Month: August 2018

Injury During Spinal Surgery

Posted on by YostLaw

Spinal surgeries can be very long and involved procedures.  Despite the fact that it is not common, patients are at risk of a spinal injury during surgery – such as nerve root or spinal cord damage resulting in paralysis, numbness, loss of bladder and/or bowel function, limited mobility or disabling pain.

Sometimes the hardware implanted during spinal surgery, such as metal screws and plates, is negligently placed and pinches, punctures or severs spinal nerves or the spinal cord.  Negligent placement of surgical plates and screws, or negligent use of a surgical instrument, such as a drill, may also cut or tear the fluid-filled membrane (the dura) protecting the spinal cord, causing both nerve damage and a spinal fluid leak (CSF leak).  Further, the protrusion of the surgical screws, through the bone (vertebra) and into surrounding nerve fibers and other soft tissue, causes damage which often results in the patient needing a revision surgery.

Usually, the symptoms of a spinal injury caused during surgery appear immediately after the patient wakes up from the anesthesia. These injuries often result in the patient having excruciating pain, areas of numbness, limited ability to move a hand, foot, arm or leg or, sometimes, quadriplegia – the inability to move all four limbs.

If you or a loved one were injured during a spinal surgery, contact The Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (800-403-7259). The attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced, caring professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. Call us today to receive a free, confidential consultation about your possible case.

We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

Accidental Burns During Surgery

Posted on by YostLaw

Many times a patient will go in for a routine operation performed under general anesthesia but may come out of surgery with a 3rd or 4th-degree burn injury as a result of an operating room error. An electrical, or electrocautery, burn can occur when the grounding pad for electrical surgical equipment is improperly placed, or placed on wet skin, sending electricity through the grounding pad and into the patient – whose skin is overheated to the point of being burned by the electrical current.  A heat transfer, or thermal, burn can occur when overheated surgical equipment makes contact with the patient’s skin, or heat-producing surgical equipment slips during use and damages skin rather than remaining in the operative field.  A majority of the burn injuries suffered by patients during surgery are located on the torso or lower extremities. These burns are often the result of a medical mistake and are largely preventable.

Burns which occur during surgery can be severe, destroying the upper (epidermis) and lower (dermis) layers of the patient’s skin, and even extending into the fat and muscle tissues below.  A 3rd-degree burn may destroy the skin’s sweat glands, hair follicles and nerve-endings. A 4th degree burn not only damages structures within the skin layer but also injures the fat, muscle or even goes as deep as the bone.  Third and Fourth-degree burns, also called full thickness burns, are so severe that they can result in extended hospital stays.

Surgical burn injuries may cause an infection, either at the site of the burn or a systemic infection (sepsis), and burn injuries may require additional surgical procedures to remove damaged skin tissue (debridement) and/or repair destroyed tissue (skin graft).  Once the initial wound heals, the patient may require scar revision surgery to reduce the size and appearance of the surgical burn scarring.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a disfiguring burn during surgery, contact the Yost Legal Group today at 1-800-YOST-LAW (1-800-9678-529). The attorneys at Yost Legal Group are experienced, caring professionals ready to investigate your claim with compassion and determination. Call us today to receive a free, confidential consultation about your possible case.

We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you will never pay an attorney’s fee up front, and you owe us nothing unless we win your case.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Posted on by YostLaw

A TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) is known to be the leading cause of death from sports injuries.  Even mild TBIs can have serious and long-lasting consequences.  TBI disrupts the normal function of the brain. Normally caused by a blow to the head or a penetrating brain injury,  for example,  a soccer player who falls and hits their head on the ground, or collides with another player could result in a mild or severe TBI.

A mild TBI is often characterized by a brief change of mental state, and often goes undetected.  Following a mild TBI, one might experience headaches, fatigue, dizziness, memory loss or a variety of other symptoms.  More severe TBIs are associated with loss of consciousness, coma or even possibly death.  All TBI’s require medical attention but not everyone who experiences this injury is aware of the severity of their injury or willing to go through the long process of recovery from TBI.

According to All About TBI, nearly 300,000 sports-related TBI’s occur each year in the United States.  Unfortunately, many athletes do not come forward about their injuries so they can continue to play sports.   The failure to detect and treat this kind of injury is especially dangerous for younger athletes whose brains are not fully developed.  Athletes with untreated TBIs are vulnerable to additional injuries.

TBI is a life-changing experience for the victim and their loved ones.  Understanding the symptoms of TBI and the treatment options could save a life. If a family member suffers a TBI, The Yost Legal Group may be able to help. Our experienced brain injury lawyers work closely with victims of closed head injuries to help them get a proper diagnosis and pursue the full amount of compensation for their financial needs. If you or a loved one has suffered brain injury, call 1-800-YOST-LAW (967-8529) to receive a free, confidential consultation about your potential claim.

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