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If you or a loved one is harmed due to delayed diagnosis or treatment of sepsis, you may be entitled to compensation. You can consult an experienced Tampa sepsis misdiagnosis lawyer at Spangenberg, Shibley & Liber to determine if negligent medical care resulted in harm that could have been avoided and if pursuing a sepsis misdiagnosis claim under relevant state laws is a viable option.
Spangenberg Shibley & Liber has served injury victims and their families since 1946. In that time, the firm has recovered over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements while litigating catastrophic injury and medical malpractice cases that involve delayed diagnoses, emergency room errors, surgical errors, and wrongful death. However, past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits.
The firm is committed to meticulous case preparation and trial advocacy, and our attorneys regularly collaborate with leading medical professionals to assess whether healthcare providers acted in accordance with the accepted standard of care.
Sepsis is the body’s extreme and life-threatening response to an infection. Instead of remaining localized, the infection becomes systemic and causes the body to mount an immune response that can injure tissues and organs.
In the United States, sepsis affects around 18,000 children and at least 1.7 million adults annually. Over 1,800 children and at least 350,000 adults who get sepsis either pass away in the hospital or are sent to hospice care. Sepsis is a serious condition, and if not diagnosed and treated quickly, it can lead to septic shock, organ failure, and death. Sepsis can be caused by:
Sepsis can occur in anyone, but is most common in older adults, infants, people with weakened immune systems, and people with chronic medical conditions who have an increased risk of developing serious complications.
Because sepsis is a medical emergency, treatment must be started as quickly as possible. The longer sepsis goes untreated, the greater the risk of serious, long-term complications and death. For this reason, healthcare providers have a duty to recognize its warning signs and act quickly.
Sepsis can be difficult to diagnose for many reasons. One reason for this is that its initial signs often resemble those of other illnesses and infections. For example, fever, chills, rapid heartbeat, fatigue, confusion, nausea, and shortness of breath may occur with sepsis and the flu, dehydration, or viral infections. Sepsis may not always be on a provider’s radar when the symptoms are present without a clear source of infection.
If the provider does not recognize that a patient is at risk for sepsis, order the appropriate tests, and correctly interpret their results, this can cause significant delays in treatment.
In some cases, providers may not recognize the signs of sepsis or give it serious consideration and instead dismiss it as a less serious issue. Not every delayed diagnosis is malpractice, but sepsis misdiagnosis can be caused by many of the same types of preventable errors that cause other types of medical malpractice.
Symptoms of sepsis can vary from person to person, but sepsis often develops quickly, and when it does, it requires emergency treatment. Recognizing the condition early is important because the condition can deteriorate quickly and treatment should be started as soon as possible. Warning signs can include:
Providers typically look at these symptoms and evidence of an underlying infection when diagnosing sepsis. With quick treatment using antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and other interventions, outcomes may be improved.
If sepsis is not identified quickly, an infection can continue to spread in the body and cause further organ damage and injury. The longer the delay in treatment, the less blood flow to the organs, the greater the risk of serious complications. In some cases, patients may experience:
Many require hospitalization, intensive care, rehabilitation, and continued medical care for months or years after the initial infection clears.
Families may also experience significant financial losses due to increased medical costs, lost wages, permanent disability, and the need for continued care and support. In the worst cases, families may be left to grieve the wrongful death of a loved one who would have had a chance of survival had sepsis been identified earlier.
Sepsis misdiagnosis claims are typically subject to the Florida medical malpractice laws. State medical malpractice laws generally govern:
It is important to evaluate a sepsis misdiagnosis case as soon as possible because of these varying state laws. Waiting too long can cause evidence to be lost. Also, people working without a lawyer may make costly mistakes, especially when it comes to Florida’s detailed pre-suit requirements. A licensed Tampa lawyer can help you avoid making costly mistakes and provide reliable support with your case.
Tampa locals routinely visit facilities like Tampa General Hospital Emergency Room and HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital Emergency Room and count on their physicians to deliver quality care. When providers fail and provide subpar care that leads to sepsis, you deserve accountability. Fortunately, an attorney can help you take legal action.
When you hire a sepsis misdiagnosis attorney, they can help you in the legal process by investigating your medical records, preserving evidence, and determining if your healthcare provider met the required standard of care. An attorney can help identify all potentially liable providers, calculate the full value of a patient’s losses, negotiate with insurers, and prepare the case for trial if necessary.
If you are considering hiring a sepsis misdiagnosis lawyer, getting an early evaluation can help your case. When medical providers miss the signs of sepsis, the results can be life-altering. A civil claim is one way to help hold negligent providers accountable and pursue compensation, while also encouraging better medical practices in the future.
A: It is possible for a person who has had sepsis in the past to develop the condition again if they experience another serious infection. It’s also worth noting that some people who survive sepsis may continue to struggle with long-term health challenges, such as a compromised immune system or chronic diseases, increasing their vulnerability to new infections. It is essential to be aware of and promptly report new symptoms even after recovering from sepsis.
A: Sepsis misdiagnosis can happen not only in a hospital or emergency room but also in other settings. Depending on the situation, an urgent care provider, a primary care physician, a walk-in clinic, or any other health care professional can be held liable for a delayed diagnosis if they neglect to look for warning signs, order appropriate tests, or refer the patient for emergency treatment.
A: Infections that affect the urinary tract, lungs, or skin are among the most common causes of sepsis. A few examples of these include pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and kidney infections. However, any untreated or severe infection can potentially lead to sepsis in some cases. An attorney can look at your medical records to see how the sepsis occurred.
A: Sepsis might develop in a patient while they are already hospitalized, not just in instances where it’s present when they’re admitted. Patients recovering from surgery, those with IV lines or urinary catheters, and anyone undergoing invasive procedures face an increased risk of hospital infections that could escalate to sepsis if overlooked or untreated.
Developing sepsis is serious and can be life-threatening. If you or a loved one developed sepsis and were misdiagnosed by a medical professional, Spangenberg Shibley & Liber can pursue compensation from the negligent party and advocate for your future. Contact us today for more information.
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