Chiropractic Malpractice
Chiropractic is known as an
alternative health care which may offer many therapeutic benefits to consumers. Chiropractors, or
Doctors of Chiropractic (DC), administer health care called chiropractic, which is also known as
spinal manipulation therapy.
There are instances in which
chiropractic care, however, like other forms of medicine, can have serious adverse
consequences.
Chiropractor
Malpractice
There are three main types of
chiropractic malpractice:
-
Failure to diagnose conditions
that require timely medical attention
-
-
Example: Consider the
situation in which a consumer consults a chiropractor for pain in his or her
chest. The chiropractor may indicate that nerve pressure from a spinal
subluxation may be the cause of the pain. The pain, however, may have been
caused by a heart attack, requiring immediate hospitalization. The
failure to diagnose the true condition in this example can result in brain
damage (due to lack of blood flow, and thus the transport of oxygen, to the
brain) or death.
-
Damage from manipulation of body
parts that may have been weakened by disease or previous trauma, including herniated
discs, stroke, and fractured bones.
-
-
Example
1: Consider the situation in
which a consumer undergoes chiropractic treatment in which the Doctor of
Chiropractic manipulates the patient's spine and causes a ruptured disc
requiring surgery.
-
Example
2: High Velocity Upper Cervical
Manipulation (HVUCM) is high-velocity neck manipulation, or sudden twist of the
neck, causes a dissection or tear in the vertebral or carotid artery that clots
and leads to a stroke. High velocity upper cervical manipulation is a widely
used chiropractic therapy that can cause stroke by tearing or kinking the
inside (intima) of the vertebral and/or carotid arteries which in turn causes
clots to form that break off and shoot into the brain.
-
-
The injuries can range
from mild cognitive deficits to quadriplegia (locked-in syndrome),
paralysis, paresis (weakness), or death. The injuries most strongly
associated with chiropractic malpractice are brain traumas due to
vascular injury.
-
Informed
consent.
-
-
Example: Lack of informed consent
describes some of the types of problems that a chiropractor will treat. It also
describe the various risks associated with planned treatment. Common
risks associated with chiropractic treatment include stroke, vascular injury,
herniated disc, broken ribs, and general soreness.
Chiropractic
Negligence
Personal injury and wrongful death
cases caused by chiropractic malpractice can be very complex. Proving fault requires critical
review analysis and review of the key evidence, not only by the attorney, but by appropriate
experts.
If you or your loved one has
suffered a permanent, devastating, injury or death in the family caused by chiropractic
malpractice, then please contact us to seek justice on your behalf.
There is no obligation, and we provide a candid assessment of your claim.
At Harris Law Firm PA, personal
injury law firm and consumer law firm, we're here to help. We proudly serve deserving clients and their families who are seeking to
overcome the challenges of serious personal injury and wrongful death throughout Florida and
beyond in other States.
Locally, we are also proud to serve our neighbors throughout
Southwest Florida, including those in Arcadia, Alva, Avon Park, Bonita Springs, Bradenton, Cape
Coral, Charlotte County, Clewiston, Collier County, Desoto County, Englewood, Felda, Fort Myers,
Ft. Myers, Glades County, Golden Gate, Hardee County, Hendry County, Highlands County, Immokalee,
La Belle, Labelle, Lake Placid, Lee County, Lehigh, Lehigh Acres, Manatee County, Moore Haven,
Naples, Nokomis, North Port, Osprey, Palmdale, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, Sebring,
Venice, Wauchula, Zolfo Springs.
We provide aggressive, prompt, and ethical advocacy on behalf of
individuals and families who have suffered serious personal injury, accident injury, and wrongful
death. Contact us today.
|
