Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes – collectively known as meninges – that line the brain and spinal cord. Due to its proximity to the spinal cord and brain, meningitis can be considered a life-threatening medical emergency. If the condition is left untreated, it can potentially be fatal, especially in infants and small children. Typically, meningitis is caused by a viral or bacterial infection of the spinal fluid. Common symptoms can include headaches, stiffness in the neck, fever, confusion, vomiting, and difficulties with tolerating light or loud noises.
Viral meningitis is more common than bacterial meningitis and is less likely to result in permanent damage to structures of the spine or brain. Common viruses that cause meningitis include herpes simplex virus type 2, mumps virus, enteroviruses, and varicella zoster virus – commonly associated with chickenpox and shingles. Bacterial meningitis, while less common than viral meningitis, is a very serious condition that requires immediate medical intervention. Permanent spinal or brain damages, and in some cases death, can result if the condition is left untreated.
While medical malpractice can occur in many different ways, all forms of medical negligence and error have the potential to seriously harm patients. Spinal meningitis – or simply meningitis – is an example of one of the more serious complications that can cause harm when medical errors are made. Medical malpractice is usually related to this condition when medical professionals fail to treat meningitis in a timely fashion. Unreasonable treatment delays, failures to diagnose, misdiagnoses, and other errors that impact timely treatment can have devastating consequences for patients with meningitis. In some cases, meningitis may also result from hospital-acquired infections or from the use of unsafe medications.
If you, your child, or someone you care about has suffered damages resulting from a medical professional’s failure to treat meningitis in a timely or competent manner, you have the right to take legal action that will hold the at-fault party liable. For more information about your case and the ways in which a Washington, DC medical malpractice attorney from the firm can help, please contact The Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson M.D., J.D. & Associates today.
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Dr. Michael M. Wilson is an attorney and a physician who earned his undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his legal and medical degrees from Georgetown University. He has focused in the area of medical malpractice for more than three decades and secured more than $100 million in settlements and verdicts on behalf of clients throughout the country. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Supreme Court. He is listed in America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators.
