Compartment Syndrome Malpractice Lawsuits

Since 2001, we have helped thousands of people find the best Illinois medical malpractice lawyer for their case. Contact us at 312-346-5320 for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.

Medically speaking, a compartment is a group of muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. Compartments are covered by a thin casing of tissue (or a membrane) called fascia. Fascia helps hold things in place. Fascia also has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin. Compartment syndrome results from the extra pressure inside a compartment causing the muscles to press against the fascia more than is normal.

Compartment syndrome can happen to any muscle group, but is most common in people’s back, legs (especially lower legs), feet, belly, buttocks, and arms (including hands and wrists).

The two types of compartment syndrome are acute and chronic. Acute compartment syndrome is caused by a sudden traumatic event such as an accident or severe injury. It also commonly occurs after surgery. Chronic compartment syndrome happens over time, especially after intense physical activity.

Our focus here is on acute compartment syndrome as those are the cases that usually lead to malpractice lawsuits.

Common symptoms of compartment syndrome are:

• Muscle pain (more severe than normal soreness)
• Tightness
• Severe pain when stretching the muscle
• Visible swelling or bulging around a muscle or just feeling like your muscle is firmer or bigger than usual
• Loss of bladder or bowel control
• Burning or tingling feeling under your skin and/or numbness

Acute compartment syndrome is a medical emergency, and the treatment is surgery. A delay can have catastrophic results that can ruin your life. A surgeon performs a fasciotomy in which they will cut through the skin and fascia to relieve the pressure in the muscle compartment that is affected.

But what happens when a doctor fails to see the signs of compartment syndrome? What happens when a patient describes symptoms of compartment syndrome and the health care professionals do not diagnose it and treat it?

If left undiagnosed or untreated in a timely manner, the tissue that is not receiving the blood, oxygen and nutrients it needs, may begin to die. This can lead to some catastrophic that we mentioned including:

• Permanent damage to muscles and nerves
• Loss of function in limb(s)
• Amputation
• Death

If you are someone you know has suffered from a case of undiagnosed acute compartment syndrome, you have a medical malpractice case that is worth investigating. Finding the right medical malpractice attorney who has helped others with this situation is critical. We can make sure you get the right law firm in your corner. They all work on a contingency basis which means you only pay them if the case is successful. Time is of the essence in these cases as you usually only have two years from when you were properly diagnosed to sue.

We help with these cases everywhere in Illinois. Call us at 312-346-5320 any time. We promise to treat you like a family member or friend.