New Jersey ENT Related Medical Malpractice

ENT (ear, nose, and throat) medical malpractice in New Jersey can involve serious mistakes by doctors, such as surgical errors, misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or medication errors. These types of malpractice often lead to complications like facial nerve damage, hearing loss, breathing problems, infections, or permanent changes to speech or swallowing.

Even small mistakes during ENT procedures can cause life-altering injuries, especially when delicate areas like the vocal cords, sinuses, or inner ear are involved. In some cases, doctors fail to recognize signs of cancer or prescribe medications that result in severe side effects.

If you’ve experienced serious complications after ENT treatment, it’s important to act quickly. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Speak with the experienced New Jersey medical malpractice attorneys at Shebell & Shebell right away to protect your rights and get the help you need. For a free case evaluation and legal consultation, please contact us online today.

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Why Choose Us?

At Shebell & Shebell, we understand the serious medical complications and expenses that can arise from ENT-related malpractice in New Jersey. Since 1927, our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our injured clients. We are prepared to fight hard for your rights, and if necessary, take your case to trial, to maximize the compensation you receive. You can see our most recent case results and client testimonials on this site.

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The value of your New Jersey ENT medical malpractice case depends on several important factors. These include the severity of your injuries, the cost of your medical treatment, the impact on your ability to work, and the emotional toll the injury has taken on your life. While no two cases are the same, some ENT malpractice cases may be worth tens of thousands of dollars, while more serious ones involving permanent damage or disability can result in settlements or jury verdicts in the hundreds of thousands—or even millions.

To determine how much your case may be worth, your attorney will likely work with medical experts to examine how the ENT doctor’s mistake affected your health. This may involve reviewing your medical records, imaging scans, or even getting testimony from specialists. If the ENT’s negligence caused long-term or permanent harm—such as loss of hearing, breathing difficulties, nerve damage, or disfigurement—your case could be worth significantly more.

In a New Jersey ENT malpractice case, you may be eligible to receive different types of damages. These fall into two main categories: economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost income if you could not work, and any costs associated with long-term care or rehabilitation. Non-economic damages cover things that are harder to measure in dollars, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement.

In rare cases, if the ENT doctor acted with extreme carelessness or intentionally caused harm, you may also be entitled to punitive damages. These are meant to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar behavior in the future.

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ENT specialists, also known as otolaryngologists, treat a wide range of conditions affecting the head and neck. While most provide quality care, medical malpractice can happen when an ENT doctor fails to meet accepted standards. In New Jersey, ENT-related malpractice cases can involve serious and sometimes permanent harm. Below are some of the most common types of ENT medical malpractice.

  • Surgical errors are among the most serious. ENT procedures often involve delicate areas like the vocal cords, nerves in the face, or the inner ear. A small mistake during surgery can lead to nerve damage, facial paralysis, permanent hearing loss, or problems with breathing and swallowing. Examples include damaging the facial nerve during ear surgery or performing sinus surgery incorrectly, leading to brain or eye injuries.
  • Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is another common issue. ENT doctors sometimes fail to correctly diagnose conditions such as throat cancer, sinus infections, or ear diseases. A delayed or incorrect diagnosis can allow a disease to worsen. For example, if a doctor misinterprets a patient’s hoarseness or sore throat and fails to detect cancer early, the patient may lose their chance at a full recovery.
  • Medication errors may happen if an ENT doctor prescribes the wrong drug or dose. Some medications used to treat ENT conditions can have dangerous side effects or interact poorly with other medications. A careless prescription could cause hearing damage, allergic reactions, or even organ failure.
  • Improper treatment or lack of informed consent is also common. A doctor may choose the wrong treatment or fail to explain the risks involved in a procedure. Patients have the legal right to be fully informed before agreeing to treatment. If the doctor fails to disclose potential side effects or complications, and harm occurs, this may be considered malpractice.

In New Jersey, victims of ENT malpractice have the right to hold negligent doctors accountable.

To successfully prove an ENT medical malpractice case in New Jersey, you must show that the doctor’s actions fell below the accepted standard of care and directly caused your injury. This requires meeting four main legal elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages.

The first step is proving that a doctor-patient relationship existed. This means the ENT specialist agreed to treat you and had a legal duty to provide care that met accepted medical standards. If you were officially under the care of the ENT doctor, this element is usually easy to prove.

Next, you must show that the ENT doctor breached their duty by failing to act as a reasonably skilled specialist would in the same situation. This could mean making a surgical error, failing to diagnose a condition, or prescribing the wrong medication. Proving a breach usually requires testimony from a qualified medical expert who can explain how the ENT doctor’s actions fell short of professional standards.

You must also prove that the doctor’s mistake directly caused your injury. It’s not enough to show that something went wrong—you must link the harm you suffered to the ENT doctor’s actions. For example, if a surgical error caused nerve damage or a misdiagnosis allowed a serious condition to get worse, your attorney must prove that the outcome wouldn’t have happened if the doctor had acted properly.

Finally, you need to show that you suffered actual harm because of the doctor’s mistake. This includes physical injuries, emotional distress, lost income, additional medical bills, or a reduced quality of life. Without clear damages, you do not have a valid malpractice case.

In New Jersey, proving these elements often requires medical records, expert opinions, and a detailed investigation. Acting quickly is also important, since New Jersey has strict deadlines for filing malpractice claims.

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ENT medical malpractice in New Jersey can lead to a variety of serious medical complications. Because ENT doctors treat sensitive areas of the body—like the sinuses, vocal cords, inner ear, and facial nerves—mistakes during diagnosis or treatment can cause lasting damage. Below are some of the most common complications that can result from ENT malpractice:

  • Facial nerve damage is one of the most severe complications. This can happen during ear or sinus surgery when the surgeon accidentally cuts or damages a nerve. Facial nerve damage can lead to paralysis on one side of the face, difficulty closing the eyes, trouble speaking, and permanent facial drooping.
  • Hearing loss may result from errors during ear surgery or from prescribing ototoxic (ear-damaging) medications without proper monitoring. In some cases, the damage can be partial, but in others, it may lead to total and irreversible hearing loss in one or both ears.
  • Infections are also common complications, especially after surgery. If the ENT doctor fails to use sterile techniques, properly close wounds, or prescribe necessary antibiotics, serious infections like meningitis or abscesses may develop. These infections can spread quickly and cause brain damage or even death if not treated in time.
  • Difficulty breathing or swallowing can occur if a procedure on the throat or nasal passages is done incorrectly. Damage to the airway or surrounding tissue can result in long-term breathing problems, choking, or the need for a tracheotomy.
  • Vocal cord injuries may happen during surgery on the throat or neck. Damage to the vocal cords can cause hoarseness, loss of voice, or permanent changes in speech.
  • Missed or delayed cancer diagnosis is another serious issue. ENT doctors sometimes fail to recognize early signs of throat or sinus cancer, allowing it to spread. This can make treatment harder or even impossible.

If you’ve suffered any of these complications due to ENT malpractice in New Jersey, you may have the right to seek financial compensation.

At Shebell & Shebell, our knowledgeable New Jersey ENT medical malpractice attorneys are committed to standing up for patients who have been harmed by negligent ENT specialists. If you’ve suffered due to an ENT doctor’s mistake, you may be facing serious health problems, expensive medical bills, lost income, and emotional stress. The insurance companies may try to deny your claim, delay payment, or offer less than what you deserve—but we won’t let them.

Our medical malpractice lawyers know how to deal with insurance companies that try to avoid responsibility. We investigate the facts of your case, gather strong evidence, and work with trusted medical experts to prove how the ENT doctor’s actions caused your injury. We carefully review your medical records, treatment history, and the impact the injury has had on your life. Then, we build a strong legal case designed to hold the doctor and their insurance company fully accountable.

Insurance companies often rely on complex rules and medical arguments to limit or deny valid claims. Our legal team has the knowledge and experience to challenge those tactics. We know how to push back and negotiate aggressively for the full amount of compensation you’re owed. If the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer, we are fully prepared to take your case to court.

You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages related to the malpractice. At Shebell & Shebell, we make it our mission to protect your rights and fight for justice every step of the way.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to ENT medical malpractice in New Jersey, don’t face the insurance company alone. Let our skilled legal team at Shebell & Shebell fight for the compensation you deserve. We’re here to help you move forward.

Steps to Take after Suffering an ENT Medical Complication

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If you’ve suffered a medical complication after receiving care from an ENT specialist, it’s important to act quickly to protect your health and your legal rights. The first step is to seek immediate medical attention. A different doctor will be needed to properly diagnose and treat the complication caused by the original ENT’s mistake. Delaying treatment could make your condition worse or harder to treat.

Next, gather as much documentation as possible. This includes your medical records, test results, prescriptions, and notes about your symptoms. Write down what happened during your ENT visits, including the names of the doctors involved and any advice or instructions they gave you.

Most importantly, contact our experienced New Jersey medical malpractice attorneys at Shebell & Shebell as soon as possible. Proving an ENT malpractice case can be complicated and requires strong evidence. Our legal team can immediately begin investigating what went wrong, consult with medical experts, and start building your case.

Insurance companies often move fast to protect themselves. That’s why it’s critical to have skilled attorneys on your side who will fight for your rights. Call Shebell & Shebell right away to schedule a free consultation. We’re here to help you get the answers and compensation you deserve.

Thomas F. Shebell
Thomas F. Shebell, III, New Jersey ENT-Related Medical Malpractice Lawyer

At Shebell & Shebell, our medical malpractice lawyers are prepared to fight for your rights and pursue the maximum compensation available in your medical malpractice case. In New Jersey, the statute of limitations for filing a medical malpractice lawsuit is generally two years from the date the malpractice occurred or from the date you discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the injury caused by the malpractice. Therefore, it’s essential to act quickly!

For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with an experienced New Jersey ENT related medical malpractice attorney, please contact us online today or call our office at (732) 663-1122.

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