Epidurals are one of the most common forms of pain relief administered during labor, surgery, and chronic pain treatments. This technique involves injecting anesthetic medication into the epidural space around the spinal nerves in the lower back, providing effective pain relief while allowing patients to remain conscious and alert. While epidurals are generally considered safe and used in up to 75% of childbirths in the United States, errors in administering epidurals can lead to severe, life-altering complications that may constitute medical malpractice.
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When healthcare providers fail to follow established protocols, use improper techniques, or neglect to obtain proper informed consent, the consequences can be devastating for patients and their families. From temporary nerve damage to permanent paralysis, epidural injuries can fundamentally change a person's life, requiring extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to a negligently performed epidural anywhere in New York State—from New York City and Long Island to Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, or any other community—the skilled attorneys at the Porter Law Group are here to help. We have extensive experience handling complex medical malpractice cases involving anesthesia errors and fighting for the rights of injured patients and their families throughout New York.
Our legal team understands the intricate medical and legal issues surrounding epidural injuries and has successfully represented clients in cases involving both obstetric epidurals during childbirth and therapeutic epidural steroid injections for pain management. We work with leading medical experts who can evaluate your case and provide the testimony necessary to prove medical negligence occurred.
Call 833-PORTER9 or email info@porterlawteam.com for a free, comprehensive case evaluation today. We're committed to helping you understand your rights and pursue the justice and compensation your family deserves.
Epidural anesthesia is a sophisticated medical procedure that requires precise technique, extensive training, and careful attention to established safety protocols. The procedure involves inserting a needle into the epidural space—a narrow area between the spinal cord's protective covering and the vertebral bones—and then threading a thin catheter through the needle to deliver medication directly to the area surrounding the spinal nerves.
During childbirth, epidurals help block pain signals from the uterus and birth canal. They allow the mother to stay awake, comfortable, and involved in the delivery. The medication typically combines local anesthetics with opioids and the dosage can be adjusted throughout labor to maintain safe and effective pain relief. When administered properly, epidurals can ease pain without interfering with the mother’s ability to push.
Beyond obstetric care, epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are commonly used to treat chronic pain conditions, particularly those involving the spine. These procedures involve injecting corticosteroid medications into the epidural space to reduce inflammation around irritated nerves, providing relief for conditions such as herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and chronic back pain. ESIs are typically performed as outpatient procedures and may be repeated several times per year, depending on the patient's response to treatment.
Whether used for labor or chronic pain management, epidural procedures must follow strict safety standards. Even a small error can cause serious complications due to the sensitive structures around the spine. Medical professionals are expected to meet a clearly defined standard of care, which includes the following steps:
Pre-procedural Evaluation: Healthcare providers must thoroughly review the patient’s health history and identify any risks, such as bleeding disorders, infections near the injection site, cardiac conditions, or spinal deformities that could complicate the procedure.
Informed Consent: Patients must be fully informed about the risks associated with epidural procedures, including the possibility of nerve damage, bleeding, infection, and other serious complications.
Sterile Technique: Strict sterile procedures must be followed to prevent bacteria from entering the spine, which could lead to infections like meningitis or epidural abscesses.
Precise Needle Placement: The epidural needle must be positioned accurately to avoid puncturing the dura (the membrane surrounding the spinal cord) or damaging nearby blood vessels and nerves.
Proper Monitoring: Patients must be observed during and after the procedure to address early signs of complications that may arise.
While most epidural procedures are generally safe when performed correctly, even a minor mistake can cause severe, lasting harm. The complex anatomy of the spine and the proximity of critical structures make even small errors potentially devastating.
Nerve Damage: When a needle or catheter is inserted incorrectly or with excessive force, it can damage the delicate nerves surrounding the spinal cord. This may result in temporary numbness affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 patients, or in more severe cases, permanent paralysis occurring in roughly 1 in 250,000 procedures. The severity of nerve damage depends on where and how the nerve was damaged, with some patients experiencing partial weakness while others may face complete paralysis.
Spinal Cord Injuries: In the most serious cases, epidural errors can cause direct damage to the spinal cord itself, potentially resulting in complete or partial paralysis below the level of injury. These injuries may occur from direct needle trauma, bleeding that compresses the spinal cord, or infections that spread to the spinal tissue.
Cauda Equina Syndrome: Damage to the bundle of nerves at the base of the spinal cord can cause this rare but serious condition, which may result in loss of bladder and bowel control, leg weakness or paralysis, and sexual dysfunction.
Epidural Hematomas: Bleeding into the epidural space creates dangerous pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Epidural hematomas occur in approximately 0.02-0.03% of cases, with higher risks for patients taking blood-thinning medications or those with bleeding disorders. When healthcare providers fail to properly screen for bleeding risks or continue with procedures despite contraindications, the resulting hematomas can cause permanent neurological damage.
Spinal Cord Compression: Blood clots or ongoing bleeding can compress the spinal cord, cutting off its blood supply. Emergency surgery is often needed to avoid or minimize permanent injury neurological damage.
Epidural Abscesses: If proper sterile technique is not followed, bacteria may enter the epidural space, leading to dangerous infections. Though rare (0.01%–0.05% of cases), this infection can spread quickly and cause lasting neurological damage or death if not treated.
Meningitis: Bacterial infections can spread to the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, causing this serious and potentially fatal condition. Symptoms may include severe headache, fever, neck stiffness, and altered mental status.
Post-Dural Puncture Headache (PDPH): When the needle accidentally punctures the dura mater (the membrane surrounding the spinal cord), cerebrospinal fluid can leak out, causing severe headaches that worsen when sitting or standing upright. This happens in about 1.23% of procedures and may require a blood patch to correct.
Total Spinal Block: If medication intended for the epidural space is accidentally injected into the cerebrospinal fluid, it can cause life-threatening issues such as respiratory paralysis, loss of consciousness, and cardiac arrest.
Allergic Reactions: Some patients may experience severe allergic reactions to the medications used in epidural procedures, potentially causing life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Toxicity from Local Anesthetics: Incorrect dosage or accidental intravascular injection of local anesthetics can cause seizures, abnormal heart rhythms, and other serious complications.
Respiratory Depression: Opioid medications used in epidurals can sometimes cause dangerous suppression of breathing, particularly if combined with other sedatives or given in high doses.
Not every complication from epidural procedures constitute medical malpractice. Some risks are inherent, even when the medical procedure is performed perfectly. However, when healthcare providers deviate from the established standard of care and this deviation directly causes patient harm, medical malpractice may have occurred.
Improper Needle Placement: Using incorrect technique, failing to use appropriate guidance (such as fluoroscopy when indicated), or making repeated insertion attempts without proper visualization can lead to nerve damage, bleeding, or other complications.
Failure to Obtain Proper Informed Consent: Healthcare providers must fully inform patients about the material risks associated with epidural procedures. In New York, providers are required to disclose risks such as paralysis, infection, bleeding, and other serious complications. Recent studies indicate that while 80% of patients feel capable of providing informed consent, approximately 42% of malpractice claims allege insufficient risk disclosure.
Inadequate Pre-Procedure Evaluation: Failing to properly screen patients for contraindications such as bleeding disorders, infections, or anatomical abnormalities that could increase complication risks.
Medication Errors: Administering the wrong medication, incorrect dosages, or failing to confirm correct placement before injection can lead to serious outcomes, including toxicity or spinal injury.
Improper Monitoring: After an epidural, patients must be closely observed for signs of nerve damage, infection, or breathing problems. Missed warning signs can delay treatment and worsen the injury.
Delayed Recognition and Treatment of Complications: When complications do occur, time matters. Failing to act quickly when complications arise, such as spinal cord compression or infection, can lead to permanent harm.
Recent high-profile cases have helped establish the standards by which epidural malpractice is judged:
Gangaram v. Iadevaio (2025): This landmark case resulted in a record $60 million verdict when improper fluoroscopy guidance during an epidural steroid injection led to spinal cord infarction and paraplegia. The case highlighted the critical importance of proper imaging guidance and technique adherence.
Sha-Asia Semple v. Woodhull Medical Center (2020): This tragic case involved the death of a young mother during childbirth when anesthesiologist Dmitry Shelchkov committed multiple violations of the standard of care, including:
This case also highlighted concerning racial disparities in maternal care, as 85% of Woodhull's obstetric patients were Black or Hispanic women who statistically face higher complication rates in childbirth.
Successfully pursuing a medical malpractice claim for epidural injuries requires proving several key legal elements that demonstrate healthcare provider negligence directly caused the patient's harm.
Doctor-Patient Relationship: There must be evidence of a formal medical relationship between the healthcare provider and the patient, establishing the provider's duty to provide appropriate care.
Breach of Standard of Care: The healthcare provider must have failed to meet the standard of care, and acted in a way that a reasonably skilled and careful medical professional would not have in the same situation. This often requires expert testimony to establish what the appropriate standard of care should have been.
Causation: The breach of the standard of care must have directly caused the patient's injuries. This can be challenging to prove in cases where patients have pre-existing conditions or other risk factors that could contribute to complications.
Damages: The injuries must have resulted in actual, quantifiable harm including medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, or other losses.
Epidural malpractice cases involve complex medical details that must be explained clearly to judges and juries. Courts rely on expert testimony to:
The Porter Law Group works with board-certified anesthesiologists, neurologists, pain management specialists, and other medical experts who can thoroughly evaluate epidural injury cases and provide compelling testimony when needed.
Patients who suffer injuries due to negligently performed epidural procedures may be entitled to significant compensation for various types of damages, both economic and non-economic.
These are measurable financial losses related to the injury:
Medical Expenses: This includes all past and future medical costs related to treating the epidural injury, including emergency care, surgeries, hospitalizations, medications, diagnostic tests, and ongoing medical monitoring. For severe injuries like paralysis, lifetime medical costs can exceed $8.2 million.
Rehabilitation and Therapy Costs: Many epidural injuries require extensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation services to help patients regain function and adapt to their new limitations.
Assistive Equipment and Home Modifications: Patients with permanent disabilities may need wheelchairs, mobility aids, communication devices, and modifications to their homes and vehicles to accommodate their changed circumstances.
Lost Income and Earning Capacity: When epidural injuries prevent patients from returning to work or limit their ability to earn income, they may be compensated for both past lost wages and reduced future earning capacity.
Caregiver Costs: Severe injuries may require professional caregiving assistance or may necessitate family members leaving work to provide care.
These cover the emotional and personal impact of an injury:
Pain and Suffering: Patients may be compensated for the physical pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish caused by their epidural injuries.
Loss of Quality of Life: Disabilities that affect a person's ability to enjoy life's activities, maintain relationships, or pursue hobbies and interests may be compensated through quality of life damages.
Loss of Consortium: Spouses may be entitled to compensation for the loss of companionship, affection, and support when their partner is injured.
In New York, non-economic damages (pain and suffering) are typically limited to $2 million except in cases involving gross negligence. However, economic damages for medical expenses and lost income are not capped, which means that cases involving severe, permanent injuries can still result in substantial compensation.
If you suspect that you or a family member has been harmed by a negligently performed epidural, it's crucial to seek experienced legal guidance as soon as possible. Several time-sensitive factors make early action essential:
New York's statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims is generally 2.5 years from the date of the injury or the end of continuous treatment by the negligent provider. However, in some cases involving delayed discovery of injuries, different rules may apply. Missing these deadlines can permanently bar your right to seek compensation, regardless of the strength of your case.
Medical records, imaging studies, and other evidence critical to proving your case may be lost, destroyed, or become more difficult to obtain over time. Early investigation helps ensure that important evidence is preserved and thoroughly analyzed.
Healthcare providers, nurses, and other witnesses may change jobs, retire, or forget key details over time. Early investigation helps identify and preserve witness testimony while memories are still fresh.
Prompt medical evaluation and documentation of your injuries helps establish the causal relationship between the epidural procedure and your complications.
The lawyers at the Porter Law Group have decades of experience representing individuals and families whose lives have been devastated by catastrophic injuries. We have obtained some of the largest settlements and verdicts in courts throughout the State of New York. We are a state-wide firm that handles cases with a hometown feel.
Our clients come to us looking for guidance and answers. With seasoned trial lawyers, the Porter Law Group has the resources necessary to help you navigate the most complex cases, against goliath insurance companies that will stop at nothing to prevent you from receiving the compensation you deserve.
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When you or a loved one’s life has been devastated by a serious personal injury in New York, don’t hire a lawyer without calling the Porter Law Group to learn why so many of our clients are thankful they trusted us with their case in their time of need.
If you suspect that you or a family member has been harmed by a negligently performed epidural procedure anywhere in New York State, don't wait to seek legal guidance. The Porter Law Group is committed to helping patients and families whose lives have been changed by preventable epidural injuries get the justice and compensation they deserve.
Our skilled medical malpractice attorneys will thoroughly investigate your case, work with leading medical experts to establish the negligence that caused your injuries, and fight tirelessly for maximum compensation to address your current and future needs. We handle everything from the initial investigation through trial if necessary, allowing you to focus on your health and recovery while we handle the legal complexities.
Schedule your free, confidential consultation today by calling 833-PORTER9 or email info@porterlawteam.com. Let us put our knowledge, experience, and resources to work for your family during this challenging time. You deserve justice, and we're here to help you achieve it.
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