Anesthesia is used to manage pain, consciousness, and vital functions during many surgical and medical procedures. Although complications can occur even when providers use appropriate care, an anesthesia provider’s failure to meet the applicable standard of care can cause devastating injuries, including brain damage, nerve injury, or death.
Duncan Law Group represents patients throughout Chicago and Illinois who believe negligent anesthesia care caused them harm. Call (312) 202-3283 for a free, confidential case evaluation.
What Is an Anesthesia Error?
An anesthesia error may occur when an anesthesiologist, nurse anesthetist, or another provider responsible for administering or monitoring anesthesia fails to meet the applicable standard of care and causes a patient injury. Not every anesthesia-related complication is evidence of negligence, because some risks may exist even with proper medical care. A careful review of the medical records, the procedure, and the provider’s actions is necessary to determine whether malpractice may have occurred.
Common Types of Anesthesia Errors
Safe anesthesia care requires appropriate medication management, airway planning, and ongoing monitoring before, during, and after a procedure. The following are examples of errors that may support a medical malpractice claim when they result from a breach of the applicable standard of care and cause injury.
Dosage Errors
Administering too much or too little anesthesia can result in serious complications, ranging from inadequate pain control and unintended awareness during surgery to dangerous overdose-related effects on the patient's breathing and cardiovascular system.
Failure to Monitor the Patient
Anesthesia providers are responsible for closely monitoring a patient's vital signs throughout a procedure. A failure to adequately monitor a patient can result in a delayed response to a developing complication, allowing a problem that could have been caught early to become far more serious.
Intubation and Oxygenation Errors
Intubation involves placing a breathing tube to help maintain a patient’s airway and ventilation during some procedures. Errors in airway management or failures to recognize and respond to inadequate oxygen levels can lead to hypoxia. When oxygen deprivation is severe or prolonged, it can cause permanent brain injury or death.
Anesthesia Awareness
Anesthesia awareness occurs when a patient becomes conscious or retains awareness during a procedure performed under general anesthesia. Some patients may recall sounds, pressure, or pain, and the experience can cause lasting psychological distress. Whether awareness resulted from negligent care depends on the individual circumstances, including the anesthetic plan, the patient’s condition, medication delivery, and monitoring.
Failure to Address Allergic Reactions
A failure to properly screen for potential allergies or to promptly recognize and treat an allergic reaction to anesthesia medications can result in serious complications that could have been prevented with appropriate care.
Injuries Caused by Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors can cause life-altering harm when a patient’s oxygenation, circulation, positioning, or response to complications is not properly managed. The consequences may range from temporary symptoms to permanent disability or death, depending on the nature of the error and how quickly the problem is identified and treated.
Brain Damage
Oxygen deprivation connected to an anesthesia error can cause hypoxic brain injury, ranging from mild cognitive effects to severe, permanent brain damage affecting memory, cognition, and overall function.
Nerve Damage and Paralysis
Improper positioning during surgery, errors connected to regional anesthesia techniques, or other anesthesia-related complications can result in nerve damage or, in severe cases, paralysis.
Wrongful Death
In the most serious cases, an anesthesia error can result in a patient's death, whether from oxygen deprivation, cardiovascular complications, or an unaddressed allergic reaction.
How Liability Is Established in an Anesthesia Error Case
Establishing an anesthesia malpractice claim generally requires evidence that a provider failed to meet the applicable standard of care and that the failure caused the patient’s injury. The investigation may involve a review of anesthesia and surgical records, monitoring data, medication records, witness testimony, and opinions from qualified medical professionals.
Damages Available in an Anesthesia Error Claim
Depending on the circumstances, compensation in an anesthesia malpractice claim may include damages for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Physical pain, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life
- Disability, disfigurement, or the need for ongoing care
- In fatal cases, damages available to eligible surviving family members and damages recoverable by the patient’s estate
Why Injured Patients in Chicago Turn to Duncan Law Group
When an anesthesia error causes serious harm, patients and families need a law firm prepared to investigate complex medical issues, work with qualified experts, and pursue accountability from the responsible providers. Duncan Law Group represents Chicago area patients in medical malpractice claims involving preventable errors, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death.
Duncan Law Group has recovered more than $350 million for injured clients. Our attorneys handle complex medical negligence claims involving serious injury and wrongful death, and we build each case through a detailed review of the medical evidence and consultation with qualified experts. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future matter.
Led by Attorney Robert Duncan, our team brings more than 100 years of combined legal experience in state and federal courts to every case. Attorney Duncan has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for 16 consecutive years and selected to the Super Lawyers Top 100 list in 2016, 2018, and each year from 2020 through 2026.
Duncan Law Group prepares every anesthesia malpractice case as though it may go to trial. We listen to what happened, review the medical evidence, identify the full impact of the injury, and fight for the compensation and answers your family deserves. Contact Duncan Law Group today for a free, confidential case evaluation.
Speak With Our Chicago Anesthesia Error Attorneys
If you or a loved one was harmed by an anesthesia error in Chicago, our team is ready to help. Whether your case involves a broader surgical error, a resulting brain injury, or a tragic wrongful death, our team is committed to pursuing the compensation available in every case we represent. Contact Duncan Law Group at (312) 202-3283 today for a free consultation.
Chicago Anesthesia Error FAQs
Who can be held liable for an anesthesia error?
Liability can extend to the anesthesiologist, a nurse anesthetist, the surgical team, or the hospital or facility itself, depending on the specific facts of how the error occurred and who was responsible for the specific failure.
How do I know if my injury was caused by an anesthesia error or a known risk of the procedure?
Determining this generally requires a careful review of your medical records and, in most cases, input from a qualified medical expert who can evaluate whether the care you received fell below the accepted standard, or whether your injury reflects a disclosed, unavoidable risk of the procedure itself.
How long do I have to file an anesthesia error claim in Illinois?
In Illinois, a medical malpractice claim generally must be filed within two years after the patient knew, or reasonably should have known, of the injury and that it may have been caused by wrongful conduct. In most cases, the claim also cannot be filed more than four years after the date of the alleged negligent act or omission, even if the injury is discovered later.
Different deadlines may apply to claims involving minors and certain other circumstances. For a child injured before age 18, a claim generally must be filed within eight years after the alleged negligent act or omission and no later than the child’s 22nd birthday. Because the applicable deadline can depend on the facts, speak with Duncan Law Group as soon as possible after a suspected anesthesia error.
What is anesthesia awareness?
Anesthesia awareness occurs when a patient becomes conscious or aware during a surgical procedure despite being under general anesthesia, sometimes even experiencing pain, due to an inadequate anesthesia dose or inadequate monitoring of the patient's sedation level.
Do I need a medical expert to prove my anesthesia error case?
In most Illinois medical malpractice cases, yes. Before filing suit, Illinois law generally requires an attorney or plaintiff to consult with a qualified health professional who reviews the available records and determines there is a reasonable and meritorious basis for the claim. Expert testimony is also commonly important to establish the applicable standard of care, whether it was breached, and whether that breach caused the injury.
