Compartment Syndrome Can Result from Negligent Medical Treatment

Untreated compartment syndrome can become aggravated, resulting in further damage. Therefore, if you believe you have compartment syndrome, you should discuss your symptoms with your physician.

Symptoms of Compartment Syndrome:

• Deep constant pain
• Stretching aggravates pain
• Numbness or tingling sensation in the affected area
• Pressure on the affected area (the compartment)
• Swelling (edema)

What Is Compartment Syndrome?

Your arms and legs are made up of several groupings – compartments – of blood vessels, muscles and nerves. When these compartments become inflamed from repetitive use or injury, pressure starts to build up within the compartment. Because the tissue surrounding the compartments does not stretch, the pressure can cause compression on the blood vessels and nerves – resulting in a lack of oxygen or loss of blood circulation.

• Acute compartment syndrome: Acute compartment syndrome is considered to be a medical emergency because if left untreated, the condition can lead to nerve damage, muscle death or kidney failure.
• Chronic compartment syndrome: While chronic compartment syndrome is considered less serious, when left untreated, it can escalate to acute compartment syndrome and other problems.

Patients with compartment syndrome may require expensive surgery or other treatment. As experienced personal injury lawyers, we determine if there is a potential claim in which our client may recover compensation to minimize the strain of such treatment. For example, if the compartment syndrome resulted from a cast that was too tight, there may be a claim for medical malpractice. Or, if the condition resulted from an arm fracture or leg fracture sustained in a car accident, we ensure the full extent of your injuries is documented and added to the damages from that accident.

Call (414) 914-2803 or use our online contact form to discuss your injury claim with an experienced attorney.