Surgical Errors During Your Illinois C-Section Can Cause Serious Injuries

 Posted on February 07,2022 in Medical Malpractice

An Illinois mother may not be able to give birth vaginally to her infant for many reasons. The infant’s head may be too large, the infant may be in breech position, or the mother may suffer from serious health complications. Whatever the reason, a cesarean section or “c-section” can save the lives of the mother and the infant.

C-sections are on the rise, and many of them appear to have no necessary medical reason. C-section deliveries can be very risky because they involve complex surgical maneuvers in critical areas of a mother’s body. Even a seemingly minor surgical error or mistake can put the life of a mother or her infant at risk. If you have been injured because of a poorly conducted c-section, this blog may be helpful to you. 

Is a C-Section Mistake Medical Negligence? 

Doctors have a serious responsibility to practice medicine according to an established legal standard of care. Medicine is not always exact, and unavoidable mistakes can happen. But when a mistake is the result of a surgeon who fails to act reasonably or carefully and a patient is injured or killed, that surgeon may have committed medical malpractice. 

Common mistakes by surgeons during c-section deliveries include: 

• Leaving surgical or other inappropriate medical equipment in the mother’s body

• Lacerating the mother’s other organs, including the bladder

• Lacerating the infant, potentially causing lasting damage to nerves 

• Life-threatening hemorrhaging because of damage during surgery or improper patient monitoring after delivery

The consequences of these injuries can be fatal. A lacerated bladder can result in serious infections and require further surgeries to repair. Surgical equipment that is left behind can cause extreme pain and cause long-term internal damage, and is such a serious error that surgeons are nearly always held liable. 

What Kind of Compensation Can Patients Get After Surgical Errors? 

If a surgeon is found to have committed medical malpractice, patient compensation can include money that covers a patient’s pain and suffering, medical care for the injuries, and whatever further medical treatment is necessary to fix them. Because some injuries cause life-long damage, a patient may receive compensation for their lowered quality of life and loss of wages. If a surgeon wrongfully causes a patient to die, the patient’s family may be eligible to obtain compensation. 

Call a Winnebago County Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you believe improper care from your surgeon during a c-section caused you serious injury, consider meeting with an experienced Winnebago County medical malpractice attorney with Mannarino & Brasfield, A Division of Schwartz Injury Law. We provide free, no-risk consultations so you can learn more about your options. Call us at 815-215-7561 today. 

Sources: 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34610046/ 

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=073500050K2-622