The dangerous condition of preeclampsia occurs during the final trimester of pregnancy and affects about 5% of all pregnancies. Women who get preeclampsia have hypertension, increases in blood pressure, and swelling in the feet, face, and hands. Preeclampsia is dangerous if left untreated by medical professionals and can often lead to other, more dangerous symptoms.
Doctors occasionally miss a diagnosis for preeclampsia with certain women. If this has happened to you or someone close, this missed diagnosis could result in a possible opportunity to bring a lawsuit against the doctor, staff, or hospital. Contact our Los Angeles preeclampsia failure to diagnose lawyer to discuss the details around your case.
Symptoms of Preeclampsia
Here are some of the key symptoms that a pregnant woman should be aware of when entering into her third trimester of pregnancy, according to Mayo Clinic:
- Increased body fluids contributing to weight gain over a few days
- High blood pressure prior to pregnancy
- Headaches
- Stomach pain (apart from the fetus)
- Less urination
- Vomiting, dizziness, or nausea
- Poor vision
In this crucial period of the pregnancy, the role of the obstetrician is to monitor these possible symptoms. The obstetrician may choose to move the delivery date forward to ward off any possible additional complications that might arise.
If your doctor is not keeping a close watch for these changes in your pregnant body, crucial updates to your condition may go missed. If a condition goes untreated, your pregnancy may be threatened, and your own condition might lead to eclampsia, which could take a dangerous turn very quickly.
This is a very serious condition that can lead a pregnant woman into seizures or convulsions that emerge without any pre-existing condition. Doctors have found that eclampsia may involve factors of a woman’s nervous system, brain activity, blood vessel issues, diet, and genetic makeup.
To file a claim or lawsuit for possible medical malpractice or a missed diagnosis, find the right Los Angeles preeclampsia failure to diagnose lawyer to discuss your case and see if you can bring a claim of negligence.
Holding a Medical Professional Accountable
Women who have suffered through preeclampsia may be able to hold the doctor or obstetrician accountable for errors in diagnosis. Maybe birth effects or birth injuries occurred because of a failure to diagnose preeclampsia at the right time.
It is possible that the doctor’s team viewed the headaches, nausea, and vomiting as common pregnancy signs, rather than signs of emerging preeclampsia. The team may have missed signs of increasing hypertension or high blood pressure as well.
These cases of overlooked preeclampsia symptoms can lead to a baby’s death and trauma for the mother. For instance, if the baby was stillborn, and the doctors did not give any earlier warnings about complications ensuing, this could be the first evidence of possible medical malpractice at work. At this point, it is possible to envision a case of medical malpractice against the obstetrician, the team, the hospital, and even the insurers.
For a free legal consultation with a Preeclampsia Failure To Diagnose Lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (800) 970-4884
Medical Malpractice and Statute of Limitations
A woman who has lost a baby because of a misdiagnosed condition of preeclampsia now has to decide whether or not to move ahead with gathering evidence for a medical malpractice lawsuit. In California, someone with a claim of medical malpractice has three years from the date of the malpractice to file, according to California Code of Civil Procedure § 340.5.
You have the option of engaging the services of a professional legal team skilled in handling cases of medical malpractice. The team will learn about the case, understand what happened, and try to help you gather the evidence necessary to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice.
There are certain criteria that must be met in medical malpractice claims. The legal team representing you must be able to prove certain truths for the case to go the distance:
- The hospital and obstetrician owed a professional ‘standard of care’ for your pregnancy, but failed to accurately diagnose preeclampsia. As a result, this missed diagnosis was in breach of the expected professional standard of care.
- The pregnant woman or the baby suffered injuries that were a direct result of the breach of the professional standard of care. These injuries could include organ damage, heart disease, stillborn birth, or fetal growth restriction.
- The negligence that caused injuries or harm resulted in damages. Such damages could include loss of a child, emotional trauma, suffering and hardship, inability to work, loss of income, etc.
Los Angeles Preeclampsia Failure To Diagnose Lawyer Near Me (800) 970-4884
Recovering Damages
In a medical malpractice trial, the plaintiff may seek compensatory damages, punitive damages, or both. Work with your legal team to develop the best strategy for winning a case.
Compensatory damages are generally considered financial awards to help cope with the drain on a person’s finances caused by the medical negligence. Compensatory damages look at the impact on a person’s ability to work, current and future earnings, medical and life care expenses, and more. Also covered under compensatory damages include the psychological or physical trauma, so a case may be made for receiving compensation for the loss of one’s limbs, for example, or pain and suffering.
If the obstetrician or team is found guilty of willful neglect with malicious intent, then you could bring a claim of punitive damages. These types of financial damages are viewed as a punishment of sorts, and the plaintiff would be awarded additional damages for this category.
In some states, there are damage caps, limiting the award settlement amounts to a certain level. Per California Civil Code § 3333.2, anyone seeking compensation for noneconomic losses—that is, losses like pain and suffering—can not get an amount above $250,000.
Medical malpractice lawsuits are a huge undertaking for any single person. That is why it might be beneficial to work with a lawyer who knows their way around medical malpractice cases.
With more than 30 years in practice, the Pintas & Mullins Law Firm has extensive knowledge of how to bring successful medical malpractice lawsuits forward. Call (800) 970-4884 to see how a Los Angeles preeclampsia failure to diagnose lawyer can help you recover compensation.
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