Radiation Therapy & Radiology Injury Lawyers in New Orleans
The use of radiation in medicine has been around for more than a century, starting with the discovery of the X-ray in 1895.
Low doses allow doctors to create internal images of patients’ bodies, allowing them to identify diseases and injuries more quickly and accurately. In larger doses, radiation is a proven treatment against many forms of cancer.
These uses for radiation established two branches of expertise among medical professionals: , and radiation specialists, including oncologists, therapists and technicians, who use it to treat tumors and other malignant cancer cells.
While they can provide hope, radiation treatments also can be dangerous.
Managed poorly, they can cause severe injuries, from skin burns to organ damage. Improper exposure to radiation may lead to new cancers in the future. And in extreme cases, massive doses of radiation can be lethal.
Working with radiation requires medical professionals to be highly trained and knowledgeable. But they do make mistakes, whether from fatigue, inexperience or carelessness.
When you have been injured or your health severely compromised by radiation therapy or a radiology injury, you deserve compensation to cover your growing medical bills and ease the damage of a doctor’s mistake on your life.
Proving a medical error led to your radiation therapy or radiology injury, however, also takes high level of skill. To win a medical malpractice case, you must show your doctor’s actions caused your injury—and that those actions breached the standard of care.
The skilled radiation therapy and radiology injury attorneys at The Bowling Law Firm have decades of experience handling these types of medical malpractice cases.
They have built a team of experts on the use of radiation in medicine, and they can call on this team to help you secure the compensation you deserve.
From gathering evidence to providing a strategy to win your case, Bowling Law Firm is dedicated to protecting the rights of patients in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.
Common Radiation Therapy & Radiology Injuries and Causes
Radiation requires doctors to bombard your body with energy particles that damage cells, either through external energy rays or implanting radioactive material in your body. In low doses, it is relatively harmless. But in higher amounts, such as those used to treat cancers, the risks for greater injury increase.
Some common radiation injuries include:
- Damage to internal organs, including the heart, lungs or brain
- Skin damage, which can lead to inflammation, thinning or ulcers
- Reproductive damage, such as infertility or genetic defects in babies
The causes of radiation and radiological injuries vary depending on the circumstances and the medical team members involved. Some common ones include:
- Inadequate protective equipment: The failure to use lead aprons and other protective equipment
- Improper monitoring: Failure to use a dosimeter to monitor the level of radiation you receive
- Prolonged exposure: Miscommunicating or failing to follow the proper protocols, leading to too much radiation being applied
When your health is harmed because of the improper use of radiation, you may be left wondering what you can do about it. Consulting a radiation therapy and radiology injury attorney can help you understand what to do next.
The malpractice attorneys at The Bowling Law Firm are standing by to evaluate your case. We know radiation and radiology malpractice, we know Louisiana and Mississippi law, and we will get to know you so we can build a case pursuing what’s best for you and your family.
Get a free case evaluation from The Bowling Law Firm attorneys.
Advantages of Working with a New Orleans Radiation Therapy & Radiology Injury Lawyer
When it comes to filing a medical malpractice suit against a radiologist or radiation therapy expert in Louisiana, not every lawyer is the same.
Louisiana has a unique set of laws that govern medical malpractice claims, and so having a local, New Orleans lawyer can be an advantage.
Successfully winning a malpractice suit takes more than being unsatisfied with your care. You must show that your health care provider breached the accepted standard of care for their specialty, and the breach caused you harm. This is considered negligence.
Louisiana has strict guardrails on medical malpractice suits. For instance, you must file a suit within one year of either the incident or the moment you discovered your doctor did something wrong. And you cannot sue after three years.
For most medical malpractice cases, Louisiana also requires you to take your case before a medical review panel before you can go to court. The panel will render an opinion on your case, which can then be used as evidence.
The process is long and hard. You must be ready to unearth mountains of information, from medical records to documentation of how a doctor’s carelessness impacted your life.
And you must have patience. Cases can drag on for months, even years, as hospitals, health care providers and insurance companies with big defense teams know how to fight back.
The attorneys at The Bowling Law Firm have experience in radiation therapy and radiology malpractice cases. We’re recognized by others in the legal profession at the American Board of Trial Advocates, American College of Trial Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, Martindale-Hubbell and Super Lawyers.
We treat our clients with the care and compassion they deserve during a difficult time in their lives.
If you are wondering whether you were the victim of medical malpractice, contact us today to see how to start on a path toward compensation and resources to recover.