A dentist is expected to maintain a certain standard of care like any other medical professional. When a dentist fails to provide the required level of care and causes injury, the injured patient can hold the dentist accountable by filing a legal claim for dental malpractice. Dentists can breach their duty of care in many ones and one common form of malpractice is failing to properly sterilize all dental tools and equipment prior to use on a patient.

The risks of inadequate sterilization

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sets out guidelines for proper sterilization practices in dental offices. All non-disposable tools should be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized between every patient, all disposable tools should not be used on multiple patients, all surfaces should be properly disinfected, and staff should wear gloves and masks. If a dentist’s office fails to practice proper sterilization techniques, patients could be exposed to the following:

• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Other serious infections

Anyone who believes that their dentists may have used unsterilized equipment should immediately seek a medical evaluation and get tested for infections. If a patient does contract HIV or hepatitis B or C, they could face a lifetime of symptoms, medical monitoring, treatments, and medications. Because these infections are often chronic, a victim’s financial losses can be extensive.

Recovering in a malpractice claim

In order to prevail in a dental malpractice claim and obtain adequate compensation for your losses, you must prove the following:

• The dentist had a duty of care;
• The dentist breached that duty of care;
• The breach caused your injury; and
• You suffered damages as a result.

In order to prove the above, you will have to gather and present sufficient evidence to the court. It is important to seek assistance from an attorney who has the resources to conduct a thorough investigation into the practices of your dentist’s office.

Sacramento Dental Malpractice

At the Teal Law Group in Sacramento, we are committed to helping injured patients hold negligent dentists liable for their losses. If you believe that a dentist has used equipment that was not properly sterilized and you sustained an infection, you could be entitled to substantial compensation. Please call our office today at 916-448-1010 or contact us online for a free consultation.

One of the most common forms of medical malpractice involves medication errors. Statistics indicate that pharmaceutical departments filled more than 4 million prescriptions for medications in the United States in 2014 alone. With the large number of different medications given to patients both in pharmacies and in hospitals, it is not surprising that errors are made on a regular basis. However, because of the severe risks of injury involved with medication errors, medical and pharmaceutical professionals are expected to take adequate care whenever prescribing or distributing medicine.

Questioning patients on current medications

Before doctors write a particular prescription for a patient, they should thoroughly question the patient about their medical history. This includes any possible allergies to medications, any health conditions, as well as any and all medications they are currently taking, including over-the-counter medicines. Additionally, pharmacists should check the medications you are currently on to identify any possible issues prior to filling a prescription.

Mixing medications that should not be mixed can cause many types of adverse reactions in patients, some of which may result in the need for extensive medical treatment. Adverse reactions can occur if two medications have similar active ingredients or properties as this may magnify the effects of the medications and may even lead to an overdose. Conversely, if two medications have opposite properties, they can cancel one another out and the patient does not receive the necessary benefits. Finally, combinations of certain drugs can dangerously alter nutrient and substance levels that naturally occur in the body. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that about 2 million adverse drug reactions occur every year leading to approximately 100,000 deaths.

Common dangerous drug interactions

While a wide variety of drug interactions are possible, certain medications have a higher risk for adverse interactions. The following are three common medications that can have dangerous combinations:

• Antidepressants (SSRIs) — Can adversely interact with pain medications, antihistamines, or even St. John’s wort supplements.
• Cholesterol medications (statins) — Should not mix with certain antibiotics, prescription oral fungal medicine, vitamin B complex, or even grapefruit juice.
• Blood pressure medicine (HCTZ) — Can react with heart-rhythm drugs, decongestants, or glycyrrhizin.

These are only a few examples of drugs that can have adverse reactions and your doctor or pharmacist should always check for potentially adverse combinations before prescribing anything for you.

Sacramento Prescription Errors

If your doctor or pharmacist failed to check what medication you were taking before prescribing a new one and a bad reaction landed you in the hospital, you should contact a Sacramento medication error attorney as soon as possible. Call the Teal Law Group at 916-448-1010 to find out how we can help you.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 735,000 individuals suffer a heart attack each year in the United States. Whether minor or severe, heart attacks require immediate medical treatment to prevent complications or even death. Such treatments may include nitroglycerin, heparin, thrombolytic agents, or even aspirin. Additionally, when an individual has a heart attack, a cardiologist will know to look for clogged arteries or other dangerous signs of heart disease and perform any necessary surgeries.

Unfortunately, without the proper testing and thorough evaluation, heart attacks can often go undiagnosed or mistaken for other conditions, such as heartburn. In fact, one study estimated that 11,000 patients who suffer heart attacks are sent home with the wrong diagnosis and without the necessary treatment. Such a misdiagnosis can often be fatal, especially if an individual has serious heart disease. It may also put them at risk for a future subsequent heart attack or stroke. If a doctor fails to correctly diagnose a heart attack and a patient suffers unnecessary injury as a result, the patient may have the legal right to compensation due to medical malpractice.

Why are heart attacks often misdiagnosed?

Heart attacks are most commonly associated with chest pain as its most prominent symptom. Some heart attack victims also suffer shortness of breath and pain in the arm or shoulder. However, signs of a heart attack can vary widely from patient to patient. Women, in particular, do not always present all of the classic signs of a heart attack and are most often misdiagnosed.

Furthermore, if a patient does not have the major risk factors for a heart attack, a doctor may often fail to complete an electrocardiogram or other heart attack tests and may simply diagnose the chest discomfort as heartburn or indigestion. However, even a seemingly healthy, young, and active adult can suffer a heart attack due to family history of heart disease or other medical conditions. Overall, a doctor should examine all of the following in making a diagnosis:

• Signs and symptoms
• Test results
• Family and medical history

If they fail to do so and misdiagnose your heart attack, you may have a viable legal claim.

Qualified Sacramento Misdiagnosed Heart Attack Attorney

If you suffered preventable complications or conditions because a medical professional misdiagnosed your heart attack as heartburn, you should discuss your situation with a Sacramento misdiagnosed heart attack lawyer at the Teal Law Group today. Call 916-448-1010 to schedule a free consultation.

Many individuals who believe they have been the victim of medical malpractice do not know where to turn. They may know that lawyers handle medical malpractice lawsuits, but they may believe that hiring an attorney will be too expensive and that they do not have the money to fund a lawsuit. For these reasons, too many people fail to even discuss a possible claim with a legal professional because they do not want to pay for a consultation.

Fortunately for injured victims, the Sacramento medical malpractice attorneys at the Teal Law Group make it affordable for anyone to pursue a legal claim no matter what their financial situation may be. We do this by handling all of our medical malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis. A contingency fee agreement states that we will charge you no fee for our services unless you are able to recover in your case. We also front the costs of pursuing your claim so that you do not pay anything out of pocket.

The following is some additional information regarding our contingency fee arrangements:

• If you do prevail in your case, we are paid a previously agreed-upon percentage directly out of your recovery.
• California law strictly regulates the amount that an attorney can receive from a medical malpractice settlement or award to ensure you are able to take home the compensation you deserve.
• The limitations apply whether your recovery is determined by alternative dispute resolution, settlement negotiations, or trial.
• We are not reimbursed for any costs of your case until you receive your settlement or award.
• Your attorney can take payments over a period of time through a structured fee.

At the Teal Law Group, our Sacramento medical malpractice lawyers will be able to answer any questions you may have regarding contingency fees. We want to make sure that you thoroughly understand all of your rights in our agreement and are comfortable signing the agreement.

Our legal team has extensive experience standing up for the rights and interests of patients who suffered injury due to medical malpractice. Our consultations are always free with no obligation, so please do not hesitate to call 916-448-1010 to discuss how we can help you today or contact us online to schedule your consultation.

Novocain (also known as procaine) is a local anesthetic used in medicine and dentistry. Using anesthetics takes immense experience and care. The consequences from improper use of anesthesia can be severe. Anesthesiologists face a significant number of medical malpractice claims because of the very real potential that their errors will cause serious physical and mental injury to their patients. If you’ve been affected by the negligent error of an anesthesiologist in Sacramento you need a experienced an attorney by your side.

Anesthesia is a Vital Part of Surgery, But Must Be Handled Extremely Carefully

Anesthesia makes surgery bearable by freeing the body from pain. But it’s has the potential to be incredibly dangerous. If it’s not administered in the correct amount, at the proper time, or in the correct way it can cause serious injury to the patient. Patients place tremendous faith in their medical care providers and the providers have a professional and legal duty to provide quality of care. An anesthesia error can even be deadly.

I Was Victim of An Anesthesia Error Caused By Novocain, Was it Medical Malpractice?

Similar to other medical professionals, an anesthesiologist has a legal duty to maintain a certain standard of care when dealing with patients. The standard of care provided must be a similar quality of care as the patient could reasonably expect to receive from another professional anesthesiologist. Failure to provide care up to this standard can result in the anesthesiologist being deemed negligent. Negligence can lead to a successful medical malpractice claim with potential for substantial financial recovery. No one expects to sustain bodily damage from surgery due to anesthesia. If you were injured by anesthesia there is a good chance it was done in error. If this has happened to you an attorney experienced in Sacramento medical malpractice claims should review your case immediately so you do not miss out on your rightful compensation.

Find Out How an Anesthesia Error Malpractice Attorney in Sacramento Can Help You

Contact the Teal Law Group in Sacramento, we are completely committed to helping patients, who were injured by the negligent use of novocain, by holding the negligent medical professionals liable for their losses. If you believe that anesthesia has been improperly used on you and you were injured as a result, you could be entitled to substantial compensation. Please call our office today at 916-448-1010 for a free consultation.

Sometimes a patient awakens from surgery and feels an unexpected comfortableness in a specific area of the body. This may be the result of surgically caused nerve damage. Nerve damage can feel like numbness or tingling and can be accompanied by a ‘pins and needles’ feeling and severe burning pain. If this has happened to you, it’s important to know your legal rights. You may be the victim of medical malpractice and you may be eligible for substantial compensation.

Two Common Ways Medical Malpractice Can Result In Nerve Damage

• The surgeon has cut or badly stretches a nerve in the operative field without properly ensuring its protection. This is often referred to as a “surgical misadventure”
• A surgeon or an anesthesiologist has placed a nerve under prolonged pressure and cut off its blood supply for an improper amount of time leading to damage. This is often referred to as a “positioning error”

Proving Medical Malpractice and Collecting For Your Nerve Damage

A few basic elements must be proven in a surgical nerve damage malpractice case to collect a reward. First, a doctor patient relationship must be established. This is typically an easy hurdle to clear as this relationship almost always unquestionably exists. Next, negligence of the doctor during (or immediately before/after) the surgery must be established. A surgeon or anesthesiologist is negligent when they fail to provide the quality of care that other competent surgeons and anesthesiologists would have reasonably provided in similar circumstances. To prevail in a case of surgically caused nerve damage medical malpractice a patient must prove the proper medical standard of care and prove how the doctor deviated from that standard of care. Finally the patient must prove the harm caused by the negligence. The harm can take various forms including; pain and suffering, cost of medical bills, lost wages and loss of ability to enjoy lifestyle pleasures as one would before the negligent nerve damage.

Contact an Attorney in Sacramento Experienced With Surgery Caused Nerve Damage

When people sustain nerve damage during surgery caused by the negligence or carelessness of medical professionals, they are often entitled to significant compensation. Contact the attorneys of the Teal Law Group have been representing the legal rights of injured victims since 1975 and are respected as one of California’s leading medical malpractice law firms. To discuss your case with one of our Sacramento medical malpractice lawyers, call our office today at 916-448-1010