Blood clots can cause permanent harm and can be life-threatening if not timely diagnosed and properly treated. If you have experienced complications from a blood clot after surgery, it may have been due to medical negligence, and you might have the right to seek compensation for your damages.
The experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Rapoport Weisberg Sims & VanOverloop P.C. are committed to helping you recover fair compensation after a doctor’s mistake harms you or a loved one. We provide a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case with a qualified medical malpractice lawyer. Call us today for your free case review today.
How an Attorney Can Help with Your Blood Clot Claim
Blood clots can be serious and require your full attention. A lawyer can review your situation to determine if you have a viable claim against your healthcare provider while you focus on your recovery. Medical malpractice attorneys are familiar with the law and know what you must prove to recover compensation for your claim.
Rapoport Weisberg Sims & VanOverloop P.C. has an impressive track record of results, including several multi-million-dollar recoveries for medical malpractice victims. This includes a $13.25 million verdict, a $4.8 million verdict, a $4 million recovery, and additional substantial recoveries in blood clot medical malpractice cases. Our goal is to get you the justice and financial accountability you deserve after a healthcare provider’s mistake harms you or a loved one. We gather evidence, work with medical experts, and build your claim for maximum compensation. Contact our office today for a free case evaluation.
What Is a Blood Clot?
A blood clot is a clump of blood that forms within the body. Blood clots can block the flow of blood through the body, and they can potentially cause bodily organs to die.
Why Do Blood Clots Form?
Blood clots often form to prevent excessive bleeding. However, some blood clots form inside the veins or arteries that can cause harm to the patient. They may not dissolve naturally and may necessitate medical attention. Blood clots in the legs, lungs, heart or brain can be particularly dangerous.
Surgeries can sometimes cause blood clots to form. Patients should be properly assessed for their risk of blood clots before surgery, provided with an appropriate treatment plan to prevent blood clots, and monitored for complications after surgery.
Factors that can increase your risk for blood clots during or after surgery include:
- A lengthy procedure
- Anesthesia
- Fractures
- Restricted mobility
- Obesity
- Heart
- Your health or family health history
Blood clots can also form after surgery because patients may have to stay in bed for a long time during their recovery. When patients are not active, blood flows more slowly, which can cause a blood clot. Blood clots are more likely to form between two and ten days after surgery, but patients remain at risk for them up to three months after surgery.
Types of Blood Clots
Blood clots can form in the arteries or veins. The two main types of blood clots are arterial and venous.
Arterial Blood Clots
Arteries carry blood and oxygen from the heart to the body. Arterial blood clots block blood from reaching other areas of the body. Most of these blood clots occur in the legs and feet.
Venous Blood Clots
Veins carry blood back to the heart. Blood clots that form in the veins are categorized as one of the following:
Superficial Venous Thrombosis
This type of blood clot forms near the surface of the skin.
Pulmonary Embolism
This type of blood clot forms in a vein deep in the lungs. This is a particularly dangerous type of blood clot, which can be fatal in some situations.
Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that forms within a deep vein, such as the thigh or calf. This type of blood clot can form after major surgery.
Surgeries that put patients at greater risk of developing a pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis include:
- Leg surgery
- Hip surgery
- Knee surgery
- Hip replacement
- Abdominal surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Surgery to remove cancer
- Coronary artery bypass
While these surgeries may carry a greater risk of blood clots, healthcare providers must still carefully monitor patients and take steps to prevent unnecessary blood clots from forming during or after surgery.
Reasons for Blood Clots After Surgery
While blood clots may naturally form, they are often due to the negligence of healthcare staff. Some negligent actions that can result in blood clots after surgery include:
- Failing to properly evaluate the patient’s risk of blood clots
- Failing to prescribe blood thinners to prevent blood clots
- Failing to consider a patient’s family medical history
- Not properly monitoring patients
- Failing to order appropriate tests
- Discharging patients prematurely
- Not taking complaints of pain seriously
- Misdiagnosing blood clots for another condition
- Not providing proper post-operative care
- Not following up with a patient
- Failing to prescribe appropriate treatment after surgery to prevent blood clots from forming
An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can review your case and determine how the blood clot occurred and how it might have been able to be prevented.
How Blood Clots Can Be Prevented
Doctors and other healthcare providers can take steps to reduce your risk of developing blood clots. Doctors can identify risk factors for blood clots, such as excess body weight, smoking, or particular types of surgeries. They can create a plan to help prevent blood clots, such as elevating your legs periodically, increasing circulation through lower leg exercises, use of compression stockings or devices, and using blood thinners.
Healthcare providers should also watch out for warning signs that blood clots are forming. Symptoms of blood clots include:
- Pain or tenderness
- Muscle spasms
- Tingling or weakness in the limbs
- Red or discolored skin
- Swelling or warmth in the affected body part
- Shortness of breath
Post-operative recommendations to prevent the formation of blood clots may include:
- Taking a blood thinner
- Use of compression stockings or devices
- Moving the injured body part
- Exercising
Dangers of Delayed Diagnosis of Blood Clots
Blood clots can be extremely serious and lead to a number of adverse health outcomes including death. Blood clots can require you to be readmitted to the hospital after surgery, which can increase health complications and development of other conditions, such as infections.
In other situations, blood clots can lead to gangrene and require amputation to cut off dead cells. Some blood clots form in the lungs and can cause lung death.
Treatment for Blood Clots
Receiving a prompt diagnosis of a blood clot is essential to treating it in an effective manner. When a blood clot diagnosis is delayed, it can become larger and life-threatening. Doctors can diagnose blood clots through methods such as:
- A physical exam
- Medical imaging
- Blood tests
Blood clot treatment may include the following:
- Using anticoagulants to thin the blood and prevent additional blood clots from forming
- Using thrombolytics to dissolve blood clots
- Removing blood clots surgically
- Wearing compression stockings
- Placing a filter in the abdomen to prevent a blood clot from reaching your lung
Recognizing When Blood Clots After Surgery Are Due to Medical Malpractice
While blood clots can occur naturally and even when the medical team does everything right, there are times when blood clots form because of healthcare negligence. It is important to have a qualified lawyer review your case to determine which category your case falls under.
You may have a viable medical malpractice claim if you can show:
- You had a doctor-patient relationship.
- The healthcare provider violated the standard of care causing you harm.
- You suffered damages for which a court can compensate you.
Proving these elements can be difficult without the help of an experienced medical malpractice attorney. An experienced attorney can also work with a medical expert to build a foundation for your claim.
FAQs
Can I Sue for a Blood Clot?
Blood clots can be serious and life-threatening. However, the formation of a blood clot does not always give rise to a medical malpractice claim. The question is whether the healthcare provider was negligent in the formation or treatment of the blood clot. Negligence can occur when a doctor fails to order appropriate care to prevent blood clots, misdiagnoses a patient, delays a diagnosis, fails to properly treat a blood clot, or makes a mistake that leads to patient harm. The best way to determine if you can sue for your blood clot is to reach out to an experienced medical malpractice attorney who can carefully analyze your case.
What Compensation Can I Recover in a Blood Clot Case?
A blood clot can lead to unnecessary pain and illness. You may be able to recover compensation for the harm you suffered, which might include:
- Medical expenses
- Future costs for treatment
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Emotional and/or psychological harm
- Diminished quality of life
- Wrongful death
What Is the Time Limit for Filing a Blood Clot Claim?
In Illinois, most medical malpractice claims are subject to the two-year statute of limitations that applies to other types of personal injury cases, which begins on the day that you knew or should have known that you had a medical malpractice claim. There is also a maximum statute of limitations of four years from the date of the alleged malpractice called the statute of repose. However, there are exceptions to the general statute of limitations and statute of repose. To learn the deadline that applies to your case and to receive assistance with your medical malpractice claim, contact a skilled medical malpractice attorney.
Reach Out to Our Skilled Medical Malpractice Attorneys for Your Blood Clot Claim
If you were injured or lost a loved one due to a blood clot after surgery, turn to a qualified medical malpractice attorney who can fight for you. The experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Rapoport Weisberg Sims & VanOverloop P.C. are committed to helping you recover fair compensation after a doctor’s mistake harms you. We can handle your claim while you focus on your recovery.
Contact us today for your free, no-obligation case consultation.
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