Arizona Podiatrist Malpractice Lawyer

Trusted Legal Representation for Foot and Ankle Specialist Negligence in Arizona

Identifying Negligence in Podiatric Care and Surgery

Podiatry negligence occurs when a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), a physician licensed to treat conditions of the foot and ankle, deviates from the accepted standard of care, resulting in injury, infection, or permanent mobility loss. Not every poor outcome after treatment means something went wrong legally. Surgery carries inherent risks, and healing doesn’t always go as planned. The critical question is whether your podiatrist acted as a reasonably competent DPM would have under similar circumstances.

Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 32-801, podiatric medicine is a defined practice with specific boundaries. A DPM who operates outside those boundaries, or who fails to refer a patient to an orthopedic surgeon or other specialist when a condition exceeds the scope of podiatric training, may be liable for the resulting harm. The Arizona Supreme Court reinforced provider accountability standards in *Henke v. Hospital Development of West Phoenix*, underscoring the duty healthcare professionals owe their patients.

Our team of experienced Arizona malpractice attorneys looks for specific warning signs in medical records that may indicate a breach of the standard of care:

• Performing surgery without adequate diagnostic imaging or workup
• Failure to recognize or treat osteomyelitis, a serious bone infection that can spread rapidly if untreated
• Ignoring signs that a condition required referral to a specialist
• Inadequate post-operative follow-up care or monitoring
• Charting inconsistencies that suggest records were altered after the fact

Our in-house medical staff, including nurse practitioners and board-certified patient advocates, review your clinical records line by line. Because our team includes professionals who previously worked inside hospital systems, we know where to look for documentation gaps and protocol failures that other firms may miss. If you suspect your podiatrist’s care fell short, a lawyer for podiatrist malpractice at our firm can help determine whether you have a viable claim.

Common Surgical Errors and Complications We Litigate

Common grounds for litigation include nerve damage during bunionectomies, failure to diagnose osteomyelitis, and performing unnecessary surgeries for financial gain. These injuries often result from a breach of medical protocols during foot and ankle procedures. Our Arizona podiatrist malpractice lawyers handle cases involving a wide range of preventable foot and ankle injuries, including botched surgery and misdiagnosis.

Surgical errors account for many of the cases we see. Botched bunionectomies, failed hammer toe corrections, and misplaced hardware can leave patients in worse condition than before surgery. Patients considering suing a foot doctor often find that when a surgeon uses improper technique, selects the wrong fixation method, or fails to address a known complication intraoperatively, the result can be chronic pain, repeat surgeries, or permanent disability.

Diabetic foot care failures are particularly serious. According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report from the CDC, millions of Americans live with diabetes, and many develop diabetic foot ulcers, which are open wounds on the foot caused by nerve damage and poor circulation. A podiatrist who fails to identify an ulcer, delays treatment, or misses early signs of infection may set off a chain of events that leads to amputation. These cases reflect our firm’s core belief that holding providers accountable helps prevent the same harm from happening to someone else.

Nerve injuries during foot surgery can trigger Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), a chronic condition involving severe burning pain, swelling, and sensitivity that can spread beyond the original surgical site. CRPS can be debilitating and permanent.

The following table illustrates the difference between an expected complication and potential negligence:

Situation	Known Surgical Risk	Potential Negligence
Post-operative swelling and discomfort	Yes	No, if managed appropriately
Severed nerve causing CRPS	Rare but possible	Yes, if caused by improper technique
Minor wound infection treated promptly	Yes	No
Osteomyelitis missed for weeks despite symptoms	No	Yes, failure to diagnose and treat
Hardware migration requiring revision	Possible	Yes, if wrong hardware was selected or improperly placed

Risks of Unnecessary Podiatric Surgery

Some podiatrist malpractice cases involve procedures that should never have been performed at all. A bunionectomy, the surgical removal or realignment of the bone at the base of the big toe, is one of the most commonly performed foot surgeries. But not every bunion requires surgery. When a podiatrist recommends an invasive procedure without a clear medical necessity, or without explaining the risks and alternatives through informed consent, the patient may have grounds for a claim. Informed consent means your doctor explained the risks and alternatives so you could make an educated decision about your treatment. A podiatrist malpractice lawyer in Arizona can evaluate whether the surgery was medically indicated and help you pursue financial compensation.

Recovering Full Damages Under Arizona Law

Arizona law allows victims to recover economic damages for medical bills and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages for pain and suffering, with no constitutional cap on the amount awarded. These financial recoveries help patients manage the long-term costs of medical negligence.

Economic damages cover the measurable financial losses caused by malpractice. These include past and future medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost wages, lost income, and permanent disability if the injury affects your ability to work long-term.

Non-economic damages address the personal toll of the injury. This includes pain and suffering, loss of mobility, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress. In cases where a patient dies as a result of podiatric negligence, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death claim for their losses.

One important distinction sets Arizona apart from many other states: the Arizona Constitution expressly prohibits caps on damages in personal injury cases. This means juries are free to award financial compensation that truly reflects the scope of harm, without an arbitrary ceiling. An experienced malpractice attorney at our firm builds each case to document the full extent of your losses, both financial and personal, so that nothing is left on the table if your case goes to trial.

Contact the Arizona Doctor Malpractice Attorneys at Hastings Law Firm Today for Help

You do not have to carry this alone. Our legal team offers clear guidance to help you through this challenging time if a podiatrist’s negligence changed your life.

At Hastings Law Firm, board-certified trial attorney Tommy Hastings and our medical-legal team focus exclusively on medical malpractice. We prepare every case as if it will go before a jury, and we have the in-house medical professionals, former defense attorneys, and national expert network to build a thorough, evidence-driven claim on your behalf.

We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees or costs unless we recover compensation for you. There is no financial risk in reaching out.

If you are looking for an Arizona podiatrist malpractice lawyer who will listen, investigate, and hold the right people accountable, contact Hastings Law Firm for a free, confidential case evaluation. Let us help you take the first step toward answers and recovery.