While radiation is a necessary treatment for many patients who have cancer, it may be detrimental if it is not administered properly. In some cases, radiation errors may have severe consequences, including the premature death of a patient who has been subjected to radiation overdose. If you or someone close to you has been injured by a radiation error, you should reach out to a skilled Baltimore medical malpractice lawyer who can evaluate the facts of your case. At Arfaa Law Group, we are committed to helping injured patients seek the compensation that they deserve for their harm.
Holding a Health Care Provider Liable for a Radiation ErrorRadiation may be extremely damaging if it is not used carefully. Radiation therapy is a common and effective treatment for cancer patients. It works by destroying the genetic material that controls how cells grow and divide. While radiation therapy inevitably kills both healthy and cancerous cells, the goal is to kill as few normal, healthy cells as possible. Excessive radiation sometimes will kill too many normal, healthy cells and cause health problems for patients. Radiation errors are not easy to detect. Even when they are detected, there is often little to no recourse for a patient to correct the harm.
There are two types of radiation errors of which you should be aware: contamination and incorporation. Contamination takes place when a patient is improperly exposed to radiation treatment. The skin may become contaminated, and the radiation may potentially be deposited inside the body. Incorporation takes place when the body’s cells, tissues, and organs (like the thyroid, kidney, or bones) absorb the radiation. Both of these situations may lead to serious health consequences for the patient.
Radiation errors may have a number of causes, including hospital technician or operator errors, mechanical malfunctions, programming errors when it comes to the amount of radiation that the device is supposed to deliver, erroneous prescriptions of radiation, and radiation beams being positioned wrongly, thereby affecting an unintended part of the body.
If you believe that you or a family member was injured due to a radiation error, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against the at-fault party. Medical malpractice takes place when an injury or death occurs as a result of a medical professional failing to use the level of care that a reasonably prudent medical professional in the same specialty would have used under the same or similar circumstances. In other words, medical malpractice consists of any act or omission by a physician during the treatment of a patient that deviates from the accepted standard of care in the medical community and ends up causing harm to the patient. It is important to note that one or a number of parties may be liable for radiation errors, including the physician, the hospital, the radiotherapy center, and various members of the medical staff.
Medical malpractice claims must be filed within a time limit known as the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases in Maryland is five years from the date of the injury or three years from when the injury was discovered, whichever is earlier. Failing to file within this deadline might mean losing your right to recover compensation altogether.
Discuss Your Legal Rights with a Baltimore AttorneyRadiation undoubtedly saves countless lives, but too much radiation may be harmful and even lethal. If you or a loved one was harmed due to a radiation error, you need to reach out to a hospital negligence attorney as soon as possible. At Arfaa Law Group, we have many years of experience navigating virtually every type of medical malpractice claim and can put our knowledge to use on your behalf. We can zealously advocate for your rights at every step of the way. Baltimore attorney Julia Arfaa can assist patients and their families throughout the state of Maryland. For more information, call us at 410-889-1850 or contact us online.