Minneapolis IV Infiltration Lawyer
The first medical intervention in pretty much any case is starting intravenous (IV) therapy. The medical staff uses an IV to quickly deliver medicine, fluids, or other necessary things into a patient’s body. Almost all IVs are peripheral IVs which are inserted into the patient’s forearm or hand, or perhaps scalp or foot. Intravenous therapy infiltrations and extravasations occur when fluid leaks out of the vein into surrounding soft tissue. IV infiltration is a common complication of intravenous therapy. According to current medical reports, about 50 percent of IVs fail. Over 20 percent of those failures are due to infiltration or extravasation.
Medical negligence usually causes these failures. The catheter often exits the vein by either backing out from the point of insertion or puncturing through the other side of the vein. Leaks are a problem as well. Leakages can occur through the IV insertion site, through the opposing vein wall, or as a result of increased vein porosity (porousness Each of these results in IV fluid leaking into the surrounding tissue and are not a result of a nurse’s “bad stick.” Other professionals fail to spot red flags, such as tightness of the skin, inflammation, and pain around the IV site.
The experienced Minneapolis IV infiltration lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman routinely handle medical malpractice claims on a nationwide basis. So, we not only have the experience needed to successfully resolve your claim. We also have sufficient resources in this area. Perhaps most importantly, we have the tenacity to not take the easy way out and a passionate dedication to our clients’ legal and financial rights. So, we do not give up until we achieve the best possible result under the circumstances.
Liability Issues
Liability in an IV infiltration claim usually depends on the responsible party. This responsible party could be the doctor, a nurse, or a product manufacturer.
Individual doctor or nurse liability claims are quite similar. The standard of care requires doctors to pay close attention to the substances going into a patient’s body. If the patient is allergic to a certain medication, the medicine is not reasonably calculated to make the patient’s health situation better, or there is another such issue, the doctor most likely breached the standard of care.
The standard of care is a rather nebulous concept in medical malpractice law. Usually, an outside physician testifies to the jury regarding the standard of care in a particular place. Frequently, the standard of care is different at a large, well-equipped hospital than it is at a small, sparsely-equipped rural clinic.
Nurses must also adhere to a standard of care. Frequently, nurses are liable for ministerial matters, such as the aforementioned “bad stick” or a dosage error. However, if they were following the doctor’s orders, physicians cannot throw nurses under the bus, at least in a court of law.
Defective needles or other defective products could be an issue as well. Usually, manufacturers are strictly liable for the injuries their dangerous products cause. Negligence, or lack thereof, is usually irrelevant, at least for liability purposes.
Damages Available
Negligence in a defective product case is often relevant regarding punitive damages. These additional damages punish negligent parties and deter future wrongdoing. Punitive damages are often available in medical negligence cases as well. Usually, the standard of care is very high, for both doctors and nurses.
Compensatory damages in a Minneapolis IV infiltration claim usually include money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
Contact an Experienced Hennepin County Lawyer
Injury victims are usually entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced IV infiltration lawyer in Minneapolis, contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman LLC by going online or calling 612-473-0905. Virtual, home, and hospital visits are available.