Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice -Significance of Expert Medical Record Review Expert medical record review is important in personal injury and malpractice cases. Here is a brief look at this topic.
Medical Record Review
Medical errors resulting in traumatic injury are at the root of most medical malpractice and personal injury cases. Usually, the damages one may claim include compensation for trauma incurred, medical expenses and lost wages. One may also need treatment in the future. To determine the extent of injury, problems caused by the injury, any ongoing conditions and the compensation due, reviewing of medical records becomes necessary. For instance take the case of a Bridgeport woman who was awarded $4.25 million for the permanent spinal cord injuries she suffered in 2009 due to an anesthesiologist’s negligence. Her lawyers say that the anesthesiologist had negligently utilized an anesthesia needle when giving an epidural during childbirth. The woman now suffers from chronic pain, permanent leg damage and a number of other related injuries. In addition, she has depression and problems with sleeping. The plaintiffs say the error occurred due to physician fatigue. Epidural injection, a form of anesthesia, is commonly used for pain relief during childbirth, and allows the mother to stay awake without much pain and distress. Unfortunately, errors occur sometimes which can prove disastrous like the above incident. According to the plaintiff’s lawyers, the anesthesiologist inserted the needle into the wrong part of her back that led to the permanent, traumatic result. Misplaced epidural needles can cause punctures that release spinal fluid and cause back pain and headaches.
Medical Records as Evidence In cases such as this, a personal injury lawyer will have to collect, organize and review the pertinent medical records that are the single most important evidence. MRI scans would reveal evidence of trauma to the spinal cord caused by the epidurals and any other abnormalities. Medical records would show whether the patient complained of pain, weakness or numbness in her arms, hands and legs. They would also bear evidence of administration of sedations and whether these could have contributed to the injury and trauma. According to the lawsuit referred to above, the epidural needle contacted the woman’s terminal spinal cord, resulting in a cystic lesion which deprived her permanently of her ability to carry on and enjoy daily activities. It is very likely that she will have to incur heavy medical www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com
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expenses for many years to come. Given the sensitive nature of such cases, personal injury lawyers and attorneys handling them have to be very careful in developing evidence. In fact, there are many medical issues involved that need analysis in a professional manner, which undoubtedly is best done by medical review experts. Many legal professionals prefer to have the medical record evaluation done by such experts. Typically, medical evidence would include records from the hospital, doctor’s office, anesthesiologist, and other providers. Analysis of these records would highlight the damages and whether they are related to the particular medical event.
Utilizing Medical Review Expertise Lawyers and attorneys, whether on the plaintiff or defense side, utilize expert medical review services. This will help them determine whether they have a good case that is worth pursuing. Apart from reducing in-house workload, lawyers also derive confidence knowing that skilled professionals including medical entities are working for them providing much more than a mere mechanical analysis of the medical data.
www.mosmedicalrecordreview.com
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