PRACTICE AREAS

Infection cases present challenges to the medical malpractice attorney. Even though we know that a large number of infections are hospital based and that the number of infections can be reduced by simple measures such as hand washing it is almost always difficult to figure out how someone became infected.

On the other hand , because these infections are so common today there is no excuse for not suspecting them and treating them aggressively with appropriate antibiotics, and in some cases surgery.

The standard of care generally requires that the doctor take cultures of the infected area to identify the bug responsible for the infection. The doctor then needs to prescribe the appropriate antibiotic specific to that bug. The doctor needs to decide whether the patient can get by with oral antibiotics or whether IV delivery would be necessary. Is surgery necessary to clean out the infected material ?

As in most malpractice cases the issue revolves around time. Did the doctor listen to the patient , take an adequate history, follow up in a timely fashion with testing and necessary treatment and referral ?

Our firm has represented a large number of patients in this area of Medical Malpractice..