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Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC Wais Vogelstein Forman Koch & Norman LLC
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Chicago Epidural Injury Attorney

During labor and delivery, a pregnant woman should be able to receive an epidural without worrying about suffering serious and life-altering injuries. While many women go through childbirth with epidurals and do not have any problems, mistakes made during the administration of epidurals can result in debilitating injuries, including severe spinal cord injuries and, in some cases, paralysis. If you suffered an epidural injury in Illinois, it is essential to seek advice from a Chicago epidural injury attorney about filing a claim for financial compensation and holding the negligent healthcare provider accountable.

How an Epidural Works in Chicago

What is an epidural, and how does it work? According to the Cleveland Clinic, an epidural is a procedure that occurs during labor and delivery that involves injecting an anesthetic or steroid into the epidural space around your spinal nerves. When the anesthetic or steroid is injected, it stops the body from sending pain signals from the area around where it is injected to the brain. Accordingly, epidurals are used during labor and delivery to block the pain of childbirth.

Epidurals can be performed by multiple types of healthcare providers, and any of those healthcare providers can be liable for harm that results from an epidural mistake and resulting epidural injury. The following are the types of healthcare providers who most commonly administer an epidural or perform the epidural procedure during labor and delivery:

  • Anesthesiologist;
  • Nurse anesthetist; or
  • Neurologist or other neurological specialist.

In addition to those healthcare providers, when an epidural error and injury occurs, the hospital or medical center where the procedure occurred also may be liable for harm.

Types of Epidurals During Chicago Pregnancies

When a person goes into labor in Chicago and chooses an epidural for childbirth, that person may receive one of two types of epidurals:

  • An epidural with a catheter, where a catheter will be placed in your lower back and the medicine will be administered through that catheter with an injection, with the option for more medication being provided if necessary; or
  • A combined spinal-epidural, or CSE, which includes both a spinal block and an epidural, and it tends to provide quicker pain relief but involves a lower dose of medication, so there is more feeling during childbirth (sometimes this type of epidural may be known as a “walking epidural”).

Causes of Epidural Injuries in Chicago

There are many potential causes of epidural injuries in Chicago, including but not limited to the following:

  • Dosage or medication mistake;
  • Incorrect needle or catheter placement;
  • Administration of the epidural at the wrong time during labor;
  • Failure to diagnose an infection in the mother prior to the administration of the epidural;
  • Failure to properly monitor the mother during the administration of the epidural;
  • Failure to properly monitor the baby during the administration of the epidural;
  • Failure to account for other medications and harmful side effects, such as blood thinners;
  • Failure to recognize risk for potential allergic reactions to the anesthetic; or
  • Failure to consider the mother’s specific risk factors, such as a low platelet count.

Contact Our Chicago Epidural Injury Attorneys

If you or your baby suffered an injury as a result of an epidural, our Chicago epidural injury lawyers can help you to file a claim. Contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC today.

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