Hepatitis and Liver Failure and Medical Malpractice

The number of people in the United States with liver diseases such as liver cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatitis C is increasing at an alarming rate. It is estimated that there are at least 30 million people in the US with some form of liver disease - this is 1 in 10 Americans.

Over 1 million people across the nation are infected with hepatitis B and 4 million have hepatitis C. It is also revealed that roughly 21,000 people are diagnosed each year with primary liver cancer, which is one of the few cancers on the rise in the United States.

Improper Diagnosis or Treatment of Hepatitis

Hepatitis is the general term given to any inflammation that affects the liver, usually caused by an infection with a virus, as well as from drugs, alcohol, and various diseases. When it comes to the failure to properly diagnose or treat several of the most serious causes of this disease, malpractice is a potential issue for investigation.

Hepatitis can be life-threatening when liver failure is produced as a result of it, and the patient requires a transplant in order to live. It is also extremely dangerous when it produces cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer.

In the most severe cases of acute infection, liver failure occurs in the patient. As the liver is unable to produce clotting factors, it causes the blood to become thin and the patient bleeds more easily than usual. In the very worst of cases, known as fulminant hepatic failure, it affects the brain. The brain swells, causing the patient to go into a coma. Approximately half of these patients die because an emergency transplant is not available.

Anyone with longstanding hepatitis infection needs proper and regular monitoring of the number of viral particles in the body, known as viral load, liver enzymes and liver ultrasound to find out if there is any early cancer.

Early detection is critical for a patient with liver cancer as it can be what saves their lives. If a doctor ignores or neglects conducting any required tests on a patient with hepatitis, leading to liver failure, it can be deemed medical malpractice. You can take legal action against the negligent medical professional through a medical malpractice lawsuit so that you can receive compensation for current and future medical bills, loss of income and many other damages.

Get Professional Help from an Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to a doctor's negligence or medical error, you should immediately consult a sensational medical malpractice attorney at the powerful Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff, and Wolff Law Firm at 212-344-1000.

Give us a call. The first meeting is free. What is your side of the story? What really happened? You pay us nothing up front and we only receive anything from you if we win or settle this case. There is no reason to continue to ask the hospital what happened or how should you handle this. They will not cooperate. You need outstanding legal help and this is what we do.