Spinal Abscess

Spinal abscesses are caused by the build-up of pus and germs around or in the spinal cord, that result in infection, inflammation and irritation in that region. Pus is a collection of fluid, white blood cells, destroyed tissue cells, and live and dead bacteria or other microorganisms. Spinal abscesses can be caused by tuberculosis or a staph or fungal infection that spreads through the spine. Health care providers must follow professional standards when identifying and treating a spinal abscess. If you were harmed by a failure to diagnose or treat spinal abscess, you should discuss the viability of a lawsuit with the seasoned Syracuse medical malpractice attorneys of DeFrancisco & Falgiatano.

A patient may not experience symptoms when a spinal abscess is just beginning to form. However, as the infection worsens, the resulting pressure can cause sharp pain, sudden onset of pain, rapidly progressing weakness, paralysis below the abscess area, loss of sensation, fever, and loss of bladder or bowel control. You are at greater risk of developing a spinal abscess if you have certain risk factors such as a weakened immune system, ruptured gallbladder, a history of using anticoagulant agents, and injection of illicit drugs. If a doctor misdiagnosed a spinal abscess and allowed it to burst, the dispersal of bacteria throughout the body may be fatal.

To establish liability for medical malpractice in Syracuse, you will need to prove it’s more likely than not: (1) the defendant health care provider was obliged to provide medical care to you in accord with her professional duty of care, (2) breach of the professional duty of care, (3) causation, and (4) actual damages. The professional standard of care is determined by looking at what other reasonably competent health care providers in the same geographic region and specialty would do. A general practitioner in California may need to follow a different professional duty of care than a surgeon in New York would when presented with identical symptoms. Your lawyer will need to consult with an expert to determine the applicable professional duty of care owed by your Syracuse healthcare providers when diagnosing and treating your spinal abscess.

A doctor should abide by her professional duty of care from the first time she sees you for symptoms of spinal abscess. When doctors depart from the professional standard of care in either diagnosing or treating patients, serious harm may result. Spinal epidural abscess may be treated with surgical decompression, which can be followed by four to six weeks of antibiotic therapy. It may be appropriate to treat selected patients through a nonsurgical method; in some cases, only antibiotics are needed.

When you file your complaint for medical malpractice, your attorneys will also need to file a certificate of merit attesting to their consultation with an expert and that they believe your case is meritorious.

If you can establish liability, we may be able to recover compensatory damages, which are meant to make you whole. They can include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, and loss of consortium. When a patient dies due to a failure to diagnose or treat spinal abscess, it may be appropriate to pursue wrongful death damages. While no amount of compensation can make up for the loss of a loved one, recovery for pecuniary losses can be helpful as a family grieves and rebuilds.

If you were injured or a loved one was killed as the result of a failure to diagnose or treat spinal abscess, you should discuss whether you have grounds for bringing a lawsuit for damages with our seasoned Syracuse attorneys. We also represent patients across upstate New York in Auburn, Rochester, Watertown, Elmira, Herkimer, Canandaigua, Utica, Lowville, Oswego, Wampsville, Ithaca, Lyons, Oneida, Cooperstown, and Binghamton. Complete DeFrancisco & Falgiatano’s online form or call us at 833-200-2000.