Denver Epidural Injury Attorneys
Representing Victims of Epidural Medical Negligence inDenver
An epidural is a type of anesthesia designed to affect only a particular region of the body. During labor and childbirth, many women opt to have an injection of local anesthetic in the lower spine to relieve pain and discomfort in the lower half of the body. Epidurals work by blocking nerve impulses at the point of injection. They must be administered correctly, or serious injuries can occur to the mother and the baby.
What Types of Medical Errors Cause Injury with Epidurals?
Wrongly administered epidurals pose risks for both the mother and child. Mistakes made by medical professionals include:
- Injecting too much anesthesia
- Giving too many injections
- Injecting into the wrong area
- Inserting the needle incorrectly
- Giving an epidural too early in labor, causing it to stall
- Giving an epidural when it is contraindicated or not the best option
- Failing to adequately monitor the mother or to monitor the baby for signs of fetal distress
How Can Epidural Birth Injuries Affect the Mother and Baby?
Medical mistakes with epidurals can cause of range of injuries to the mother, including:
- Nerve damage
- Spinal abscess or infection
- Spinal fluid leakage
- Blood clots
- Drop in blood pressure
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Seizures and brain injury
- Heart attack
- Cardiac arrest
- Death
Unborn babies can also suffer serious injuries from epidural medical errors. A drop in the mother’s blood pressure and other medical emergencies can cause inadequate blood supply and oxygen to the child. Prolonged lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain and body during labor and delivery can result in serious birth injuries, including:
- Cerebral palsy (a physical disability that affects movement and posture)
- Brain damage
- Stroke
- Death
What Symptoms Should You Look for If You Suspect Epidural Injury?
Mothers may experience a range of symptoms after epidural injury. They may include severe headache, fever, and a sudden drop in blood pressure. Babies may suffer scalp scratches, skull fractures, bleeding in the skull, seizures, or brain damage.
What Must You Prove to Prevail in a Denver Medical Malpractice Claim for Epidural Injury?
To win a case based on medical negligence for epidural injuries, you must prove four elements of your claim:
- Duty of care: The anesthesiologist, obstetrician, nurse anesthetist, or other medical professional owed you a duty of care when he or she administered the epidural. This can be established by showing that you had a provider-patient relationship with that provider at the time.
- Breach of duty of care: The medical professional failed to uphold the duty of care. This can be established by comparing the actions of the negligent provider with what could reasonably be expected from other providers with the same level of training in the same or a similar situation. This is done with medical expert testimony.
- Injuries and causation: You must show that you and/or your child suffered injuries that were caused by the failure on the part of the medical professional.
- Damages: You must state the specific damages, economic and noneconomic, that you incurred because of your own or your child’s injuries.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for Epidural Injuries?
Negligent medical providers who caused your epidural injuries can be held responsible. Compensation you may be entitled to claim could include past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and mental anguish.
Our experienced Denver medical malpractice attorneys at Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. can investigate the birth and the injuries you and child sustained and tell what damages you may be able to claim. Call us to schedule a no charge initial consultation at (303) 759-9945 or toll-free at (877) 433-3906.
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303-759-9945 
877-433-3906