Can I Sue an Anesthesiologist For Medical Malpractice in New Jersey?

Surgery is extremely stressful, especially if your procedure requires you to be put to sleep. However, though surgery is a common source of anxiety, we rarely worry about receiving the anesthesia itself. Unfortunately, in many cases, negligent anesthesiologists cause serious injuries, and if you have been harmed by one, you are most likely now seeking financial compensation. Please continue reading and speak with our experienced Morris County medical malpractice attorney today to learn more about whether you can sue a negligent anesthesiologist for an injury and how our legal team can help.

Are there different types of anesthesia?

Depending on the procedure in question, doctors can administer different types of anesthesia. The three main types of anesthesia are as follows:

• General anesthesia: This is the most powerful type of anesthesia, and it is only used in the most complex, invasive procedures because it is designed to put people entirely to sleep for the duration of the procedure.
• Local anesthesia: Local anesthesia is primarily used for minor procedures where the only area that needs numbing is the area being performed on. Local anesthesia does not put patients to sleep.
• Regional anesthesia: This will only numb certain parts of the body, and is administered either epidural or spinal. Regional anesthesia is commonly administered for procedures such as c-sections.

What are the side effects of an anesthesia error?

When an anesthesiologist makes an error, it can have drastic, even fatal consequences for a patient. Unfortunately, these errors are almost always caused by negligent behavior, such as neglecting to review the patient’s history of intolerance or allergies, administering an improper dose of anesthesia, or even neglecting to monitor the patient throughout the procedure. Oftentimes, these acts of negligence cause patients to suffer allergic reactions, heart attacks, brain damage, strokes, and more. This is unacceptable.

Am I allowed to sue a negligent anesthesiologist?

Fortunately, in many cases, you can. However, you will have to hire an attorney who can prove that the anesthesiologist owed you a duty of care, diverted from the accepted standard of treatment, and breached that duty of care, injuring you and causing significant damages as a result.

What’s more, in New Jersey, those harmed by incidents of medical malpractice will only have two years from the date of their injury to sue the negligent doctor, so you must not wait another moment–our firm is ready to help you. Do not hesitate to ask.