If you think you or a loved one might be the victim of an anesthesia error in Scranton, PA, the Scranton medical malpractice lawyers at Munley Law can help. When a mistake with your anesthesia occurs, it can lead to serious and sometimes life-threatening complications. These mistakes can result in catastrophic injuries, necessitate further medical intervention, and lead to lost wages and mounting medical bills.
At Munley Law, we have specialized medical malpractice attorneys on our team who have won leading industry awards for their achievements in representing cases like yours. Our lawyers are also board-certified in civil trial law and advocacy, offering the skill and knowledge needed to win your lawsuit and secure you the compensation you need for a dignified recovery.
Don’t let surgical errors in Scranton ruin your financial well-being. Call Munley Law today for a free case evaluation.
Call Us At 844-686-5397 When Do Anesthesia Errors Constitute Medical Malpractice in Scranton?
In Pennsylvania, proving medical malpractice requires that you demonstrate that a medical professional has breached the “standard of care” and that this breach directly caused your injury.
Medical malpractice claims can require many standards of proof, and your experienced attorney is in the best possible position to help you prove your medical malpractice lawsuit.
All medical mistakes are egregious, but anesthesia errors can be particularly dangerous and can lead to serious, sometimes permanent, injury or even death.
In Scranton, PA, these errors constitute medical malpractice resulting from negligence or a failure to meet the standard of care expected in the medical community.
If you or a loved one has suffered or has died from an anesthesia error in Scranton, contact a malpractice lawyer or a wrongful death attorney in Scranton at Munley Law for your free consultation today. Our expert medical malpractice attorney has the tools, knowledge, experience, and medical experts on their side to help you win your maximum financial compensation.
“Honoring those who came before us, Munley Law proudly continues our family tradition of innovation, caring, and integrity. Three generations of Munleys have built this firm on one belief: that injured people deserve the same fierce advocacy that the powerful receive as a matter of course. That belief still drives everything we do.”
Caroline Munley
What Types of Anesthesia Errors Take Place in Scranton, PA?
The most common types of anesthesia errors in Scranton are:
Too Much Anesthesia: When the anesthesiologist administers too much anesthesia during a surgical procedure, it can lead to severe complications like brain damage, heart problems, or even death. These mistakes often happen because the dosage is miscalculated based on the patient’s needs.
A recent systematic review published in MedRxiv in 2023 found that the incidence of medication errors during general anesthesia is as high as 1.12%, equating to a one-in-90 occurrence rate. The study also found the most common anesthesia errors to be substitution errors, incorrect dosage, and omission mistakes.
Too Little Anesthesia: Administering too little anesthesia can cause anesthesia awareness, in which the patient becomes conscious during surgery and can feel pain. This horrifying experience occurs when the anesthesiologist underestimates the required amount of anesthesia.
A study published in SageJournals found that incorrect dose (including under-dosage) was the leading error category among 4,000 incidents surveyed, accounting for 29.4% of all errors and causing at least some degree of harm in 58.9% of cases.
Failure to Monitor the Patient: Anesthesiologists must continuously monitor a patient’s vital signs during surgery. Neglecting to properly monitor the patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, or oxygen levels can lead to serious injury and may be considered negligence.
Improper Intubation: Errors during the intubation process, such as placing the tube incorrectly, can cause severe injuries, including damage to the throat and lungs or even a traumatic brain injury due to lack of oxygen. Such medical errors by your medical provider indicate negligence and may be considered in a malpractice lawsuit.
According to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, 3,643 cases of intubation problems were reported across the state in 2024, 311 of which were considered serious events that threatened patients’ health or lives. Such medical errors by your medical provider indicate negligence and may be considered in a malpractice lawsuit.
Experiencing any of these medical malpractice injuries due to anesthesia error can be traumatic and life-changing.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by an anesthesia mistake, call Munley Law today for your free consultation.
All of our partners have been listed in the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania, and Caroline Munley’s acumen has earned her a listing as one of the NTLA’s Top 25 Medical Malpractice Trial Lawyers. Marion Munley has also achieved the status of Lawyer of the Year for Medical Malpractice Law, highlighting our specific knowledge and expertise in medical injury cases.
What Causes Anesthesia Errors in Scranton?
Anesthesia errors can happen for various reasons, including neglect or insufficient or improper training by healthcare professionals. Anesthesia mistakes can include:
Inadequate Training: When your anesthesiologist, a nurse anesthetist, or their assistants do not have sufficient training or experience, they are more likely to make mistakes during surgery. The 2023 MedRxiv review found inexperience to be the leading contributor to anesthesia errors, followed closely by hasty decision-making and pressure to proceed.
Fatigue: Healthcare providers can work long hours and have demanding schedules. When tired, anesthesiologists’ ability to function at their best is reduced, and they are more likely to make mistakes. Fatigue was often reported as a factor in anesthetic incidents, with four of the ten surveyed studies in the systematic review citing it as a key risk factor.
Miscommunication: Poor communication among the surgical team can result in mistakes, such as administering the wrong dosage or not being aware of a patient’s allergies. A study on anesthesia errors found that unclear and ineffective communication was the primary issue in 70% of the thousands of incidents surveyed in the publication, with up to 75% of the patients involved in these situations tragically passing away.
Faulty Medical Equipment: Anesthesia machines and monitoring equipment need to be in perfect working order. Malfunctions or failure to adhere to routine checks and maintenance can lead to incorrect anesthesia administration or failure to properly monitor the patient’s vital signs.
Improper Dosage Calculation: Anesthesiologists must calculate the correct dosage of anesthesia based on the patient’s weight, age, and health condition. Making a mistake with these important calculations can lead to life-threatening over- or under-dosing.
Who Can Be Sued for Anesthesia Errors at a Scranton Hospital?
Anesthesia errors often result from the combined negligence of more than one medical staff member. Responsible parties may include:
- Anesthesiologist: The anesthesiologist is usually responsible for administering and monitoring anesthesia. Mistakes in calculating the dosage or not checking for a patient’s allergies can swiftly lead to severe complications.
- Anesthesiology Nurse or Technician: Anesthesiology nurses and technicians assist the anesthesiologist during surgery. Suppose a nurse or technician fails, for instance, to help monitor the patient, calibrate the anesthesia machine, or misreport the patient’s vital signs. In that case, they may be held responsible for any injuries and can be sued for negligence.
- Surgeon: The surgeon also plays a role in ensuring patient safety. They may share liability if they fail to communicate vital information about the patient’s medical history or allergies to the anesthesia team.
- Hospital Administration: Hospitals are responsible for training staff and maintaining all medical equipment. They can be liable if they hire inadequately trained anesthesiologists or fail to maintain anesthesia machines. According to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, of the 1,291 adverse anesthesia events reported in 2024, around 96% of these cases took place in hospitals, with only a fraction occurring at non-hospital locations.
- Equipment Manufacturers: If the anesthesia equipment is faulty, the manufacturer can be held accountable — a scenario often addressed under product liability law. This is particularly relevant if the equipment has design flaws or manufacturing defects. For instance, if a defect in an anesthesia machine leads to incorrect dosages being administered, resulting in patient harm, the manufacturer can be sued for producing unsafe equipment.
In many cases, more than one party may be at fault for an anesthesia error. For example, a combination of poor communication from the surgeon, a miscalculation by the anesthesiologist, and a malfunctioning machine could all contribute to a single incident. In such scenarios, each party’s negligence plays a role in the overall harm caused, and they can all be held liable in your injury case.
Should you wish to learn more about who may be held liable for your injuries, our award-winning attorneys are ready to assist.
Many of our attorneys have been listed as Super Lawyers, with Marion Munley ranked as one of the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Pennsylvania. All of our attorneys belong to the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, and Best Lawyers as well – achievements which reflect our comprehensive understanding of local laws and statutes relating to medical error and malpractice cases.
Munley Law Can Help with Your Scranton Anesthesia Error Claim
If you or someone you know has been injured due to an anesthesia mistake in a Scranton hospital, a personal injury lawyer at Munley Law can help.
We have won millions in settlements for clients who have suffered after medical procedures, and we will use our full network of resources to seek a similar verdict on your behalf.
Our attorneys have over six decades of experience fighting medical malpractice cases in Scranton and throughout Pennsylvania.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
Caroline Munley
Caroline Munley is an experienced and award-winning personal injury lawyer and is a board-certified workers’ compensation specialist. Since 2018, she’s been listed in Best Lawyers in America (Personal Injury Plaintiffs; Workers’ Compensation Claimants, Northeastern PA), Lawdragon, and has been a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer since 2022. A member of the International Society of Barristers, Caroline has won millions of dollars for car accident, commercial truck crash, and workplace injury victims.
Reviewed by Bernadine Munley, Esq., Personal Injury Attorney at Munley Law, on April 15, 2026.
