Spinal Surgery Malpractice

Spinal cord injuries can affect a person for the rest of his or her life. If you have suffered complications after a spinal surgery, you may be wondering if your injuries resulted from malpractice. If this suspicion has crossed your mind, you need to reach out to a Baltimore medical malpractice attorney who can help you investigate what actually happened and bring a claim if needed. At Arfaa Law Group, we are dedicated to holding health care providers accountable for the harm that they cause through spinal surgery malpractice.

The spinal cord contains nerves that relay information to the various parts of the body and affect coordination and motor skills. In other words, the spinal cord is a direct line of communication from the brain to the rest of the body. It is important to note that our spinal cords are fragile, and injuries to this part of the body can lead to serious damage to the nervous system, which can result in disabilities and even partial or total paralysis. In addition, patients with spinal cord injuries often become prone to develop other medical problems, such as bladder infections, lung infections, and bedsores.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 11,000 people across the United States sustain spinal cord injuries each year. Sadly, many of these injuries are results of spinal surgery malpractice, leading to conditions such as quadriplegia, cauda equine syndrome, and loss of bowel or bladder function. In some cases, patients never recover, and they may require lifelong assistance and medical care for even the most basic day-to-day tasks. Surgical errors can take a variety of forms, including:

• Failing to provide information on all of the risks of spinal surgery;
• Misusing a medical device or implant during the procedure;
• Making a medical mistake during an operation;
• Performing a surgery on the wrong part of the spine; or
• Leaving a spine fragment in place in the patient that impinges on the spinal cord.

Of course, not every sub-optimal outcome from a spinal surgery means that medical malpractice occurred. Sometimes complications are inevitable. Thus, the task of proving negligence rests at the center of every Maryland medical malpractice case. Medical malpractice occurs when a surgeon causes injuries or death by failing to use the standard of care that a reasonably competent surgeon in the same or a similar situation would have used. The “standard of care” is the legal term used to refer to the threshold for what constitutes negligence in medical malpractice claims. There is no set definition for the term, but it encompasses a number of factors, such as the patient’s age, medical condition, and medical history, in addition to the medical professional’s specialty. Therefore, each case is unique and must be examined individually in order to determine whether the standard of care was violated.

The statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases varies from state to state. In Maryland, you must file a lawsuit in civil court within three years from the discovery of the injury or five years from the injury, whichever is earlier. If you miss this deadline, your claim may be forfeited forever. To avoid this severe consequence, it is imperative to work with an attorney who will be vigilant about timelines in your case.

Spinal surgery malpractice can have devastating consequences for a patient, who may end up suffering long-term or even permanent injuries. If you or someone close to you has suffered a spinal cord injury due to a surgeon’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our attorneys provide caring and comprehensive representation to people in Baltimore and throughout Maryland at every step of the way. We understand that this is a difficult time for your family and you, but we will try to help in any way that we can. For a free consultation regarding a spinal cord injury, call 410-889-1850 or contact us online.