly. Legally, medical negligence is more than a simple mistake – the provider must have acted or failed to act as a reasonably competent person in the same field would in the same circumstances. If a person required an amputation because they had a treatable condition that progressed too far to save the limb, this would not be medical negligence if the injured person did not present in the hospital until it was too late. If the person presented and was sent home with the wrong diagnosis, that might be a case of medical negligence, but only if it would have been reasonable for another provider to have properly diagnosed that patient.

In many wrongful amputations, the error is more obvious and sometimes shocking.

Causes of wrongful amputation

Wrongful amputations may be the result of physicians’ errors treating injuries and illnesses that led to the need for amputation, or even a mistake that happens in the surgery room. Here are some scenarios that might lead to a wrongful amputation.

Wrong-site amputation

A wrong-site amputation case captured headlines recently. In that instance, a hospital worker marked the wrong leg before the surgeon began the procedure. That mistake led to the surgeon removing the wrong leg. The man ultimately lost both of his legs.

Wrong-site amputation can have other causes as well. For instance, an X-ray read backward could suggest the ailment is on the opposite side of the body; incorrect entry of information on forms could lead to the surgeon getting incorrect information. In some instances, the hospital may even mix up patients and perform the wrong procedure.

All of these cases are entirely avoidable and suggest that the facility and those working in the hospital were medically negligent.

Misdiagnosis and failure to diagnose

Misdiagnosis of serious conditions can lead to the need for more drastic medical interventions. For instance, sepsis cases may lead to the need for amputations. About 38 people lose limbs to sepsis every day in the US, and the condition kills 258,000 people a year. Still, just over 40% of people do not know about the condition or its symptoms. A delay in diagnosis can lead to the loss of limbs and other complications.

Other possible causes include diabetes and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Often, earlier detection and treatment can help prevent the need for amputations. If a medical provider negligently dismissed symptoms of an infection or other condition leading to the need for amputation, they might be liable for medical malpractice.

Surgical errors

Surgeons sometimes leave objects inside a person after completing surgery. That object can lead to further complications. In one instance, a woman underwent surgery, and the doctor left a sponge inside her. Complications resulting from the sponge led to her needing to have both legs amputated.

Another surgical error took place when a surgeon performing gallbladder surgery punctured the patient’s aorta. The 20-year-old man nearly died and ended up losing both of his legs as a result of the injury.

Other surgical errors, like the use of unclean or contaminated medical devices, could contribute to infections that may also lead to amputations.