Published by Arfaa Law Group
While an endoscopy is a relatively safe medical procedure, the reality is that endoscopy errors can result in serious injuries. If you or someone close to you suffered harm during or after an endoscopy, you should consult with a Baltimore medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. Not all adverse outcomes are results of medical malpractice. At Arfaa Law Group, we can scrutinize the facts of your case and determine the viability of your claim.
An endoscopy is a nonsurgical medical procedure that allows a doctor to look inside a patient’s digestive tract using an endoscope. An endoscope is a long, flexible tube with a camera on the end that allows a physician to look deep into the body. Endoscopies can be used to examine the stomach, esophagus, abdomen, pelvis, joints, urinary system, large intestine, and lungs.
During an upper endoscopy, an endoscope is inserted in the mouth and passes through the throat into the esophagus, allowing the physician to view the upper esophagus, stomach, and part of the small intestine. A lower endoscopy, commonly known as a colonoscopy, is when an endoscope is passed into the intestine though the rectum to examine this area of the intestine. It is important to note that there are a number of different types of endoscopies aside from upper endoscopies and colonoscopies.
Potential complications that may arise during or after an endoscopy include sedation errors that can lead to difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, nausea, bleeding at the tissue or polyp removal site, infections, or perforation of the stomach wall or another site.
If you experience one of the complications listed above, this does not automatically mean that medical malpractice occurred in your case. In fact, some side effects of an endoscopy are unavoidable. Instead, medical malpractice occurs when a physician causes harm by failing to adhere to the standard of a reasonably skilled physician in the same specialty. In order to establish medical malpractice, the following elements must be shown:
- The physician owed the patient a duty of care to act in a manner consistent with his or her medical specialty;
- The physician breached the duty of care owed to the patient;
- The physician’s breach was a direct cause of the patient’s injury or injuries; and
- The patient suffered identifiable costs and losses as a result.
You should know that each of these elements must be established before the plaintiff can recover damages. Medical malpractice lawsuits are civil claims, and they must be filed in civil court.
If you or your loved one was injured due to a doctor’s error or carelessness during an endoscopy, you may be entitled to compensation. At Arfaa Law Group, our skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys have years of experience and can assist you in your case. You can rest assured that we will make every effort to settle your case in a favorable manner if possible, but if that does not work, we are not afraid to zealously advocate for your rights in the courtroom. We proudly represent clients from all across Maryland. For a free, initial consultation, call us at 410-889-1850 or contact us online.
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