Anesthesiologist Misses Signs Of Patient Distress, Killing 17-Year-Old Student Outlines Cleveland Anesthesia Mistake Lawyer

Cleveland, OH (Law Firm Newswire) November 20, 2013 – A young girl went for what was supposed to be routine wisdom teeth surgery. She died several days later due to oxygen deprivation.

Mellino Robenalt LLC has Cleveland Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Attorneys

“No parent should ever have to live through their child dying before they do,” said Christopher Mellino, a Cleveland anesthesia mistake lawyer with Mellino Robenalt, LLC. “The young lady in this reported case was only 17-years-old and sustained severe brain injury during her oral surgery in March of 2011.”

The young teen went into a coma and died ten days later. Her autopsy report indicated she had died due to a lack of oxygen to her brain during her dental surgery. Her parents filed a wrongful death, medical malpractice lawsuit against the surgeon and anesthesiologist and decried the medical techniques and practices used during their daughter’s surgery. They alleged the pair were negligent in not reviving her when her heart rate dropped precipitously, starving her brain of oxygen.

“The lawsuit filed contained five counts claiming negligence, as well as other medical mistakes and failures. The suit asked for over $150,000. It never got to court, as the defendants settled for an undisclosed amount,” outlined Mellino. Part of the decision to accept an out of court settlement was the parent’s desire to raise the awareness about the risks of dental surgery.

Another issue that cropped up was the defense’s demand to obtain the young teen’s medical records. They argued she may have had mental and/or physical problems that caused or contributed to her death. The autopsy report stated she had been healthy and had no significant medical history.

“Out of court settlements in medical malpractice/anesthesia mistake cases are relatively common. There are a number of reasons, but most often a settlement comes about because the defense does not feel they have a solid enough case to proceed to trial. They would rather not take the risk of losing and having to pay out a significant amount in damages when they can attempt some measure of control by offering a settlement,” Mellino explained.

Medical malpractice lawsuits may have a number of different outcomes. It is these variables that an experienced medical malpractice lawyer will review with a client, providing them with enough information to make an informed decision about how they wish to proceed.