Sepsis

When Medical Malpractice Is a Factor in Sepsis or Septic Shock

Sepsis and septic shock are devastating, life-threatening conditions. Injuries and health problems such as kidney disease or diabetes may lead to increased possibility of infection, which in turn can result in sepsis, septic shock and possibly death. Soldiers on a battlefield or explorers in wilderness areas sometimes succumb to sepsis, but a great many people in our modern society develop this illness in health care contexts. Death and problems from infection and sepsis are rampant in hospitals and nursing homes across this country.

Someone suffering from sepsis may require a lengthy hospitalization to recover. Fatalities are common from septic shock. The injured person or family members then ask, “Why?” and may need to seek compensation for losses. Legal counsel is crucial to find the answers and to help determine whether negligence contributed to complications leading to sepsis.

Recovering Compensation for Sepsis Sufferers in Rhode Island

Medical malpractice lawyers at Jules J. D’Alessandro Law., in Providence bring experience and passion to the task of advocacy for the injured. We have earned a reputation as tough litigators who take on complex and challenging cases to win. Our attorneys confront formidable opponents such as medical professionals, hospitals and long-term care facilities on behalf of clients who have developed sepsis due to negligence through:

• Failure to prevent infection: A hospital patient’s or nursing home resident’s bedsore, a poorly managed surgical wound or a dialysis port in a patient’s arm can lead to sepsis and septic shock. Before the infection developed, there may have been negligence such as:
  • Failure to keep an incontinent patient clean and dry
  • Failure to correctly disinfect surgical equipment
  • Failure to guard an opening in a patient’s body such as a dialysis port
• Failure to diagnose: An infection may be corrected and eliminated when it is aggressively treated in its early stages. When nurses and doctors ignore symptoms until it is too late, this may be cause for a medical malpractice claim or lawsuit.
• Misdiagnosis: Medical personnel who make a wrong diagnosis based on symptoms of infection may enable the development of sepsis.
• Failure to treat: Incredibly, caregivers sometimes discover that infection has developed but fail to treat it in a timely manner — or at all. The results may be lasting harm or death to a sufferer of sepsis.

Evidence of any of these types of negligence may form the basis of a medical malpractice claim. A thorough investigation is often the only way to uncover the truth of how sepsis developed and whose negligence was responsible. Our firm is up for the challenge. We are passionate about helping you or your family members recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Do You Have a Valid Medical Malpractice Injury or Wrongful Death Claim?

Whatever set of circumstances resulted in sepsis and septic shock for you or your loved one, we are available to evaluate your case and recommend a course of action. Reach us by phone at (401) 353-0440 or send an inquiry through this website to schedule a consultation.