Medical Negligence in Dialysis Treatment: Actionable Claims for Kidney Dialysis Mistakes in New Jersey
When your diagnosis is End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), you may have a medical recommendation for dialysis. In addition, nephrologists prescribe dialysis for chronic kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some kidney injuries. Kidney failure requires dialysis to perform the function of the kidneys, like balancing necessary elements (sodium, iron, calcium, and potassium) in the body and removing waste and excess water. While dialysis can be a powerful tool for good in your life, errors during dialysis treatment can lead to catastrophic results. In fact, countless individuals in New Jersey and across the country suffer serious injuries and even death due to dialysis malpractice. When these tragedies occur, those impacted have the right to pursue accountability and compensation for the negligent care that detrimentally affected them and those they love.
At Fronzuto Law Group, our trusted New Jersey dialysis malpractice attorneys are committed to fighting for injured victims and their families after dialysis errors cause devastating harm. To discuss your dialysis malpractice case and find out how we can assist you with determining if you have an actionable claim, identifying the medical professionals and facilities who negligence contributed to your injuries, and tirelessly fighting for your rights, contact us at (973)-435-4551 or send us a message. A member of our legal team is available to assist you a we are pleased to provide you with a free consultation.
Distinguishing Between the Main Forms of Dialysis
Dialysis machines perform like artificial kidneys and administer the two most common types: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis entails pumping blood through the dialysis machine for filtering and returning to the patient’s body. The patient connects to the machine’s tubes through a port in the patient’s body. The process takes several hours a few times a week.
On the other hand, peritoneal dialysis is a form of cleansing in which a solution runs through the body’s abdomen and is later flushed out. The abdominal lining acts like a blood filter. This type of dialysis is reserved for certain patients and its use is relatively low compared to the use of hemodialysis.
Kidney dialysis centers operate as private for-profit businesses or not-for-profit health centers. When profits cause centers to cut corners, adequate care standards fall below governmental standards.
The Growing Prevalence of Dialysis Centers and Issues with Quality of Care
According to Global Market Insights, dialysis services are a 77.1 billion dollar industry, which experts predict will grow in the next ten years. However, staggering profits by dialysis companies may sometimes come from maximizing patient intakes and minimizing quality of care. Gratuitous surgeries and procedures may endanger patient lives. One Medicare investigation uncovered that one-fifth of the Medicare patients receiving dialysis were subjected to poor care by incompetent staff.
On the other hand, nonprofit dialysis providers had far fewer hospitalized patient days compared to for-profit dialysis centers, which had 17% more patient hospital days.
Top Errors with Kidney Dialysis
Dialysis mistakes include improper dialysis treatment monitoring and hygiene deficiencies, such as the spread of infection through unsterilized machines or tubes, negligent cleaning of dialysis mechanisms, insufficient hand washing, and improper re-use of dialysis machines. Dialysis patients are susceptible to blood infections when dialysis machines contain dirty lines or machines.
Other errors concern medical equipment and administered solutions. For example, improperly disposing of remaining cleaning solution, using acid concentrate for dialysate in the machines, using recalled or unsafe medications, and medical device defects all endanger patients. When dialysis machines still have cleaning solutions, patients can suffer severe injury, or when machine alarms malfunction, this can cause permanent harm.
Further, infections or injuries related to intravenous insertions, patient falls, excessive blood loss, inadequate blood pressure monitoring, and improper diagnosis all contribute to patient injuries.
Severe Complications and Death May Result from Dialysis Malpractice
When someone already has kidney disease, an infection can lead to death. Undetected and untreated infections may turn into sepsis, a severe infection that can be fatal. An infection left in the body untreated can damage vital organs when the immune system overreacts to foreign invading infection. Moreover, blood loss can also be fatal if unchecked, as well as stray chemicals entering a patient’s body, causing hemolytic anemia, heart attack, or permanent heart damage.
Obtaining Compensation for Injuries or Death Resulting from Dialysis Errors in NJ
People may die or remain permanently injured when dialysis malpractice occurs. That means a life of pain, loss of life quality, or loss of a loved one. It also means high financial needs for medical care and economic support for daily necessities. Those responsible for your or your loved one’s injuries or death can be held liable to pay monetary damages for losses to you and your family. In fact, victims of dialysis mistakes that cause serious harm are entitled to lost wages, including time off from work and lost hourly or salary wages to attend doctor visits, hospital stays, and medical procedures.
If you have a valid lawsuit for kidney dialysis errors, you have the right to payment for your medical costs, past and future. So, when you need future surgeries, medications, and therapies for negligently caused injuries, you have money to pay for them. Pain and suffering are also compensable in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Pain and suffering compensation covers the non-economic damages due to the physical, mental, and emotional consequences of kidney dialysis negligence.
Dialysis negligence that leads to the loss of a loved one may be grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit. Those responsible for the death must pay family members for their loss of companionship and financial support due to the wrongful death, among other damages. Finally, a jury may award punitive damages in cases involving dialysis services or centers that are grossly negligent or reckless in providing healthcare to patients. Punitive damages are intended for discouraging defendants and others from further reckless or intentionally harmful practices that leave victims to suffer the results.
Count on Fronzuto Law Group to Assist with Your Kidney Dialysis Malpractice Case in New Jersey
When you are irrevocably changed due to your own injuries or a loved one’s death resulting from negligent dialysis treatment, life may seem hopeless and unfair. You may feel encouraged to know that the law provides legal recourse for victims and their families who experience the traumatic consequences of dialysis errors and substandard care for renal disease, kidney failure, and other conditions. Our New Jersey legal team at Fronzuto Law Group can serve as a kind ear to listen to your traumatic events and an experienced advocate navigating the legal process to obtain compensation for the heavy toll that dialysis errors have taken on you and your family. Contact us at (973)-435-4551 to speak to a medical malpractice attorney who has answers for your situation.
