It may be frightening to hear, but a lot can go wrong when receiving medical treatment. A doctor may fail to recognize certain symptoms of a serious condition, which can lead to a worsened condition, and medical operations can result in negligence and surgical errors that leave a patient forever changed. Even medication errors can prove deadly. Although there are a number of injuries that can be suffered as a result of medical malpractice, one of the most frightening is brain damage.
There are a number of ways that brain injuries can occur in the medical field. For example, a patient may suffer brain damage when he or she is deprived of oxygen for a period of time. This may happen via anesthesia error, a failure to monitor or an instance where a child’s umbilical cord gets wrapped around his or her neck. The wrong dosage of certain medications may also lead to brain damage.
Those who suffer these injuries can see their lives turned upside down. While they may have to seek a lifestyle change that accommodates their condition, which may include physical and mental limitations, some effects of a brain injury may not appear until much later. In fact, some studies have shown that those who suffer a brain injury are more than twice as likely to develop dementia. Those who wind up developing Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia may see an increased need for care and treatment.
Living with and caring for a brain injury can be emotionally exhausting, physically challenging and financially devastating. This is why if the injury was caused by medical negligence then the victim needs to consider pursuing a legal action. Successfully doing so could result in the recovery of much needed compensation that may allow him or her to afford much needed medical care and find financial stability while they focus on reclaiming as much of his or her life as is possible.
