If you are reading this, you may have already experienced a serious bowel injury after undergoing what you expected to be a routine procedure. Bowel injuries can happen in all kinds of ways, and they often occur in minor surgeries when a surgeon or another healthcare provider makes a grievous error. I am so sorry that you are experiencing this terrible pain because your doctor did not take proper precautions during your procedure. I know that you are likely experiencing significant pain and suffering on top of dealing with extensive medical bills and lost wages caused by your injury. When someone suffers a severe bowel injury because of a surgeon’s negligence, it is extremely important to seek help from a Minneapolis bowel injury lawyer who has experience representing injured patients in claims like yours. We know you may be wondering if you are eligible for compensation, and we know that you may be agonizing over the decision of whether to trust another doctor to help you heal from your serious injuries. You are in the right place if you need help from an experienced and compassionate Minnesota bowel injury lawyer. Our firm is here to help you. Continue reading to learn more about bowel injuries and filing a claim, and then call our firm to further discuss your situation.
What Caused My Bowel Injuries?
Bowel injuries can result from many different types of errors in medical procedures, especially in gynecological procedures and laparoscopic surgeries. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides information about causes of bowel injuries and how they frequently happen. Common medical procedures that can lead to a bowel injury include but are not limited to the following:
- Abdominal surgery;
- Digestive tract surgical procedures;
- Pelvic surgery;
- Preparation for a colonoscopy;
- Colonoscopy;
- Sigmoidoscopy;
- Caesarean section for childbirth (c-section);
- Laparoscopy; and
- Hysterectomy.
Bowel injuries frequently happen when a surgeon or another healthcare provider mishandles instruments that are necessary for an abdominal or gynecological surgical procedure, or the mishandling of laparoscopic instruments or energy devices like ultrasonic forceps.
Symptoms of a Bowel Injury
Sometimes patients who have suffered a bowel injury in a surgical procedure will experience obvious and immediate symptoms, while in other situations a patient may not have signs until some time has passed after the procedure. If you do have symptoms, you should be seen by a doctor as soon as possible. Frequent signs of bowel injury can include but are not limited to:
- Abdominal pain and cramping;
- Nausea;
- Vomiting;
- Bloating;
- Rectal bleeding;
- Change in bowel habits;
- Fever;
- Chills; and
- General fatigue.
For a legal consultation with a bowel injury lawyer serving Minneapolis, call 612-349-2729
What Kind of Damages Can I Recover in a Bowel Injury Lawsuit?
If you file a bowel injury lawsuit, you may be able to recover many different types of compensatory damages, such as compensation for:
- Medical bills;
- Surgery costs;
- Prescription medications;
- Rehabilitative therapy;
- Lost wages;
- Pain and suffering; and
- Loss of enjoyment of life.
Although some states place caps on medical malpractice damages, you should know that Minnesota does not have these caps.
Minneapolis Bowel Injury Lawyer Near Me 612-349-2729
What Will Happen if My Injuries Worsened Because I Waited to See a Doctor?
In some injury cases, the at-fault party will try to avoid paying full compensation to the plaintiff by raising the issue of comparative fault. Comparative fault is a defense that a defendant can use to say that the plaintiff is partially at fault and, as a result, is not entitled to receive full compensation. In some states, comparative fault or contributory negligence will mean that a plaintiff cannot recover any damages at all.
Under Minnesota’s comparative fault law, as long as a plaintiff is not more than 50 percent at fault, the plaintiff can still obtain damages. However, the plaintiff’s damages award will be reduced by his or her portion of fault. For example, if a plaintiff is 40 percent at fault, her recovery will be reduced by 40 percent. Once a plaintiff in Minnesota is 51 percent or more at fault, then the plaintiff is barred from recovery altogether.
How would comparative fault come up in a bowel injury case? If an injured patient realized she had an injury, for example, and did not see a doctor for a number of weeks, the injury may have worsened as a result. In such a case, the doctor who is responsible for causing the initial bowel injury may argue that the injured patient is partially at fault. In case comparative fault allegations come up in your case, you should know that we will work tirelessly to prove that you do not bear any responsibility for your injuries or their severity, and that you are entitled to receive 100 percent of your damages award.
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How Much Time Do I Have to File a Bowel Injury Claim?
When you have a bowel injury, it can be incredibly difficult to think about talking with a lawyer and filing a lawsuit when you are dealing with the physical trauma of the injury. However, you need to keep in mind that medical negligence claims have a statute of limitations, or a specific time window in which to file a claim. If you do not file your lawsuit within this time window, you can end up with a time-barred lawsuit. When a claim is time-barred, the injured patient cannot get the compensation that she or he deserves.
The statute of limitations in a Minnesota bowel injury case is four years from the date that the medical error occurred. This means you must file your bowel injury claim within four years from the date of the procedure that resulted in your bowel injury. We can ensure that your claim is filed in a timely manner and that you remain eligible for the financial compensation you deserve.
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Can Bowel Injuries Be Avoided?
In some cases, surgeons and other healthcare providers cannot prevent a bowel injury or bowel perforation in a particular patient. In situations where a patient has an undiagnosed bowel obstruction or colon cancer, a bowel perforation can happen even if the doctor takes all necessary precautions. At the same time, however, many bowel injuries are caused by medical negligence and can be avoided.
According to the AHRQ, bowel injuries are often avoidable by “adhering to some basic principles” of the surgical procedure being done. If we can show your doctor did not take proper precautions or did not adhere to some of those basic or essential principles surrounding your procedure, you can be entitled to receive full compensation for your losses.
What Do I Need to Prove to Win a Bowel Injury Claim?
Bowel injury claims are a type of medical malpractice, or medical negligence, claim. Generally speaking, in order to win a bowel injury claim in Minneapolis, you will need to be able to prove the following elements of the case:
- Your healthcare provider owed you a duty of care, which is easy to prove when there is a doctor-patient relationship;
- Your doctor breached that duty of care by making a mistake, or otherwise failing to act in a manner that another healthcare provider in the Minneapolis area in a similar field would have considered to be reasonable;
- You suffered an injury; and
- You have experienced damages.
I know how devastating injuries from medical mistakes can be, and I am so sorry that you are going through this unthinkable experience. I can help you to prove the necessary elements of your case and to fulfill all other requirements for a medical malpractice claim in Minnesota.
What Should I Do Right Now If I Think Medical Malpractice Caused My Bowel Injuries?
If you believe your bowel injury was caused by your doctor’s error, you should get in touch with an experienced Minnesota medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you can to have your case evaluated.
It is important to know that some injuries can happen during a medical procedure without any type of negligence or error. Some types of medical procedures come with risks as a result of the type of procedure or because of the particular patient. Even when these risks do exist, your doctor has a duty to make sure you understand those risks and that you agree to them. Even if your doctor did everything right during your procedure and you still suffered a bowel injury because of an inherent risk, you can still hold your doctor liable if she or he failed to warn you about the risks, or if you agreed to take the risk without fully understanding it.
Seek Help from a Minneapolis Bowel Injury Attorney
When you have suffered a serious bowel injury because of your doctor’s negligence or the negligence of another healthcare provider, you need help from an experienced Minneapolis medical negligence lawyer who can help you seek the compensation you need and deserve. Our firm can help you to build a strong medical malpractice case by gathering your medical records, finding a reliable medical expert to evaluate your case, and ensuring that your lawsuit is filed in a timely manner. Contact our Minneapolis bowel injury attorney at Madia Law today online or call us at 612.349.2729 to discuss how we can help with your case.
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