QUESTION

Can you help if I was infected by Hepatitis C virus during a surgery?

Asked on Oct 24th, 2012 on Medical Malpractice - Virginia
More details to this question:
I had a surgery 4 months ago. My bloodwork performed right before the surgery, showed good liver function. About 10 weeks after surgery I started feeling weak. 4 months after the surgery I decided to check for Hepatitis and blodwork came positive for Hep C. There have been nothing during the time since I had my surgery that potentially could expose me to the Hep C virus, except for the surgery itself. I stayed at home after the surgery for almost 2 months and even after that time I could not perform any work that could have led to Hep C infection. Therefore I strongly suspect that there was something wrong during the surgery.
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1 ANSWER

Catastrophic Injury Attorney serving Roseland, NJ at John J. Ratkowitz
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You should contact a local medical malpractice/products liability attorney (one in your state).  They take these cases on a contingency basis which means you only have to pay if you succeed.  Additionally, initial consultations are usually free. You can use the "Find a Lawyer" service through this website to research medical malpractice attorneys.  Then, visit each attorney's website and look for a firm that has a record of successful verdicts.   It sounds like you have reason to suspect that you received contaminated blood. Therefore, an attorney will have to investigate this possibility. Blood contaminated with Hepatitis C should not happen anymore, they started screening for this in 1992. Also, people can have Hepatitis C for a long time and be asymptomatic, so it is entirely possible that you were infected prior to your surgery.  Below are some articles you may find helpful.  They are written for a New Jersey audience (where I practice) but the ideas discussed in these articles usually apply in most other jurisdictions as well. Click here for an article that discusses the three main questions I ask when deciding whether to investigate a potential medical malpractice case. Click here for an article that explains what you can expect when filing a medical malpractice case. Click here and here for more information about me. Please note that by attempting to answer your question, I am not acting as your attorney. I will do nothing further to protect or preserve your interests in the absence of any additional discussion with you about this matter. John Ratkowitz, Esq. Starr, Gern, Davison & Rubin, P.C. 105 Eisenhower Parkway Roseland, NJ 07068 Office: (973) 830-8441 Cell: (732) 616-6278 Fax: (973) 226-0031 Email: jratkowitz@starrgern.com  Skype: john_ratkowitz Web: www.starrgern.com. 
Answered on Oct 25th, 2012 at 9:50 AM

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