Back conditions are complicated, and doctors require extensive training and experience before they can properly manage them. If a doctor fails to address symptoms that indicate potentially critical back issues, it can result in significant damages, including paralysis. Even if it seems clear that a patient’s losses are caused by negligence, however, to recover damages in a medical malpractice case, a plaintiff must typically retain a medical expert who sets forth precisely how the defendant doctor harmed the plaintiff. The failure to do so can result in the dismissal of the case, as demonstrated in a recent New York ruling. If you were injured by an incompetent orthopedic surgeon, it is smart to meet with a Syracuse medical malpractice lawyer to determine your options.
The Plaintiff’s Harm
It is reported that the plaintiff suffered from scoliosis and underwent numerous spinal surgeries throughout her life. She routinely treated with the defendant orthopedic surgeon for management of her back pain. In October 2016, her back pain worsened, and she underwent x-rays which revealed that one of the rods that had previously been surgically installed in her back had broken. She visited the defendant, who determined that her condition was not emergent and did not require any management at that time because she was neurologically stable.