Medical Malpractice Attorneys - Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and Idaho

Recent studies have concluded that medical malpractice is a leading cause of serious injury and death in the United States. According to one study, medical malpractice in this country causes up to 120,000 deaths every year, making it a leading cause of death due to preventable adverse events. Deaths from medical malpractice exceed those attributable to motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, and AIDS combined.

These startling statistics do not include medical mistakes that leave hundreds of thousands of patients paralyzed, brain damaged, and otherwise catastrophically injured every year.

In our experience, the most common medical mistakes causing serious patient injury include the failure to diagnose and treat:

Anesthesia Complications

Anesthesia induced injuries occur during surgical procedures, labor and delivery, pain management therapy and other forms of medical treatment. Common injuries range from nerve damage to paralysis and death. Medical specialists, called anesthesiologists, are usually responsible for administering and monitoring anesthesia during major surgical procedures. Specially trained nurses, called nurse practitioners or certified registered nurse anesthetists, administer and monitor anesthesia during some medical and surgical procedures. These individuals, and the primary care physician, are responsible for patient safety and should take precautions to avoid anesthesia injuries by making certain that appropriate medications are selected and administered in the correct amount and manner. Close monitoring of patients' vital signs (including heart and respiration rates and blood pressures) as well as careful and constant observation of patients is also essential. Serious patient injuries result when responsible healthcare providers administer the wrong amounts or the wrong medications. Other patient injuries occur when patients experience adverse reactions to medications and healthcare providers are not watching closely. Healthcare providers are responsible for injuries to patients that occur under these circumstances. Click here to contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Fabian & Clendenin - located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Aneurysms

An aneurysm is the ballooning and rupture of an artery caused by blood pressure flowing through a weakened area. This may be due to the artery having disease, injury, or inherent defect. A dissecting aneurysm occurs when blood pressure splits the artery and blood spills within the wall of the artery. Dissecting aneurysms are most common in the aorta, a major artery coming off of the heart. Other aneurysms may occur in the arteries of the brain, abdomen and other parts of the body. Aneurysms of the aorta or abdomen are commonly associated with severe chest and abdominal pain. Brain or cerebral aneurysms are often associated with severe headaches and occasional paralysis of the eyelids or eyes. Diagnosis of a dissecting aneurysm is often made by x-ray but more likely CT or MRI scanning. If diagnosed and treated before rupture, the prognosis for many types of aneurysms is extremely good. For example, non-urgent surgery of aortic aneurysms provides an eighty to ninety percent chance of survival. However, the prognosis is generally poor when diagnosis and treatment is delayed until an aneurysm has ruptured. Consequently, healthcare providers must act promptly to treat patients complaining of symptoms of an aneurysm. Failure to do so often results in significant disability such as brain damage, paralysis and death. Healthcare providers are responsible for injuries caused by their delay in diagnosing and treating aneurysms. Click here to contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Fabian & Clendenin - serving Salt Lake City, Utah as well as Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.

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Appendicitis

Appendicitis strikes nearly 4,000 people in the United States each year. It is one of the most common surgical emergencies in the United States. Symptoms of appendicitis generally begin with some abdominal discomfort gradually increasing into a more intense pain in the lower right-hand side of the abdomen. This pain and abdominal tenderness is usually accompanied by a slight fever, loss of appetite and occasionally nausea and vomiting. Treatment usually consists of immediate surgical removal of the appendix. Delay in treatment may result in a rupture or perforation of the appendix causing the infected contents of the appendix to spread into the abdomen. This results in infection of the lining covering the intestines and, if not treated immediately, may result in widespread infection, shock and eventually death. Healthcare providers failing to appropriately respond to patients presenting with symptoms of appendicitis are responsible for injuries caused by their failure or delay to properly treat. Click here to contact the medical negligence attorneys at Fabian & Clendenin - located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Birth injury (Cerebral Palsy)

Birth injuries are injuries sustained during labor and delivery. Such injuries include damage to nerves in the shoulder region and face, which may cause temporary or permanent paralysis. Other types of birth injury are fractures of the collarbone, arms, ribs and skull.

More serious types of birth injury include brain injuries such as cerebral palsy or mental retardation. The most common cause of cerebral palsy is hypoxia or poor oxygen supply to the brain. Cerebral palsy may also be caused by a brain infection or by head injury. Symptoms of cerebral palsy may include floppy muscles, one or more limbs that are permanently contracted or stiff, delayed development in movement skills, difficulty learning to walk, and mental retardation. The risk of cerebral palsy is increased for infants who are born prematurely or as a result of difficult labor and delivery. Cerebral palsy is incurable but symptoms may be treated with physical and speech therapy. Birth injuries that are the result of failure to perform a timely cesarean section, or that are the result of other careless or inadequate medical care, should be paid for by responsible healthcare providers. Experienced birth injury lawyers will be able to help you receive the compensation you deserve. Click here to contact the birth injury lawyers at Fabian & Clendenin - located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Bleeding

Patients who successfully undergo surgery are sometimes injured or die as a result of delay in diagnosing and treating bleeding. Rapid loss of blood can cause symptoms of shock with faintness, paleness, and sweating. Loss of a large volume of blood results in a fall in blood pressure and increased respiration and heart rate as the body attempts to compensate. Treatment of severe blood loss includes infusion of saline solution and plasma or blood transfusion. Internal bleeding may require CT scanning or exploratory surgery to locate and close the source of the bleed. Bleeding from small blood vessels may be controlled by clamping with forceps, cauterizing with high frequency electrical current, or by sewing leaking vessels closed. Bleeding also results from trauma and disease. Healthcare providers should guard against post-operative bleeding, by frequently and closely monitoring patients' vital signs including heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure and temperature. Healthcare providers who fail to appropriately diagnose and treat this complication are responsible for any injuries that result from their failures. Click here to contact the medical negligence lawyers at Fabian & Clendenin - serving Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Blood Clots (Pulmonary Emboli)

Blood clots may form in the pelvis or legs as a result of trauma or surgery. Occasionally part of a clot may break free and travel through the veins of the legs or pelvis to the heart and lungs where they may lodge in and block an artery. This is called pulmonary embolism and can result in the death of patients if not treated immediately. Pulmonary embolism is responsible for nearly 50,000 deaths in the United States each year. Symptoms of pulmonary embolism often include shortness of breath, rapid pulse, dizziness, chest pain that is worse when breathing and coughing. Diagnosis is usually made by chest x-rays, angiogram, or radionuclide scanning. Treatment consists primarily of giving blood thinners to prevent further clotting and promoting clot dissolution. If diagnosed and treated early, the outcome or prognosis for most patients is excellent. A delay in diagnosing and treating large clots or many clots may result in respiratory arrest and death. Doctors and other healthcare providers who fail to appropriately diagnose and treat blood clots such as thrombophlebitis or pulmonary embolism are responsible for patient injuries and deaths resulting from their delay. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's medical malpractice attorneys in Salt Lake City, Utah - also serving Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.

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Blood Clots (Thrombophlebitis)

Blood clots are a risk of most surgeries and many forms of disease. Blood clots may form in the pelvis or legs of post-operative patients as a result of the trauma and immobility of surgery. Blood clots also result from other traumatic injuries. If left untreated, blood clots may completely clog veins, causing pain and swelling and interference with blood circulation. This may result in permanent damage to nerves, muscles and other tissues. Inflammation of the veins, along with clot formation in the affected area, is called thrombophlebitis. Patients suffering from thrombophlebitis usually experience symptoms of pain, tenderness, swelling and occasional discoloration at the site of the clots. Deep vein thrombosis is usually diagnosed by radiology tests called venograms or Doppler ultrasound scanning. Treatment often consists of immobilization and blood thinners that actively dissolve clots. Healthcare providers who fail to appropriately prevent or treat blood clots are responsible for patient injuries caused by their failures. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's medical malpractice lawyers in Salt Lake City, Utah - also serving Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho.

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Cancers

Failure to timely diagnose and treat cancers frequently results in patient deaths. Recent advances in medicine make many forms of cancer treatable or curable if caught early. Cancers of the brain, bladder, breast, colon, cervix, prostate, skin, and uterus frequently go undiagnosed and untreated for many months after patients experience and complain of symptoms. Symptoms of bladder cancer include bloody urine, urinary frequency and painful urination. Breast cancer may cause a lump, unusual discharge from the nipple, indentation or discoloration of the nipple, or dimpled or creased skin over the lump. Symptoms of colon or rectal cancer typically include rectal bleeding that may or may not be accompanied by changes in bowel habits and rectal or abdominal pain. Symptoms of brain cancer may include headaches, dizziness and visual changes. Cervical and uterine cancer is often silent in the earliest stages, hence, the need for early detection through a cervical smear test (pap smear). Patient complaints of symptoms of cancer should be taken seriously and evaluated by a careful history, physical examination and, if indicated, radiographic studies and biopsy. Healthcare providers who fail to appropriately respond to patient complaints of symptoms of cancer are responsible for injuries resulting from the delay. Click here to contact the medical negligence lawyers at Fabian & Clendenin - helping patients in Salt Lake City, Utah as well as Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada.

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Edema (Fluid In Lungs and Tissues)

Patients who successfully undergo surgery are sometimes injured or die as a result of delay in diagnosing and treating edema. Edema is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the body tissues. Pulmonary edema, or accumulation of fluid in the lungs may occur as a result of injury to the chest, ribs, or lungs or from injury, disease or heart surgery. Symptoms of pulmonary edema include swelling of the lower back and around the ankles. Fluid collection in the cavity of the abdomen, fluid collection in the lungs or pleural effusion may create difficulty breathing resulting in complaints of shortness of breath and increased pulse and respiratory rates. Pulmonary edema is usually treated by helping the body eliminate excess fluid by increasing urine output. This is usually done by administering medications called diuretics. Failure to timely diagnose and treat pulmonary edema can result in respiratory arrest and death. Healthcare providers should guard against the risk of post-operative pulmonary edema by frequently and closely monitoring patients' vital signs including heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure and temperature. Healthcare providers who fail to appropriately diagnose and treat this post-operative complication are responsible for any injuries that result from their failure. Click here to contact the medical negligence attorneys at Fabian & Clendenin - located in Salt Lake City Utah.

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Fetal Distress

Fetal distress can result in severe injury or death of a fetus or newborn baby if not promptly recognized and treated with emergent or prompt cesarean section, or by forceps delivery or vacuum extraction. Fetal distress results when a fetus fails to receive enough oxygen during labor and delivery. While fetal distress is usually caused when uterine contractions reduce the baby's oxygen supply, it can also result from other causes such as the mother's blood loss. The attending obstetrician and labor and delivery nurses are responsible for monitoring the health of both the laboring mother and her fetus through regular and careful physical examinations and fetal heart monitoring. Significant fetal distress is usually detected and treated through appropriate monitoring and prompt measures such as cesarean section. Healthcare providers who fail to appropriately watch for, recognize, and treat fetal distress are responsible for any injuries resulting from their failures. Such injuries are often catastrophic, including severe brain damage and death. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's birth injury lawyers in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Gastrointestinal Perforations

Perforations of the esophagus, stomach, intestines or colon are associated with many types of surgical procedures and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Early diagnosis and treatment, by surgically sewing the perforation or tear shut, usually results in a good outcome for the patient. However, failure to timely diagnose and treat a gastrointestinal perforation permits a continuing spillage of gastric acids and gastrointestinal contents into the peritoneal cavity. This almost always results in severe infection and eventual septic shock and death. Some perforations occur spontaneously as a result of diseases such as diverticulitis or ulcers. Perforations also occur during medical examinations of the esophagus, stomach, colon and intestines. Perforations are usually associated with gradually increasing abdominal pain, bloating, and fever. They also may be accompanied by loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. Most perforations of the gastrointestinal tract are diagnosed through careful x-ray examination showing gastrointestinal contents and air within the peritoneum or abdominal cavity. Physicians and other healthcare providers who fail to warn patients of the risks of perforation from medical treatment or who fail to appropriately respond to complaints of symptoms of perforation are responsible for injuries resulting from their failures. Click here to contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Fabian & Clendenin - serving Salt Lake City, Utah as well as Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho.

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Heart Attack or Heart Disease

Failure to diagnose and treat symptoms of a heart attack or heart disease is one of the most common forms of medical malpractice committed by emergency room physicians, general practitioners and other healthcare providers. Symptoms of heart attack or heart disease frequently include chest pain radiating to the neck, shoulders, jaw, arms or back, often accompanied by shortness of breath or difficulty breathing and sweating. Diagnosis is usually made by careful physical examination, laboratory testing, and EKG testing. With recent advances in medical science, many forms of heart disease respond well to early diagnosis and treatment. Failure to recognize and treat symptoms of a heart attack or disease often result in heart damage, permanent disability and death. Physicians and other healthcare providers who fail to appropriately recognize and treat symptoms of a heart attack or disease are responsible for resulting death, heart damage, diminished life expectancy and other injuries. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's medical malpractice attorneys - located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Infections

Patients who successfully undergo surgery are sometimes injured or die as a result of delay in diagnosing and treating infections. Infection is a risk of every surgical procedure and, therefore, should be watched for in all post-operative patients. Symptoms may include inflammation of the surgical site, increased temperature and white blood count on laboratory exam. While healthcare providers are usually not responsible for causing infections, they must try to prevent, carefully watch for, and aggressively treat it when it occurs. Treatment is usually made with antibiotics or surgical exploration and drainage. Healthcare providers should guard against post-operative infection by frequently and closely monitoring patients' vital signs, including heart and respiratory rate, blood pressure and temperature. Healthcare providers who fail to appropriately diagnose and treat this post-operative complication are responsible for any injuries that result from their failures. Click here to contact Fabian Clendenin's medical negligence lawyers in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Medication Errors

Medication errors are the most common form of medical malpractice. Medication errors result when healthcare providers prescribe and administer the wrong medications, the wrong amounts of medication, the wrong combinations of medications or medications for which patients are allergic or which are otherwise contraindicated. Medication errors also occur when the pharmacies or pharmacists filling a prescription give patients the wrong medicines. Medication errors result in a variety of injuries ranging from minor and temporary diarrhea to severe neurologic injury, paralysis, brain damage and death. Prescribing physicians, pharmacists and other healthcare providers who cause medication errors are responsible for resulting injuries to patients. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's medical negligence attorneys in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Orthopedic Complications

Orthopedic complications include a broad array of patient injuries caused by error or mistake. The most frequent error-induced injuries include failure to timely diagnose and adequately treat broken bones or severed ligaments and tendons. Fractures of the hands, arms, feet, legs and back go undiagnosed when healthcare providers fail to listen to patient complaints or fail to take or properly interpret x-ray films. Such errors often result in failure of broken bones to heal causing serious deformity or disability. (For more information on back injuries, see Spinal Cord Injuries, below.)

Ligaments are tough bands of fibrous elastic tissue that hold the ends of bones together thereby preventing excessive movement of joints. Ligaments of the ankle joint or knee are often damaged through injury. This frequently requires immobilization in a cast or surgical repair. Severed ligaments or tendons go undiagnosed when treating physicians fail to perform careful physical examinations or fail to pay careful attention to patient complaints of difficult, painful or limited movements of fingers, hands, arms, feet and legs.

Tendons are fibrous cords that hold muscles to bone or muscle to muscle. Tendons may rupture or tear apart from severe stress. Tendons in the hand are commonly cut or severed by deep wounds or cuts. Such injuries require surgical repair by sewing or grafting the ends of the torn tendon together. Failure to timely diagnose and treat severed or torn ligaments and tendons may result in partial or total loss of use of fingers, hands, arms, feet, knees or other extremities, or joints. Physicians and other healthcare providers failing to timely and appropriately diagnose and treat these conditions are responsible for injuries or damages resulting from their delay. Click here to contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Fabian & Clendenin - located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Also serving Wyoming, Idaho and Nevada.

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Pneumonias

Pneumonias or infections of the lungs are the sixth most common cause of death in the United States. Pneumonias can be caused by viral or bacterial infections that lead to inflammation of the lungs. Symptoms of pneumonia usually include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, fever, (often accompanied by chills) and a cough. Chest pain that is worse when breathing may or may not be associated with pneumonia. Diagnosis of pneumonia is made by carefully listening to the lungs with confirmation through x-ray examination. If caught early, most forms of pneumonia respond well to treatment with antibiotics. Delays in diagnosis and treatment can result in respiratory arrest and death. Physicians and other healthcare providers who fail to appropriately recognize and treat symptoms of pneumonia, are responsible for these injuries. Click here to contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Fabian & Clendenin - serving Salt Lake City, Utah as well as Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho.

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Radiology Films/Improper Interpretations

The use of x-ray and other radiology studies is an important part of modern medicine. Physicians specializing in the interpretation of radiology films are called radiologists. Failure to properly interpret and report the findings of radiology studies, such as x-rays, MRI scans, CT scans and ultrasounds can result in serious injury to patients including failures to diagnose cancers, broken bones, and fetal abnormalities. Radiologists and other healthcare provider who fail to properly interpret and report results of radiographic studies, are responsible for injuries that result from these errors. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's medical negligence attorneys in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Spinal Cord Injuries

Failure to timely diagnose and treat injuries to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis leaving patients with serious and permanent neurologic injuries. Spinal cord injuries are frequently caused by trauma from a variety of sources including ruptured disks, fractures of the vertebrae, loss of blood circulation, or bleeding into or around the spinal cord. Permanent injury to the spinal cord from these causes is often preceded by pain, numbness, loss of sensation, and diminished strength and reflexes in the neck, back, arms, feet or legs. Early diagnosis and treatment can often prevent paralysis and other permanent injury. Diagnosis is usually made through careful physical examination and radiologic studies such as x-rays, CT and MRI exams. Healthcare providers who fail to timely suspect, work-up and treat patients complaining of symptoms of spinal cord injuries are responsible for neurologic injury or death that may result from their delay. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's medical negligence lawyers in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Sponges and Other Foreign Objects

Most surgical procedures involve the use of equipment such as sponges, scalpels, scissors, needles, retractors, etc. Typically, the responsible surgeon assigns a member of the hospital's nursing staff to count sponges and other equipment to be sure that all equipment has been removed from the patient at the conclusion of surgery. Occasionally, surgeons and nurses forget to count, count wrong, or for other reasons leave surgical equipment in patients. Such "foreign objects" usually cause infections and may lead to permanent organ damage or death. Patients in whom such devices have been left often experience excessive post-operative pain, nausea, vomiting and temperature. Foreign objects can usually be identified on x-ray examination and be removed in a subsequent surgical procedure. Surgeons and hospitals are responsible for injuries caused by foreign objects. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's medical malpractice lawyers in Salt Lake City, Utah. Also serving Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.

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Surgical Removal of Wrong Limbs or Organs

Recent problems with surgeons removing the wrong leg or arm have prompted some hospitals to require patients to write the words "no" or "yes" on their legs or arms with a Magic Marker before being put to sleep. The serious error of removing the wrong limb or organ or of operating on the wrong part of the body usually results from a series of clerical mistakes by the surgeon and his or her surgical staff. For example, the word "left" is written by mistake instead of "right". Similar clerical errors may result in removal of the wrong kidney, disc, or surgery on the wrong eye, ear, finger, hand, foot or leg. Hernia and ovarian operations on the wrong side also occur. Surgeons and other healthcare providers are responsible for any damages arising from these unnecessary errors. Click here to contact Fabian & Clendenin's medical malpractice attorneys in Salt Lake City, Utah. Also serving Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming.

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Other Significant Mistakes

Other significant medical mistakes causing serious patient injury include failure to diagnose and treat septic shock, bowel obstruction, uterine perforation, stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), asthma, brain hemorrhage, gestational diabetes, autoimmune disorder and detached retina. Click here to contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Fabian & Clendenin - located in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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