New Jersey Diverticulitis Malpractice Attorneys

Handling Diverticulitis Misdiagnosis, Delayed Diagnosis, & Surgery Error Claims in NJ

Diverticulitis is an unpleasant and sometimes dangerous medical condition that may develop in your intestinal system. It can be painful and may result in severe complications including abscesses, colon blockage, scarring, bowel damage, and even peritonitis, a serious medical emergency that occurs when the contents of your intestine spill out into your abdominal cavity. With the seriousness of potential complications from diverticulitis, medical mistakes when diagnosing or treating the condition put patients at significant risk. If a doctor fails to diagnose or delays diagnosis of diverticulitis, makes errors during surgery to treat the condition, or otherwise causes you to suffer complications associated with diverticulitis, you may have a medical malpractice claim. In New Jersey, individuals who sustain injuries as a result of improper medical care are entitled to financial compensation for pain and suffering, medical costs, lost wages, and more. Due to the stringent time limits for filing these claims, it is vital to understand your rights and to seek informed guidance if you have suffered complications or other harm in connection with diverticulitis errors.

Fronzuto Law Group is prepared to fight for you if your diverticulitis worsened as a result of improper diagnosis, incorrectly prescribed medication, or errors during related treatment. With several office locations, including our flagship in Passaic County, we assist clients throughout New Jersey with lawsuits against doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers who fail to uphold the necessary standard of care. Since its founding, our firm has refused to sacrifice its commitment to providing personalized client attention and the best possible representation. Through these efforts, we have obtained millions in recoveries on behalf of infants, adults, the elderly, and those who have lost loved ones due to medical negligence. To view just a fraction of our successfully handled cases, view a few of our verdicts and settlements. Please feel free to call 973-435-4551 or fill out our form anytime to discuss your case with our attorneys. We are available to provide a free review of your case today.

What is Diverticulitis?

Diverticulitis is the infection or inflammation of “diverticula,” small pouches that may appear along the walls of your intestines. The appearance or formation of these pouches is not particularly harmful. However, problems arise when the pouches develop infections or abscesses that can lead to harmful symptoms and even bowel perforation in extreme cases. Diverticula “pouches” can appear at any point in your digestive tract, but they are seen most often near your sigmoid and descending colons, located on your abdomen’s left side in the first section of the small intestine.

Symptoms of Diverticulitis

Symptoms of diverticulitis are generally noticeable, some of the most common of which include:

• Fever
• Chills
• Abdominal pain
• Obstruction of your bowels resulting in constipation
• Diarrhea
• Thin stools
• Bloating
• Abdominal tenderness
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Rectal bleeding

If your doctor fails to identify potential signs of diverticulitis, you may develop one or more serious complications, including abscesses that form near the infected pouches in your intestinal system. If these abscesses make their way through your intestinal wall, you may develop a fatal infection called peritonitis. You may also develop scarring that can block the intestine, fistulas that can lead to kidney and other infections, or severe bleeding.

Common Diverticulitis Medical Errors

The primary test used in diagnosing diverticulitis is a Computed Tomography (CT) scan. With CT scanning, doctors can determine the severity of a patient’s condition, as well as the presence of associated complications like bowel obstructions or fistulas. Once a patient is diagnosed with diverticulitis, doctors should develop an individualized course of treatment based on the specific case. Treatments for diverticulitis can range from prescribing medication, to performing surgery to remove a portion of the colon. At any point in the diagnostic or treatment process, errors and mistakes can have significant negative impacts on the patient.

If a doctor fails to diagnose diverticulitis, delays diagnoses, or misdiagnoses the condition, the consequences can be life-altering, if not permanent. For example, physicians often make a mistake by first concluding that a patient is simply suffering from general abdominal pain or some other more benign condition. This provides time for diverticulitis to worsen, which may lead to serious, painful, and even life-threatening complications. A patient with undiagnosed or untreated diverticulitis is at risk for peritonitis, infection of the abdomen, and even sepsis. In other cases, a doctor may prescribe laxatives or another medication for an unrelated condition, without considering how a history of diverticulitis might interact with those drugs. This can also result in severe harm.

Still more, a doctor may be held liable if they fail to properly perform surgery to treat diverticulitis by removing too much of the colon, damaging surrounding tissues or organs, or even perforating the colon.

Consult an Experienced NJ Diverticulitis Error Lawyer Near You

Pursuing a medical malpractice claim against a healthcare professional for diverticulitis-related harm is a complex and often overwhelming process at the outset. However, seeking counsel from an experienced medical malpractice attorney can lessen your burden and calm your fears.  If you or a loved one has been a victim of diverticulitis-related malpractice in New Jersey, contact our team of lawyers at Fronzuto Law Group today for a more information about how we can help.