Infections that develop during medical treatment are not always avoidable. However, when a preventable infection occurs because a healthcare provider failed to follow accepted medical standards, the consequences can be devastating. At Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, we focus on serious medical malpractice infection cases involving catastrophic injury or wrongful death, representing clients across Georgia.
Our firm primarily handles severe cases, not minor or short-term infections. When an infection leads to permanent injury or death, a careful legal and medical investigation is critical.
When Medical Errors Lead to Serious Infections
A medical infection may form the basis of a malpractice claim when it results from a breach of the standard of care. This can include failures in sterilization, improper surgical technique, delayed diagnosis, or inadequate post-treatment monitoring. In many cases, the issue is not that an infection occurred, but that warning signs were ignored, or proper safeguards were not followed.
These cases often hinge on whether timely intervention could have prevented the infection from spreading or becoming life-threatening.
Why Healthcare-Associated Infections Are Especially Dangerous
Infections acquired in hospitals and medical facilities tend to be more aggressive and harder to treat. Patients may already be vulnerable due to surgery, chronic illness, or weakened immune systems. Additionally, many healthcare-associated infections involve antibiotic-resistant organisms, making early diagnosis and treatment essential.
When providers fail to recognize the severity of an infection or delay appropriate care, patients can deteriorate rapidly, sometimes within hours.
Serious Infections Commonly Linked to Medical Negligence
We handle cases involving severe infections that result in long-term harm or death, including:
- Sepsis and septic shock
- MRSA and other drug-resistant bacterial infections
- C. difficile (Clostridioides difficile) infections following antibiotic misuse
- Surgical site and post-operative wound infections
- Bedsores and E. Coli. infections
- Bloodstream infections caused by contaminated lines or devices
These infections frequently require ICU care, additional surgeries, or lifelong medical treatment.
Where Preventable Medical Infections Might Occur
Infection-related malpractice is not limited to hospitals. Negligence can occur anywhere medical care is provided. Outpatient surgery centers, doctors’ offices, dialysis clinics, and infusion centers all have infection-control responsibilities. Failures such as improper instrument sterilization, unsafe injection practices, or poor monitoring after procedures can all lead to catastrophic outcomes.
Each setting has specific protocols designed to protect patients, and when those protocols are ignored, the risk of serious infection increases dramatically.
Click here to learn about nursing home or long-term care facility infections.
Infections Caused by Pressure Sores and Improper Wound Care
Pressure sores, also known as pressure ulcers or bedsores, are a known medical risk for patients with limited mobility. However, when pressure sores are allowed to worsen due to poor monitoring, inadequate repositioning, or improper wound care, they can become a gateway for serious, life-threatening infections.
In hospital and post-surgical settings, pressure sores often develop on the lower back, hips, heels, and tailbone. When these wounds are not properly cleaned, protected, and treated, bacteria can enter the bloodstream. One particularly dangerous infection linked to advanced pressure sores is E. coli, a bacterium commonly associated with fecal contamination and unsanitary conditions.
E. coli infections related to pressure ulcers may indicate serious lapses in hygiene, wound management, or staffing, especially when wounds are located near the perineal area. Once E. coli enters an open sore, the infection can spread rapidly, leading to sepsis, organ failure, or death if not promptly recognized and treated.
Medical providers are expected to routinely assess skin integrity, implement pressure-relief protocols, maintain strict hygiene standards, and respond immediately to signs of wound infection. When healthcare teams fail to take these steps, or delay treatment once infection is suspected, the resulting harm may form the basis of a medical malpractice claim.
Learn more about pressure sores
BBGA focuses on pressure sore infection cases involving advanced ulcers, systemic infection, permanent injury, or wrongful death, not superficial or temporary skin breakdown.
Warning Signs That an Infection Is Being Mishandled
Patients and families often report that symptoms were dismissed or minimized before the infection became severe. Concerning signs may include persistent fever, escalating pain, redness or drainage at a surgical site, confusion, rapid breathing, or sudden drops in blood pressure. When healthcare providers fail to act on these symptoms promptly, the results can be irreversible.
Early recognition is one of the most critical factors in preventing sepsis and organ failure.
Infection Prevention Is a Basic Medical Responsibility
Hospitals and medical facilities are expected to maintain strict infection-prevention systems. This includes proper staff training, consistent hand hygiene, sterilization of equipment, safe catheter and IV use, and close monitoring of post-procedure patients. When staffing shortages, rushed care, or cost-cutting measures interfere with these practices, patient safety is compromised.
Preventable infections are often a sign of deeper systemic failures within a facility.
Common Types of Severe Harm Caused by Infections
Our medical malpractice infection cases frequently involve life-altering consequences such as:
- Sepsis or septic shock
- Amputation due to uncontrolled infection
- Permanent organ damage or failure
- Brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation
- Long-term disability or death
These are not routine complications; they are outcomes that often could have been avoided with proper care.
Why Infection Malpractice Cases Are Legally and Medically Complex
Proving an infection-related malpractice claim requires more than showing that a patient became sick. These cases demand expert analysis to determine when the infection began, whether it was preventable, and how the provider’s actions, or inaction, directly caused harm. Medical records, lab results, facility protocols, and expert testimony all play a critical role in determining fault and holding the right people responsible.
BBGA has the experience and resources necessary to manage these demanding cases from investigation through trial.
How Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help
Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley represents clients throughout Georgia, with offices in Athens and Lake Oconee. Our attorneys work closely with medical experts to uncover negligence, establish liability, and pursue full compensation for patients and families facing lifelong consequences because of someone else’s negligence.
We are prepared to take on hospitals, healthcare systems, and insurers in high-stakes cases.
Georgia Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations
Medical malpractice claims in Georgia are subject to strict filing deadlines. In most cases, a lawsuit must be filed within two years of the injury, with limited exceptions.
Click here to learn more about the applicable deadlines.
Serving Clients Across Georgia
BBGA handles medical malpractice infection cases statewide and provides experienced representation to families facing catastrophic medical harm. If a preventable infection has caused serious injury or death, our team can help evaluate whether medical negligence played a role. Contact us by phone at 706-354-4000 or use our online contact form to tell us more about your potential case.
