Can You Sue After an Embolism Causes Paralysis or Death?

 Posted on March 18, 2025 in Medical Malpractice

Doctors must complete a bachelor’s degree, finish medical school, then complete a residency program. Depending on whether the physician chooses a specialty, the schooling and training usually take several years. Residencies for internal and family medicine take around three years, while cardiac surgery and neurosurgery training can last as long as a decade. With all that education and training, we expect doctors to provide high standards of care.

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms affect around 900,000 Americans annually, with as many as 100,000 dying as a result. Cerebral embolisms, while rarer, can cause strokes, brain damage, paralysis, and death. Many embolisms are preventable through appropriate medical treatment, and others can be treated effectively after they develop. When medical negligence is a factor in the harm a patient sustains from an embolism, a skilled Rockford, IL medical malpractice attorney can help you collect the maximum compensation you deserve.

What Is an Embolism?

The human circulatory system sends blood from the heart through arteries, into capillaries, and back to the heart in veins. Blood vessels are present throughout our bodies and rely on clear paths for optimal blood flow. Embolisms are blockages in blood vessels that restrict blood flow.

While embolisms are often blood clots, there are other types, as well. A fractured bone can release fat globules from the bone marrow into the bloodstream, blocking the blood vessels. During childbirth, amniotic fluid entering the bloodstream can cause embolisms. Whether due to an injury or medical procedure, air bubbles that enter the bloodstream can lead to an embolism. Tumor fragments, although rare, can also block blood vessels.

Embolisms can travel; for example, a pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that has migrated to the lungs from a deep vein. The symptoms of an embolism depend on where it is located and the degree of blockage to the blood vessel. They can include:

• Shortness of breath or rapid breathing

• Irregular or rapid heartbeat

• Clammy, pale, or blue skin

• Fever and sweating

• Dizziness

• Chest pain

• Coughing up blood

• Redness, pain, tenderness, and swelling

• Localized warmth

An embolism is a medical emergency. Without prompt and accurate diagnosis and treatment, some blood clots can cause life-threatening or permanent conditions.

What Can Cause Embolisms?

Embolisms can occur for a variety of reasons, with some people having increased risks of developing blood clots. Smokers and those who carry excess weight, pregnant women, and people who are bedridden or live a mostly sedentary lifestyle carry higher risks. Some medications list blood clots as a potential side effect. Genetics may also play a part.

Certain medical conditions, such as cancer, heart failure, stroke, and some inflammatory conditions, can increase the likelihood of blood clots. Trauma from car accidents and other injuries can damage blood vessels and lead to embolisms. Surgeries can also damage blood vessels.

How Are Embolisms Treated?

Many hospital patients, particularly those who have higher risk factors, are often required to wear anti-embolic stockings. Also called TED hose and compression socks, these promote circulation in the legs to reduce the chance of developing blood clots. They may also prevent clots from migrating to the lungs.

Some embolisms heal without medical intervention. However, there are several potential treatments for doctors to choose from. Anticoagulants, commonly called blood thinners, may be prescribed to prevent new blood clots from forming and keep existing clots from expanding.

Large or life-threatening embolisms might require thrombolytics, also called clot busters. These medications are administered to patients through an IV. An inferior vena cava filter may be necessary to keep blood clots from entering the lungs. A catheter-based procedure or surgery could be needed in severe cases to physically remove the blood clot.

These medications and other treatments have potential side effects. For example, excessive bleeding is common for patients taking blood thinners.

What Are the Potential Consequences of Embolisms?

Cerebral embolisms block blood flow to the brain, which can cause the death of brain cells, muscle weakness, paralysis, and death. A stroke can have many permanent effects, such as difficulty speaking and eating, and a loss of coordination and balance. An inability to sit, stand, or walk is common, as is incontinence. Personality changes and memory loss are other frequent consequences of a stroke.

Paralysis after a stroke typically affects only one side of the body. Facial muscles may be paralyzed, making patients very self-conscious. This often causes anxiety, social withdrawal, and depression.

Pulmonary embolisms suddenly kill one out of every four people who have them. They are a leading cause of death for mothers during pregnancy or soon after giving birth, and are also responsible for many cancer deaths.

When Is an Embolism Injury or Death the Result of Medical Malpractice?

Blood clots and embolisms are common. Medical professionals should know the risk factors, how to diagnose them correctly, and how to determine the best treatment option for a patient. Medical negligence associated with paralysis, death, and other preventable embolism consequences includes:

• Failing to diagnose quickly or correctly

• Failing to take proper precautions for patients with known risk factors

• Choosing or administering the wrong treatment

• Delaying treatment

• Prescribing medications that a patient has known allergies to

• Failing to consider drug interactions with a patient’s other medications

• Failing to obtain and review a patient’s full medical history

• Surgical or procedural errors

• Failing to monitor patients appropriately

Irreparable harm can result from these and similar medical errors. Patients may suffer strokes and paralysis, which may require life-long care, adaptive equipment, and home modifications. The emotional and mental toll can be tremendous.

If a preventable embolism caused the death of a loved one as a result of medical negligence, you are likely experiencing outrage as well as grief. You and your immediate family may suffer several losses, financially, mentally, and emotionally.

Do I Need a Lawyer for a Claim for My Losses After a Preventable Embolism?

Any kind of medical malpractice claim can be extremely complex. To recover the full amount of compensation you are entitled to, you need to collect complicated evidence to build a strong case. You need to understand how to calculate your eligible damages accurately, and you need to be prepared for a fierce battle against the liable medical malpractice insurance company.

Your damages could include reimbursement for your current and future financial losses, as well as the various forms of pain and suffering you are dealing with. If wrongful death occurred, further compensation may be available.

We have the experience, legal knowledge, and resources to handle every aspect of your case. If the insurer will not budge in settlement negotiations, we have an impressive record of winning cases taken to trial.

Call Our Diligent Winnebago County, IL Preventable Embolism Lawyers

You cannot afford to choose the wrong attorney to represent you in a medical malpractice case. Preventable embolisms can have disastrous consequences, but one of the dedicated Rockford, IL medical malpractice attorneys at Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Jambois can help you seek justice in the form of monetary compensation. Call 815-215-7561 now or contact us online to schedule your complimentary case review.