Florida Cauda Equina Syndrome Lawyer
Over 35 Years Experience

Florida Cauda Equina Syndrome Lawyer: Fighting for Victims of Medical Negligence

Experienced Representation for Delayed Diagnosis, Misdiagnosis & Surgical Errors Leading to CES. Nationwide Experience.

  • Specializing in CES Cases
  • Millions Recovered for Accident Victims
  • No Fee Unless We Win
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Holding Medical Professionals Accountable for Cauda Equina Syndrome Negligence

Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is a devastating spinal cord injury requiring immediate medical intervention. It occurs when the bundle of nerve roots at the lower end of the spinal cord (the cauda equina) becomes compressed, leading to severe pain, loss of function, and potentially permanent disability if not treated urgently.

While CES can arise from various medical conditions, permanent injury often results from medical negligence – specifically, the failure of doctors, surgeons, or hospital staff to recognize the warning signs, order timely diagnostic tests, or perform necessary surgery within the critical window.

At Lisa S. Levine, P.A., we understand the life-altering impact of a CES diagnosis, especially when it stems from substandard medical care. With over 35 years of experience and a specific focus on complex Cauda Equina Syndrome cases across Florida and the nation, Lisa Levine is dedicated to fighting for the justice and compensation victims deserve.

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Understanding Cauda Equina Syndrome: Symptoms & Causes

Recognizing CES is critical, as prompt action is essential. If you or a loved one experienced the following symptoms, particularly after spinal procedures or with severe back pain, CES should have been considered by medical professionals:

  • Bladder dysfunction: Difficulty urinating, inability to urinate (retention), loss of bladder control (incontinence).
  • Weakness, numbness, or tingling in the legs, feet, or “saddle region” (inner thighs, buttocks, perineum) – often asymmetric.
  • Loss of sensation in the legs, feet, or saddle area (saddle anesthesia)
  • Bowel dysfunction: Inability to have a bowel movement, loss of bowel control.
  • Severe low back pain
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Loss of knee or ankle reflexes
  • Difficulty walking or changes in gait.

Common Underlying Conditions That Can Lead to CES (And Potential Negligence)

While these conditions cause the initial problem, negligence often occurs in the failure to diagnose or treat them promptly, leading to CES:

  • Severe Lumbar Herniated Disc: A common cause where disc material compresses the nerves. Failure to recognize red flag symptoms and perform emergency surgery can be negligence.
  • Complications from Epidural Injections or Spinal Anesthesia: Improper needle placement or failure to manage complications like hematomas can lead to CES.
  • Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal.
  • Spinal Tumors or Lesions: Growths compressing the nerves.
  • Spinal Infections or Abscesses: Inflammation or pus collection pressing on nerves.
  • Traumatic Injury: Severe accidents causing spinal fractures or dislocations.
  • Post-Operative Spinal Hematoma: Bleeding after spinal surgery can collect and compress nerves. While the hematoma itself may not be negligence, the failure to promptly identify and evacuate it is. Signs like sudden numbness or inability to urinate post-surgery demand urgent investigation.

Diagnosis and Treatment: The Critical Window for Intervention

Diagnosing CES requires a high index of suspicion from medical professionals when “red flag” symptoms are present. Standard diagnostic steps include:

  • Thorough Medical History & Physical Examination: Assessing symptoms, reflexes, strength, and sensation (including rectal tone).
  • Urgent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): The gold standard for visualizing the spinal cord, nerve roots, and potential sources of compression like herniated discs or hematomas.
  • Myelogram (Less Common): An X-ray using contrast dye if MRI is unavailable or contraindicated.
CES Attorney Florida

The Absolute Emergency: Surgical Decompression

Cauda Equina Syndrome is a surgical emergency. The widely accepted standard of care requires urgent surgical decompression, ideally within 24-48 hours of the onset of significant symptoms (especially bladder issues). Delaying surgery beyond this critical window dramatically increases the risk of permanent, irreversible nerve damage.

Treatment focuses on relieving the pressure on the nerves. Depending on the cause, this may also involve:

  • High-dose corticosteroids (to reduce swelling)
  • Antibiotics (for infections)
  • Radiation or chemotherapy (for tumors, post-surgery)

Medical Malpractice: When Delayed Diagnosis or Treatment Causes Permanent Harm

Tragically, many permanent CES injuries are preventable and occur due to medical negligence. Malpractice in CES cases often involves:

  • Failure to Recognize Red Flag Symptoms: Dismissing patient complaints or attributing them to less serious conditions like UTIs, kidney infections, simple sciatica, or musculoskeletal back pain without ruling out CES.
  • Delayed Diagnostic Testing: Not ordering an urgent MRI despite suspicious symptoms.
  • Misinterpretation of Imaging: Failing to correctly identify nerve compression on an MRI or Myelogram.
  • Failure to Refer: Not promptly referring the patient to a neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine surgeon for evaluation.
  • Delayed Surgery: Failing to perform necessary decompression surgery within the critical 24-48 hour window.
  • Surgical Errors: Causing direct nerve injury or post-operative hematomas that are not managed correctly.

The Devastating Long-Term Consequences of Negligence

When CES is not treated promptly due to medical errors, patients can suffer lifelong disabilities, including:

  • Permanent severe pain (neurogenic pain) and discomfort
  • Permanent leg weakness, numbness, or paralysis
  • Permanent loss of bladder control (requiring catheters)
  • Permanent loss of bowel control (requiring enemas or manual evacuation)
  • Permanent sexual dysfunction
  • Loss of ability to work and earn income
  • Significant reduction in quality of life
  • Need for ongoing medical care, therapy, and assistive devices

The physical, emotional, and financial toll of these permanent injuries is immense.

Why You Need an Experienced Florida Cauda Equina Syndrome Lawyer

CES medical malpractice cases are complex. They require a deep understanding of both the medicine involved and the specific legal standards of care in Florida. Proving that a doctor or hospital deviated from accepted medical practices and that this deviation directly caused your permanent injuries demands specialized knowledge and resources.

Lisa S. Levine is a leading Cauda Equina Syndrome attorney specializing in these challenging cases. Her extensive experience includes:

  • Over 35 years focused on medical malpractice and personal injury law.
  • Handling and consulting on more than 60 CES cases nationwide.
  • Successfully representing CES clients across the United States, including Florida (Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Ocala), New Jersey, Utah, California, Wisconsin, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, New York, and Texas.
  • A proven track record of success in securing substantial compensation for CES victims.
CES Misdiagnosis Lawyer

Lisa Levine understands the unique challenges faced by CES survivors and has the expertise to:

  • Thoroughly investigate the medical records and timeline of your care.
  • Aggressively negotiate with hospitals, doctors, and their insurance companies.
  • Consult with highly qualified medical experts (neurosurgeons, neurologists, physiatrists) to establish negligence.
  • Accurately calculate the full extent of your damages, including future medical costs, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering.
  • Take your case to trial if a fair settlement cannot be reached.

Proven Results in Cauda Equina Syndrome Cases

$2,500,000

Jane Doe
v. Surgeon and Hospital

A 66-year-old woman developed Cauda Equina Syndrome symptoms after a laminectomy due to an intraoperative injury and hematoma. Untimely diagnosis delayed hematoma evacuation surgery for 4 days, causing permanent severe pain, gait disturbance, saddle anesthesia, and bowel/bladder dysfunction.

$1,250,000

client
v. Hospital

Our client suffered a herniated disc while playing volleyball. After diagnosing the Client with an injury to the nerves at the base of his spine (Cauda Equina Syndrome), the physicians caring for the Client failed to perform surgery in a timely fashion resulting in permanent injuries.

See More Case Results

Disclaimer: Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique.

Compensation You May Be Entitled To for Cauda Equina Syndrome

A successful Cauda Equina Syndrome medical malpractice claim can provide crucial financial compensation for the extensive and often lifelong damages victims endure. Due to the severity of CES and its potential for permanent disability, damages can be substantial and are intended to cover a wide range of losses:

Medical Expenses (Past, Present, and Future)

– Costs of emergency surgery and hospitalization.

– Ongoing treatments for chronic pain, bladder/bowel dysfunction (e.g., medications, catheter supplies, nerve stimulation devices).

– Physical, occupational, and vocational therapy.

– Psychological counseling and therapy for depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders.

– Mobility aids (wheelchairs, braces, walkers).

– Home modifications to accommodate disabilities (ramps, accessible bathrooms).

– In-home nursing care or attendant care if needed.

– Costs of managing secondary health complications.

Loss of Consortium

– Compensation for the spouse of the injured person for the loss of companionship, support, services, and intimacy due to the CES injury.

Lost Wages and Diminished Future Earning Capacity

– Income lost during initial recovery and treatment.

– If CES results in permanent disability preventing a return to your previous occupation, compensation for the loss of future earnings over your expected work-life.

Pain and Suffering

– Compensation for the intense physical pain (often chronic and neuropathic) associated with CES.

– The significant emotional distress, mental anguish, depression, and anxiety resulting from the injury and its life-altering consequences.

Loss of Enjoyment of Life

– Acknowledging the profound impact CES has on your ability to participate in and enjoy daily activities, hobbies, recreational pursuits, family life, and social interactions.

Disfigurement and Scarring

– If surgical procedures or complications result in significant scarring.

The specific value of a Cauda Equina Syndrome claim is highly dependent on the individual circumstances, including the severity and permanence of the neurological deficits, the extent of medical treatment required, the impact on earning capacity, and the profound effect on the victim’s quality of life.

Lisa Levine, an experienced Florida Cauda Equina Syndrome lawyer, and her team work diligently with medical experts, life care planners, and vocational rehabilitation specialists to meticulously document and calculate the full extent of your damages. Our goal is to secure the comprehensive compensation you need to manage your condition, maintain your quality of life as much as possible, and provide for your future.

Frequently Asked Questions About Florida CES Lawsuits

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider deviates from the accepted “standard of care” (what a reasonably competent professional would do in a similar situation), and that failure directly causes harm to the patient. In CES cases, this often involves negligence such as:

  • Failing to recognize the classic “red flag” symptoms of Cauda Equina Syndrome.
  • Delaying or failing to order necessary diagnostic tests like an urgent MRI.
  • Misinterpreting test results.
  • Failing to perform emergency surgical decompression within the critical time window (typically 24-48 hours).
  • Proving a deviation from the standard of care requires careful review of medical records and often expert medical testimony.

Florida has a strict statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases. Generally, you must file a lawsuit within two years from the time the malpractice occurred, or within two years from the time the injury was discovered or reasonably should have been discovered. However, there is also a “statute of repose,” which typically prevents filing more than four years after the actual incident of malpractice, regardless of when it was discovered (though there can be exceptions, like in cases of fraud or concealment). These deadlines are complex and missing them means losing your right to sue. It is absolutely critical to contact an experienced CES attorney immediately to determine the specific deadline applicable to your situation.

There is no single answer, as the value of each Cauda Equina Syndrome case is unique. Compensation depends on many specific factors, including:

  • The severity and permanence of your injuries (e.g., level of paralysis, pain, bowel/bladder/sexual dysfunction).
  • Total past and estimated future medical expenses (surgeries, therapy, medications, assistive devices, long-term care).
  • Lost wages and impact on your future earning capacity.
  • The extent of your physical pain and emotional suffering.
  • The strength of the evidence proving medical negligence.
  • Applicable Florida laws or damage caps.
  • An experienced attorney can evaluate the specifics of your case after a thorough investigation to provide a realistic assessment of potential damages.

No. Reputable medical malpractice lawyers, including Lisa S. Levine, P.A., typically handle Cauda Equina Syndrome cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay no attorney fees upfront. The law firm covers the costs of investigating and pursuing your case. The attorney’s fee is a percentage of the total compensation recovered for you, either through a settlement or a court verdict. If you do not recover any compensation, you owe no attorney fees. Your initial consultation to discuss your case is also free and confidential.

Signing a consent form does not automatically prevent you from filing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Consent forms typically inform you of the known, potential risks and complications associated with a procedure when it is performed correctly. However, they generally do not excuse negligence. If your injury resulted from a healthcare provider failing to meet the standard of care – whether through a surgical error, a failure to recognize complications like CES, or a delay in necessary treatment – you may still have a valid claim, even if you signed a consent form. An attorney can review the specifics of your case and the consent form you signed.

Resources for CES Patients and Families

Living with Cauda Equina Syndrome can be isolating. Connecting with others who understand can provide invaluable support. Here are some resources:

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If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome and suspect that a delay in diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or surgical error contributed to permanent injury, it is crucial to understand your legal rights.

Contact Lisa S. Levine, P.A. today for a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to your story, review the circumstances of your case, and advise you on your potential legal options. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.

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