As medical technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, an increasing number of Americans resort to surgeries to repair and replace damaged internal organs. While the vast majority of these surgeries go smoothly, there are many cases when patients suffer organ damage due to surgical errors, medical malpractice, and delayed diagnosis.

Any type of damage to your body is not exactly a pleasant experience, but damage to your internal organs can have life-altering consequences and carry the risk of death. Internal organ damage can be caused by negligence or carelessness on the part of surgeons, nurses, and other medical professionals during surgery or treatment.

This type of organ damage may entitle you to seek compensation through the legal doctrine of medical malpractice in Philadelphia and all across Pennsylvania, as any type of damage to your internal organs can entail serious, and, in some cases, irrevocable consequences that result in the loss of income, medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of earning capacity, and other damages and losses.

A Philadelphia damage to internal organs attorney at The Weitz Firm, LLC, will help you review your medical malpractice case, evaluate your damages and losses, and help you pick a personalized legal strategy to win your particular case.

What is damage to internal organs

When we say “damage to internal organs,” we mean damage, disease, or injury to vital and major organs in your body such as the heart, kidneys, brain, liver, spleen, lungs, stomach, and eyes.

These major organs are often damaged in the course of surgery or medical treatment when a surgeon or other healthcare provider fails to adhere to the highest standard of care and commits medical malpractice.

However, telling your surgeon or doctor that his or her surgical or medical error damaged your internal organs is rarely enough to receive monetary compensation for your damages and losses. More often than not, patients have to go through the long and exhaustive claims process or even file a lawsuit to get compensated for the injury caused by medical malpractice.

Elements of a medical malpractice claim

Our experienced medical malpractice attorney in Philadelphia explains that your case will have to meet the following elements in order to successfully prove that the doctor, surgeon, nurse, physician, or any other medical professional committed medical malpractice:

  1. You and the healthcare provider had a doctor/patient relationship that obliged the latter to owe you a duty of care.
  2. The healthcare provider breached the duty of care by making a medical or surgical mistake, which amounted to negligence or carelessness.
  3. The negligence or carelessness on the part of the medical professional was the direct cause of the damage to your internal organ.
  4. The injury caused significant damages and losses (medical expenses, loss of income, loss of earning capacity, etc.).

Symptoms of damage to major organs

Proving damage to your internal organs after surgery or in the course of medical treatment can be more difficult than you think. That’s why it is vital to keep a close eye on the signs of organ damage in order to be entitled to compensation.

If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms as a result of negligent care, do not hesitate to get medical attention and then get in touch with a Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyer:

  • Heart: difficulty breathing, sweating, chest pain, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, sleep apnea, and accumulation of fluids.
  • Kidneys: shortness of breath, feeling lightheaded, fainting, weakness, fatigue, swelling in hands and feet, swollen or puffy face.
  • Liver: loss of appetite, fatigue, yellowish skin and eyes, abdominal pain and swelling, swollen legs and ankles, nausea or vomiting.
  • Lungs: low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, chest pain, coughing up blood, weakness, hoarseness.
  • Stomach and intestines: bowel obstruction, nausea, upset stomach, abdominal bloating and pain, vomiting, indigestion, loss of appetite.
  • Spleen: confusion, lightheadedness, dizziness, blurred vision, fainting, left shoulder pain, pain in the upper left abdomen.

If you experience any of these symptoms and believe that medical malpractice may have caused damage to your major organs, do not hesitate to schedule a free consultation with our damage to internal organs lawyers at The Weitz Firm, LLC. Call our offices at 267-587-6240 today.

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