Kidney disease is a progressive condition that can cause significant complications. Treatment measures can slow the advancement of the disease, allowing patients to live longer without severe symptoms. As such, prompt and thorough care is essential to managing kidney disease, and delays can lead to critical health issues. While money alone cannot repair the physical and emotional harm caused by medical negligence, it can help mitigate the financial losses parties often suffer due to their injuries. If you sustained damages because of delayed treatment of kidney disease, you could be owed compensation, and you should speak to an attorney about your rights. The Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers of Arfaa Law Group are adept at helping people hurt by careless doctors fight for just results, and if you engage our services, we will develop persuasive arguments on your behalf.
Diagnosing and Treating Kidney DiseaseCertain risk factors make people more prone to developing kidney disease. For example, it is more prevalent in people with type I or type II diabetes, enlarged prostates, obesity, abnormal kidney structure, or a family history of kidney disease. It also occurs more commonly in people who suffer from other disorders affecting the kidneys. Signs of kidney disease include increased urination, difficulty sleeping, weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and cramping. High blood pressure, chest pain, swelling, itching, and shortness of breath may also indicate a person is suffering from kidney disease. Doctors will typically prescribe medication and suggest nutritional and lifestyle changes to treat kidney disease. When treatment is delayed, kidney disease often progresses rapidly, placing patients at risk for cardiovascular complications and kidney failure.
Proving Liability for Delayed Treatment of Kidney DiseasePeople injured due to delayed treatment of kidney disease have the right to pursue compensation for their harm. While neglecting to provide a patient with necessary treatment appears to be a clear example of medical malpractice, a plaintiff nonetheless must prove a defendant’s liability to recover damages. Typically, fault is established via a medical negligence claim.
In Maryland, a plaintiff alleging negligence must first demonstrate the defendant owed him or her a duty of care. In cases arising out of medical malpractice, the duty owed is the obligation to provide treatment that complies with the applicable standard of care, which is the care a reasonable professional working in the same specialty would provide when presented with the same scenario. The plaintiff must then show that the defendant’s behavior represents a breach of the standard. Finally, the plaintiff must demonstrate actual losses and link them to the defendant’s breach. In other words, the plaintiff must show that the harm would not have occurred absent the defendant’s actions.
Although it seems obvious that delayed treatment of kidney disease constitutes medical malpractice, a plaintiff will most likely have to hire an expert to offer testimony regarding the applicable standard of care and the manner in which the defendant departed from the standard. For example, the expert can testify regarding what a competent doctor would do in the same situation and note the discrepancies in the defendant’s behavior. Expert testimony is usually required to demonstrate causation as well. Additionally, expert testimony may be necessary to establish the plaintiff’s damages, such as what medical treatment the patient had to undergo or will need in the future and the extent to which the plaintiff is unable to work or perform the daily activities of life.
Speak to an Experienced Baltimore AttorneyDelayed treatment of kidney disease typically causes significant and irreparable harm, and doctors that negligently fail to provide their patients with proper care should be held accountable. If you were harmed by an incompetent doctor, you might be able to recover damages, and you should speak to an attorney as soon as possible. The experienced Baltimore lawyers of Arfaa Law Group are well-versed in what it takes to obtain favorable results in medical malpractice cases, and if we represent you, we will fight tirelessly on your behalf. We have an office in Baltimore, where we frequently help people pursue claims against negligent doctors. You can reach us through our online form or at (410) 889-1850 to set up a conference.