Persistent Vegetative State / Coma

If someone you love is in a persistent vegetative state or coma after an avoidable medical error, you may be entitled to compensation. At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, we are dedicated to asserting the rights of people who have suffered harm due to a health care professional’s negligence. Our Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers can carefully analyze the details of your situation and vigorously advocate for you throughout the legal process. We are committed to pursuing compensation for victims throughout Maryland and in Washington, D.C.

After a person has gone into a coma, he or she may enter what is known as a persistent vegetative state (PVS). When this happens, a patient loses cognition and can only perform certain, involuntary actions on his or her own. Patients in a persistent vegetative state are not “brain dead,” since the lower brain stem in PVS patients is still able to function. They can open their eyes, blink, smile, enjoy normal circulation, and breathe on their own. It is important to remember, however, that PVS patients have no perception of external events, and thus their movements are purely spontaneous. A coma is different from PVS in that a patient suffering from a coma will not even have the low level of consciousness that is seen in PVS patients.

If a loved one’s coma or PVS was triggered through a surgical error, pharmacy error, or a failure to diagnose a medical condition, such as diabetes, stroke, or heart attack, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. A patient who is harmed by a careless health care professional may be able to pursue a medical malpractice claim. This type of lawsuit is appropriate when the victim can demonstrate that the defendant failed to meet the appropriate standard of care under the circumstances. In other words, medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other health care provider fails to adhere to the professional level of care that a reasonable health care provider in the same specialty would have used to treat a similar patient in the same situation. Also, the medical professional’s failure to use the required level of care must have been a direct cause of the patient’s harm. The evidence in a malpractice claim tends to be technical and complex. Expert testimony is generally required to explain what the defendant did wrong and how it affected the patient.

Patients with PVS often require lifelong care, which can be extremely expensive. As a result, the damages available to the injured person may be substantial. Typically, a plaintiff will be able to pursue compensation for medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, nursing care, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other economic and non-economic costs and losses.

Medical professionals are required to adhere to appropriate levels of care. When they breach the trust that we place in them, the results can be devastating. At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, our diligent Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys have helped many individuals and families pursue cases involving medical malpractice, and we can help you as well. We understand that this is a deeply emotional and difficult time, and you can expect the utmost compassion from our entire team. Our injury attorneys represent people in Washington, D.C. and in many areas of Maryland, such as Glen Burnie, Annapolis, Rockville, Germantown, Bethesda, Upper Marlboro, Hyattsville, Bowie, Laurel, Glen Burnie, College Park, Gaithersburg, White Marsh, Odenton, Towson, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County, and other communities throughout Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, and Baltimore County, as well as the City of Baltimore. Call us at (800) 654-1949 or at (410) 654-3600, or contact us online to set up a free consultation.