Administering anesthesia is a complicated medical procedure. Doctors must evaluate the pros and cons of providing anesthesia to a patient, and the procedure itself must be completed by a specially-trained professional. This level of preparation is necessary because when anesthesia errors occur, a patient can be severely hurt. When patients are injured or killed because of anesthesia errors, the negligence of many different parties may be to blame.
Anesthesiologist, Doctor, and Nurse Liability
Anesthesiologists are ultimately responsible for safely administering anesthesia to patients. Anesthesia errors could also be the fault of other doctors and nurses (besides the anesthesiologist) who worked with the patient. Doctors and nurses must administer tests to patients and monitor their condition to ensure they will not have any negative reactions to receiving anesthesia. Negligence committed by any of these parties could lead to the injury of a patient.
Hospital Liability
In many cases of medical malpractice, the administration of the hospital where the procedure was performed could be liable for damages. Hospitals are responsible for hiring competent doctors, training their employees, and providing them with the proper equipment. They are responsible for overseeing their employees and are often partially at fault when doctors harm a patient, due to failing to provide proper oversight. In cases of anesthesia errors, it is likely that the doctors who worked with the patient and the hospital where the patient received treatment will be the primary liable parties.
Device Manufacturers
Anesthesia errors may also be the fault of the companies that produce the equipment used in the procedure. If the patient’s injuries were the result of a defect in the anesthesia equipment, the device manufacturer is at fault.
The manufacturers of other drugs and medical devices could potentially be liable in your anesthesia error case. For example, if a doctor administered an anesthesia allergy test that came back falsely negative, the testing company could be liable for any resulting injury.
The Law Offices of David A. Kates, PLLC is here to guide you through your medical malpractice case and help you recover the compensation you deserve. We understand the complexities of anesthesia error cases and will work to find every person who is responsible for your pain and suffering. Contact us today to discuss the details of your case.
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