Anaesthetic complications are very rare, especially in our day and age where doctors and surgeons are fully trained in administering and injecting anaesthetic.
The most common case of medical negligence compensation regarding anaesthetics is Anaesthetic Awareness - the term given to regaining some form of consciousness during surgery under general anaesthetic. If a patient has not been administered an adequate dosage of anesthetic before an operation, they might end up regaining consciousness during a surgical procedure causing them a lot of physical and psychological stress. There are cases where the patient has been given enough paralysing agent to be unable to move or speak but to be conscious enough to know what's happening to them.
There are also cases of over-dosage of anaesthetic, which in the most serious cases can lead to brain damage or death. Of course these situations are extremely rare, but they do happen, and if they have happened to someone close to you, it's important to know the steps you can take to claim compensation should you need any support.
Administration of aneasthetic requires specialised training and certification and all aneasthetic procedures should be noted and recorded for medical evidence. Complications have been known to occur in cosmetic surgeries and dental practises because the patients are under general anaesthesia and there are no trained anaesthesia staff present.
Making a clinical negligence claim can be very difficult, especially in cases where you need to supply lots of evidence during a traumatic time for you or a loved one. It's important that you find a specialist medical negligence lawyer to assist you with your claim and to give you all of the necessary support available to you. Not only will the lawyer be able to help you with your claim but they will also be able to give you relevant contacts for support and counselling as anaesthetic complications can cause major physical and psychological distress.
When making your claim it will be necessary for you to collate all medical evidence, and of course, the more evidence you have, the better the chances are of you receiving compensation. You will need to show in your evidence that the level of care fell below what is expected and you'll need to prove this negligence is the result of your injury or condition.
You will be entitled to different types of compensation. The first is financial compensation for the pain and suffering caused during the procedure and this is known as loss of amenity. The second is special damages compensation and this covers you for all of your expenses over the time of your claim - you should keep all receipts of any expenditure during this period, for example, travel costs that have incurred travelling back and forth to hospitals and various solicitors or sources of help.
Anaesthetic malpractice is one of the most difficult types of negligence to prove because at the time the patient is in a state of sedation, so the only evidence lawyers can rely on is word of mouth from both the patient and the doctors, and previous medical records. This is why it's so important to find a specialist lawyer who will be able to help you with your claim and everything that surrounds it.
