Patients who are undergoing radiation should be carefully and closely monitored to make sure they do not suffer any harm. When a medical professional makes an error while using radiation to treat cancer, the patient can be seriously injured or even killed. If you or someone close to you has suffered a radiation error, it is important to speak to an experienced Baltimore medical malpractice attorney. At Arfaa Law Group, we understand the nuances of malpractice law and can help determine a course of action for your claim.
Radiation undoubtedly saves countless lives, but too much radiation can be lethal. Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer and involves using high-energy radiation to kill or damage cancer cells. The problem with excessive radiation is that it can damage the normal, healthy cells in a patient’s body. Radiation injuries can be very difficult to treat. In fact, many times, patients just have to deal with the injury because recovery is not possible.
Radiation errors can happen in a number of ways, including physician or hospital staff errors due to staff shortages or inattentiveness, machine malfunctions, erroneous prescriptions for radiation therapy, improper inspection of equipment, and radiation beams being positioned incorrectly that end up treating the wrong part of the body.
If you believe that a medical professional’s error caused your radiation-related injury, you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim against that medical professional. In order to prevail on a malpractice claim, a plaintiff must demonstrate that the medical professional caused their injury by failing to adhere to the standard of care that another medical professional in the same specialty would have used in the same or similar circumstances. Put another way, an injured patient must show that the medical professional acted with a standard of care that was below the standard of care that a reasonable medical professional would have used in treating their cancer. Radiation error lawsuits can be extremely complex, since the injury may not manifest for many years afterward.
If malpractice is established, a plaintiff can potentially recover both economic and non-economic damages from the at-fault party, such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, rehabilitation costs, and any other damages related to the malpractice. Of course, the exact amount of damages that will be awarded in a given case will depend on the nature and extent of the harm suffered by the patient.
Dealing with a radiation treatment error can be extremely costly and time-consuming. Fortunately, you have legal options to deal with it. In the most serious cases, a radiation error victim may suffer irreparable damage or even death. If you have been injured because of a radiation error, you should reach out to a skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorney who can assess the merits of your case. We are committed to holding negligent medical professionals accountable for the harm that they cause. To determine whether you may have a case, call us at 410-889-1850 or contact us online.
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