$1.6 Million Medical Malpractice Solution

Bad medical practice that results in the loss of leg muscles

This case refers to a young man who lost permanent use of his leg due to compartment syndrome. This syndrome is a life-threatening condition in which the muscles and nerves do not receive enough blood, which limits the amount of oxygen and nutrients needed. Consequently, the muscles of this young man’s leg atrophied, died and had to be removed.

A lawsuit was filed on behalf of this young man alleging that, initially, after suffering a broken leg, the doctor and the hospital did not take the necessary preventive measures that could have prevented such a serious injury. The lawsuit was filed, and just before the trial began, the doctor and the hospital agreed to pay the sum of $ 1,600,000 and thus avoid the uncertainty of a potentially greater jury verdict.

About compartment syndrome

Muscles reside within compartments that are covered with fibrous bands of tissue or fasciae. When an injury occurs, the pressure inside these compartments may increase due to bleeding or swelling associated with fluid accumulation (edema). When the pressure inside the compartment rises to a certain level, compartment syndrome occurs in most people, which in turn restricts the blood’s ability to properly reach the nerves and muscles. This is because the hard walls of the compartment cannot expand and this commonly occurs in the arms, legs or abdomen.

When the muscles lose the required oxygen supply through the blood, they can contract, heal or die, as in the case that exemplifies our demand for medical malpractice detailed above. When necrosis (tissue death) occurs, it is necessary to remove the muscle or, in some cases, it is necessary to amputate the affected limb to avoid even greater damage.

Causes of lesions that develop compartment syndrome

Chronic compartment syndrome, also called stress, tends to develop over a period of days or even weeks, and is often caused by strenuous and regular exercise. It usually develops on the buttock, leg or thigh. However, acute syndrome is much more common and develops more rapidly, often over the course of a few hours. The acute version is almost always the result of a serious injury in itself, or sometimes of surgery or the use of plaster. Crush injuries or bone fractures in which significant amounts of bleeding occur, such as a ruptured ulna, radius, fibula or tibia, are often associated with acute syndrome.

Error in the diagnosis of the lesion

In circumstances where the doctor knows that a severe bone fracture or a crush injury has occurred and the patient complains that he feels high tension in the affected limb and that he has excessive numbness and pain, it is of utmost importance that the doctor Take immediate and appropriate measures to measure the pressure inside the affected compartments. Generally, this is done by reviewing certain chemical markers, as well as by actually measuring the pressure using a pressure control device connected to a needle that is inserted into the affected compartment.

When a doctor does not make an immediate diagnosis of this syndrome, the damage to the muscles can occur quickly as the circulation of oxygen through the blood is limited. It may be necessary to perform an emergency fasciotomy in which the orthopedic surgeon opens the fibrous bands surrounding the muscle, thereby releasing the pressure and allowing the muscle to swell.

If you believe that your doctor did not act quickly enough or did nothing at all, which could have caused permanent muscle injuries, contact Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC at(312) 243-9922 twenty four hours a day for help.