Mismanagement of Chronic Pain Conditions

Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that requires thoughtful, individualized care to improve a patient’s quality of life and prevent further complications. When healthcare providers fail to properly manage chronic pain conditions, they often leave patients suffering unnecessarily. The mismanagement of chronic pain conditions is often the result of carelessness and other acts that constitute negligence, and people harmed by such oversights may be entitled to seek compensation via medical malpractice. If you or a loved one experienced harm due to the mismanagement of chronic pain, you should talk to an attorney about what claims you may be able to pursue. The dedicated Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys at Arfaa Law Group proudly advocate for victims of medical negligence and if you engage our services, we will work tirelessly to help you seek the results you deserve.

Chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, arthritis, and neuropathy, are long-term illnesses that require a multidisciplinary approach to care. Proper management often includes a combination of medications, physical therapy, lifestyle modifications, and, in some cases, interventional procedures. When healthcare providers fail to appropriately diagnose, monitor, or treat these conditions, the consequences can be severe.

Mismanagement of chronic pain conditions may involve various failures, such as prescribing inappropriate medications, neglecting to monitor the effectiveness or side effects of treatment, ignoring the patient’s complaints, or dismissing their pain altogether. Some providers may even exacerbate harm by overprescribing opioids, leading to addiction or dependency, or by underprescribing necessary medications, leaving patients to endure avoidable suffering. Inadequate treatment of chronic pain can lead to physical and emotional harm, including decreased mobility, mental health issues, and a diminished ability to work or engage in daily activities.

People harmed by the mismanagement of chronic pain conditions will often seek damages via medical malpractice claims. In order to recover such damages, a plaintiff must usually establish that their healthcare provider acted negligently. This involves proving four components: duty, breach, causation, and damages.

Initially, the plaintiff must show that the defendant owed them a duty of care. This duty arises out of the doctor-patient relationship and requires the provider to deliver care consistent with the standard expected of a reasonably competent doctor in the same field under similar circumstances.

Next, the plaintiff has to prove that the defendant breached this duty by failing to meet the standard of care. In the context of chronic pain management, this could include prescribing ineffective or harmful treatments, failing to explore alternative therapies, dismissing patient concerns, or neglecting to refer the patient to a specialist. Documentation errors or lack of informed consent for certain procedures may also constitute a breach of duty.

The third element is causation, which requires showing that the defendant’s breach directly caused the plaintiff’s harm. For example, if a doctor’s failure to manage a patient’s pain condition properly led to a worsening of symptoms, physical impairments, or addiction due to improper medication use, the plaintiff must connect these injuries to the provider’s negligence. Expert testimony is often necessary to establish causation and explain how the standard of care was violated.

Finally, the plaintiff must prove damages, which include both economic and non-economic losses. Economic damages may cover additional medical expenses, lost wages, or the cost of assistive devices needed due to the mismanagement of pain. Non-economic damages compensate for the physical pain, emotional suffering, and diminished quality of life caused by inadequate care. In severe cases, families may also pursue wrongful death claims if mismanagement led to fatal complications.

If you or a loved one suffered harm due to the mismanagement of chronic pain conditions, you may have the right to seek compensation for your injuries. At Arfaa Law Group, our experienced Maryland medical malpractice attorneys are committed to holding negligent healthcare providers accountable, and if you hire us, we will diligently pursue the compensation you need to rebuild their lives. Our office is located in Baltimore, and we represent clients in medical malpractice cases throughout the city. Contact us today at (410) 889-1850 or complete our online form to schedule a free consultation.