During pregnancy, your body is sensitive to changes. When pain occurs, it is normal to seek your doctor’s insight. However, if you mentioned significant symptoms but your doctor dismissed them, they may have breached their duty of care.
What your physician should have seen
Maternal sepsis is a critical condition. It is a life-threatening response to infection during pregnancy or up to 6 weeks after birth, miscarriage or abortion. Because your body undergoes several changes during pregnancy, your immune system overreacts to an infection and attacks your organs.
Many symptoms can signal sepsis, including:
- Lower abdominal pain
- Increased heart rate
- Pain on passing urine
- Breathlessness or breathing very fast
- Confusion
- Difficulty standing
- Feeling extremely tired or unwell
Experiencing at least one of these symptoms requires immediate medical attention. Your medical team should attend to your concern with urgency to mitigate potential issues.
Why this can be a case of negligence
Under Oregon law, doctors owe a legal duty of care to use the same diligence that any ordinarily careful doctor would in the same or similar circumstances. If your provider failed to act promptly or ignored your symptoms, their failure to diagnose or treat can result in a loss of chance for a better outcome or the progression to organ failure.
Taking immediate action to protect your future
Medical malpractice cases can be complex because of Oregon’s two-year statute of limitations. You need to file a claim within two years of the date you discovered your injury or condition. In this period, gathering medical evidence and qualified expert witnesses who will testify on the validity of your case may take a while.
Accomplishing these tasks alone can be overwhelming. Seeking legal assistance can help you in the process of filing a malpractice claim.