Epidural Malpractice, Medical Negligence and Litigation Information

Epidural anesthesia is regional anesthesia and is often used during childbirth and surgical procedures performed below the ribcage. While generally safe and effective, complications of epidural anesthesia can be serious and even life threatening.

It is advisable you contact a specialized lawyer, attorney or solicitor for legal representation as your own particular circumstances are crucial to whether the case is actually worthwhile proceeding with. Some lawyers will represent you for no win – no fee, and mostly that will depend on the strength of your case. You definitely need to be aware of and consider costs that may be involved as sometimes these can be substantial if you lose. If you feel you have been a victim of negligence and suffered significantly because of that, you should talk to a couple of attorneys to decide the right course of action for you. Some attorneys who specialize in medical negligence are listed in this page.

Epidural anesthesia, like any medical procedure is not without risks and complications can happen to anyone. The question of whether the anesthesiologist was actually at fault is not always clear and should be discussed with a legal professional if you are keen to go down that path. Remember also that there can be tremendous emotional stress involved in litigation and this needs to be considered.

Serious complications associated with epidural anesthesia include:

– discomfort due to inadequate dosage of anesthetic, allergic reactions to the anesthetic, which can lead to nausea, vomiting and fever,
nerve damage (paralysis) caused by negligent advancement of the needle (subarachnoid puncture or hematoma induced nerve injury) or through a toxic reaction to the anesthetic, severe headaches which can (rarely) cause deafness and blindness, arachnoiditis, breathing difficulties, seizures, cardiac arrest, dizziness, loss of consciousness, meningitis, brain hemorrhage due to long term csf leak, death.

If you have suffered severe injury due to negligent administration of epidural anesthesia, it may be important to contact an attorney who can help you protect your legal rights. Please keep in mind that there may be time limits within which you must commence suit.