When Medical Malpractice Leads to a Preventable Amputation

The loss of a limb is devastating, but even more so when it’s due to a preventable error or other form of medical malpractice. Those who have been wrongfully amputated typically face a lifetime of pain and suffering, which is why they turn to a trusted medical malpractice attorney to hold the responsible parties accountable and make things right.

Reasons for Amputation

In many cases, an amputation is necessary for medical reasons. This may be to prevent an infection or disease from spreading, or to alleviate vascular issues like those caused by diabetes. However, an amputation may also be necessary for the treatment of an injury. Amputation-related injuries include:

• Machinery accidents
• Construction accidents
• Electrocution
• Car accidents

Wrongful Amputation Claims

Physicians are expected to provide the best-possible care, every time. Unfortunately, they are not immune to mistakes and negligence. When a physician decides to amputate a patient’s limb too early or too late, it’s often a case of medical malpractice.

For example, a Missouri man recently went to the emergency room complaining of severe leg pain. The physician correctly diagnosed an aneurysm in his leg, but chose not to treat it immediately. When the patient was finally seen by a surgeon, it was too late to restore blood flow and the leg required amputation.

If the physician had acted with the urgency established by the normal standard of care, then the victim’s leg could have been saved. He filed a medical malpractice lawsuit and settled with the hospital for $362,000.

Other examples of negligent amputations include:

• Making a surgical error, such as removing the wrong body part
• Not preventing clots during surgery
• Not diagnosing and treating infections
• Not diagnosing and treating injuries in patients with diabetes

How to Prove Medical Malpractice

In order to win a medical malpractice trial, the victim’s attorneys must prove that the injury was a direct result of medical negligence. A St. Louis medical malpractice attorney will be able to analyze the treatment and determine if the physician deviated from the standards of care. As part of the case, an attorney may rely on expert testimony, medical records or witnesses in order to establish fault and prove negligence.