Understanding Hip Replacement Medical Malpractice in Oregon and Your Rights Under the Law
A hip replacement is generally thought of as a way to improve a patient’s life who has a hip problem. As people grow older, sometimes the joint can become worn or damaged. Other times trauma or disease could affect this joint. In turn, this causes a person to have reduced mobility and pain. Unfortunately, there are instances in which a patient undergoes a hip replacement but experiences complications due to preventable forms of medical malpractice. When a victim has suffered hip replacement medical malpractice in Oregon, learn how they can recover compensation for their pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages during a FREE consultation with one of our experienced lawyers.
This is because the hip joint is a major joint. It is considered to be the most weight-bearing joint with the most pressure on it. There are many ligaments, tendons, and muscles that all come together to help form this important joint. There are also massive boney structures that come together and form this joint, disperse pressure and weight, and help a person ambulate. Injuries to this area of the body can actually affect the entire body, not just the legs and feet. This is because of the central location of the hip near the spine that can send rippling affects up the entire body.
Common Causes of Injuries to the Hip
There are really one a few ways that the joint can be injured in such as way that it becomes unusable. The most common is trauma such as a motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, trip and fall, construction accident, animal attack, intentional attack/assault, trucking wreck, or another type of traumatic accident, incident, or damaging event.
Another way that the hip can be damaged is through disease. Not only through arthritis or cancer, but the joint could sustain disease that degrade the cartilage or cause polyps, cysts, or other pockets of damage in the bones forming this joint that require surgical intervention.
Finally, this important part of the body could be butchered by the improper actions of a healthcare professional. This includes a doctor performing unnecessary surgery without proper treatment or evaluation. It could also include a doctor performing treatment that is experimental or not indicated for the patient. Some treatment could even be contradicted for the patient but a doctor could continue with it anyway. Other professionals could also be physical therapists that cause serious injuries by stretching, bending, or overworking the joint while it recovers from a minor injury.
What Occurs During A Hip Replacement Procedure?
During a hip replacement procedure, part of the femur and the cartilage in the joint that is damaged is removed. From there, a metal piece is placed into the femur and is then cemented to keep it in place. A metal socket is then placed in the bone forming the joint. From there, the two pieces are fitted together. While this procedure is supposed to bring patients more mobility and pain free days, this is not always the case if mistakes were made due to medical malpractice.
When Is a Hip Replacement Indicated?
While no one wants to undergo surgery, a hip replacement can offer hope for patients experiencing pain and impaired mobility to be able to live a life fully mobile and free of pain. A doctor may recommend a hip replacement if:
– Other treatments have not worked (i.e. anti-inflammatory drugs, injections, physical therapy, pain medications, exercise, or weight loss)
- If its difficult for you to climb stairs, sit down, walk, stand up, bend over, or perform day to day activities such as grocery shopping
- If you experience pain even while at rest
- If you are affected emotionally by your decreased mobility and pain
- If your doctor has ruled out other causes of your pain
- If you have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteonecrosis or have been involved in an accident that fractured the neck of the femur, a hip replacement may be indicated if some of the other above indications are applicable to you.
These are just a few of the many indications for a hip replacement. While all of these are appropriate reasons to get a hip replacement, a patient who chooses to undergo the procedure often isn’t aware of how they can be injured as a result of medical malpractice.
What Are Symptoms of Hip Replacement Complications?
Hip replacement medical malpractice in Oregon could result in the following warning signs of a complication including:
- A pronounced limp
- Change in gait
- Swelling of the joint
- Hip fracture
- Infection
- Broken bones in the femur
- Damage to nearby muscle groups, specifically the quadriceps
- Tendon or ligament damage, and
- Other types fo injuries.
What Complications From A Hip Replacement Can Be Caused by Medical Malpractice?
There are many ways that a complication from a hip replacement surgery could be caused by medical malpractice. A few of these complications include:
- The replacement device the patient receives is defective
- There is a leg length discrepancy
- Dislocation of the joint
- Chronic pain
- Osteolysis
- Infection
- Metallosis (a metal poisoning that can occur as the result of a hip replacement)
- Preventable infection (MRSA)
How Can Complications Be Caused By Medical Malpractice?
A provider can do many things incorrectly that can result in a complication. Examples of these include:
- Failing to adhere to sterile procedure during a surgery, leading to infection
- Placing a replacement device in a patient when it had already been recalled
- Incorrectly performing the procedure, leading to a leg length discrepancy. While leg length discrepancy can sometimes occur without medical malpractice, sometimes it is caused by a physician incorrectly performing the procedure. Additionally, this can be considered medical malpractice if a physician fails to diagnose the discrepancy.
- Failing to identify osteolysis prior to the surgery. If a physician fails to recognize that the patient’s bone density is not at a safe level for surgery, this can lead to loosening of the hip joint and can hinder mobility as well.
- Performing the surgery when it was not indicated
- Placing an implant that is not the right size for the patient
- Foreign objects left inside the patient
- Failing to properly secure the implants
- A device failure can be caused by medical malpractice, but it is not always the fault of the physician. There are instances when the device fails and it is due to manufacturers error. In that case, the liability would be on the manufacturing company, not the physician.
How Can Our Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers Help You?
Our Oregon medical malpractice lawyers understand just how unnecessary many of these complications can be from joint replacement medical malpractice in Oregon. Many of these complications can require additional surgery, or sometimes multiple surgeries which would have been unnecessary if the provider performed the procedure correctly in the first place. If you or your love one experienced symptoms of complications, you should contact our lawyers today to determine if medical malpractice played a part in your damages. If your injury is found to be due to medical malpractice, you may be eligible for damages. Damages of a replacement complication due to medical malpractice can include:
- Physical pain and suffering (past and future)
- Past, present and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost future wages
- Emotional pain and suffering (past and future)
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation coverage
- Assistive device coverage
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages in cases of egregious misconduct, and
- Many other types of very serious personal injuries.
Get Help for Hip Replacement Medical Malpractice in Oregon
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed as a result of medical malpractice contact the Oregon Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Kuhlman Law at our number below or fill out the intake form. We offer a free initial case evaluation and handle cases on a contingency fee which means that you pay no money unless we recover.
Our law firm handles cases throughout the state including Bend and Portland Oregon, Redmond, Central Oregon, Sisters, Madras, Multnomah County, Deschutes County, Salem, Eugene, Corvallis, Lane County, Medford, Gresham, La Grande, Albany, Medford, Beaverton, Umatilla, Pendleton, Cottage Grove, Florence, Oregon City, Springfield, Keizer, Grants Pass, McMinnville, Tualatin, West Linn, Forest Grove, Wilsonville, Newberg, Roseburg, Lake Oswego, Klamath Falls, Happy Valley, Tigard, Ashland, Milwakie, Coos Bay, The Dalles, St. Helens, Sherwood, Central Point, Canby, Troutdale, Hermiston, Silverton, Hood River, Newport, Prineville, Astoria, Tillamook, Lincoln City, Hillsboro, and Vancouver, Washington.
We also have an office in Minneapolis, Minnesota and take medical malpractice cases throughout the Twin Cities, including St. Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, Washington County, Anoka County, Scott County, Blaine, Stillwater, and Saint Paul Minnesota.
