Sepsis Misdiagnosis Claims in Georgia: Building on Our $30M Verdict

Sepsis Misdiagnosis Claims in Georgia: Building on Our $30M Verdict

When Sepsis Is Missed, Lives Are Lost — and Georgia Law Demands Accountability

Sepsis Misdiagnosis Claims GA: Sepsis is a medical emergency. It is the body’s life-threatening response to infection — one that can progress from first symptoms to multi-organ failure in a matter of hours.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1.7 million Americans develop sepsis every year, and approximately 350,000 die from it. Alarmingly, a substantial portion of those deaths are preventable — caused not by the infection itself, but by failure to diagnose, delayed diagnosis, or inadequate treatment.

At Haug Barron Law Group, Personal Injury Lawyers, we have dedicated our practice to holding Georgia hospitals, emergency departments, and medical professionals accountable when sepsis misdiagnosis or delayed sepsis treatment causes catastrophic injury or death. Our $30 million DeKalb County verdict is not just a number — it is proof of what happens when Georgia’s most skilled medical malpractice attorneys put a healthcare system’s failures in front of a jury.

If your family member suffered permanent organ damage, loss of limbs, or died because a Georgia hospital failed to recognize or promptly treat sepsis, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. This article explains how sepsis misdiagnosis claims work in Georgia, what you need to prove, what your case may be worth, and why Haug Barron Law Group stands above every other plaintiff’s firm in the state when it comes to this specialized, high-stakes litigation.

What Is Sepsis? Understanding the Condition at the Center of These Claims

Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. According to the Sepsis Alliance, sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals. It is not a disease itself, but rather a life-threatening complication that can arise from any infection — a urinary tract infection, pneumonia, a wound, or even a seemingly minor procedure.

The Sepsis Spectrum: Three Stages

• Stage 1: Infection and early systemic inflammatory response (SIRS)
• Stage 2: Sepsis — confirmed or suspected infection plus two or more systemic criteria (fever, tachycardia, elevated white blood cell count, altered mental status)
• Stage 3: Septic shock — dangerously low blood pressure, tissue hypoperfusion, multi-organ dysfunction (mortality rate exceeds 40%)

Time is the critical variable. Research published in Critical Care Medicine demonstrates that for every hour broad-spectrum antibiotics are delayed after septic shock onset, mortality increases by approximately 7%. Every hour matters. When an ER physician, hospitalist, or intensivist fails to recognize sepsis and initiate the Surviving Sepsis Campaign’s evidence-based protocols, the consequences are often fatal or permanently disabling.

How Sepsis Misdiagnosis Constitutes Medical Malpractice Under Georgia Law

Georgia medical malpractice claims are governed by O.C.G.A. § 51-1-27, which requires proof that a healthcare provider failed to act with the degree of care and skill that, under similar conditions and circumstances, would be employed by a reasonably skilled medical professional in the same specialty. For sepsis cases, the standard is well-defined and extensively documented in clinical guidelines.

Common Departures from the Standard of Care in Georgia Sepsis Cases

• Failure to screen for sepsis upon presentation with infection symptoms, fever, or altered mental status
• Failure to implement a sepsis protocol (such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services SEP-1 bundle) upon clinical suspicion
• Failure to obtain blood cultures, lactate levels, and CBC within the appropriate time window
• Failure to administer broad-spectrum IV antibiotics within one hour of recognized septic shock
• Discharging a patient from the ER without adequate workup when sepsis was or should have been a differential diagnosis
• Nursing failure to escalate deteriorating vital signs or changes in mental status
• Misattributing sepsis symptoms to anxiety, dehydration, or other benign conditions
• Failure to recognize post-surgical or post-procedure sepsis in the inpatient setting

Georgia law requires that medical malpractice plaintiffs file an expert affidavit simultaneously with their complaint under O.C.G.A. § 9-11-9.1, attesting that there is at least one act of negligence. At Haug Barron Law Group, we work with the nation’s foremost infectious disease physicians, emergency medicine experts, and critical care specialists to build unassailable expert foundations for every sepsis case we accept.

Our $30 Million DeKalb County Verdict: A Landmark in Georgia Medical Malpractice

Haug Barron Law Group‘s $30 million verdict in DeKalb County, Georgia, stands as one of the most significant medical malpractice results in the state’s history. Founding Partner James R. Haug and Managing Partner Colin A. Barron tried this case together, demonstrating before a DeKalb County jury exactly how healthcare system failures lead to catastrophic, permanent harm — and what that harm is worth under Georgia law.

This verdict was not luck. It was the product of years of meticulous case preparation, powerful medical expert testimony, exhaustive discovery of the defendant’s policies and practices, and trial advocacy that told our client’s story with unflinching clarity. Juries in Georgia respond to the truth presented with courage and competence, and that is what Haug Barron Law Group delivers.

For families whose loved ones have been devastated by sepsis misdiagnosis, this verdict sends an unmistakable message to Georgia’s hospital systems: Haug Barron Law Group will hold you accountable, and Georgia juries will deliver justice.

Why Haug Barron Law Group Is Georgia’s Premier Sepsis Misdiagnosis Firm

There are many personal injury law firms in Georgia. There is only one Haug Barron Law Group. Here is why injured patients and the families of wrongful death victims choose us above all others:

• Plaintiff-Only Representation. We have never represented an insurance company or a defendant. Every attorney, every paralegal, and every support staff member at Haug Barron Law Group works exclusively for injured Georgians.
• Proven $30 Million Verdict. Our track record in high-stakes medical malpractice litigation is documented and verifiable. When we tell you we know how to win, we mean it.
• AV Preeminent® Rated. Founding Partner James R. Haug holds the highest possible Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating for legal ability and ethical standards.
• Georgia Super Lawyer 2025. Mr. Haug was recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year from 2018 through 2024 and was elevated to Georgia Super Lawyer status in 2025 — a distinction earned by fewer than 5% of attorneys in the state.
• Multiple Seven-Figure Medical Malpractice Results. Our firm has secured several multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements in medical malpractice cases involving sepsis, surgical errors, misdiagnosis, and wrongful death.
• Specialization in Catastrophic Injury and Wrongful Death. We focus exclusively on cases involving devastating, life-altering harm. Sepsis misdiagnosis cases are among the most complex and consequential in civil litigation — we have the experience, the resources, and the determination to see them through.
• Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Member. We are active participants in Georgia’s most prestigious plaintiff’s trial lawyer community, staying current on developments in Georgia law and litigation strategy.
• No Fee Unless We Win. Our representation is entirely contingency-based. You pay nothing unless we recover for you.

Damages Available in a Georgia Sepsis Misdiagnosis Case

Georgia law permits sepsis misdiagnosis victims and their families to recover several categories of damages:

Economic Damages

• Past and future medical expenses, including ICU care, surgical interventions, prosthetics, rehabilitation, home health care, and long-term nursing facility costs
• Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
• Cost of life care planning services

Non-Economic Damages

• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish and emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement and physical impairment (amputation of limbs is common in sepsis survivors)

Wrongful Death Damages

When sepsis misdiagnosis causes death, Georgia’s Wrongful Death Act (O.C.G.A. § 51-4-1 et seq.) entitles the surviving spouse, children, or parents to recover the full value of the life of the deceased — including its intangible components. Georgia courts have consistently recognized that a human life has immeasurable value, and our firm will fight to ensure that message is delivered to the jury.

Punitive Damages

In cases involving particularly egregious conduct — such as a hospital that systematically ignored sepsis protocols or suppressed evidence of its failures — Georgia law may allow punitive damages under O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1.

Georgia’s Statute of Limitations for Medical Malpractice

Georgia’s medical malpractice statute of limitations (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-71) generally requires that lawsuits be filed within two years from the date of the alleged negligent act or omission. There is also a five-year statute of ultimate repose. In wrongful death cases, the statute may run from the date of death. There are limited exceptions for fraud or concealment. Do not wait. Medical records are modified, destroyed, or simply lost. Expert witnesses become unavailable. Contact Haug Barron Law Group immediately if you believe a Georgia hospital or provider mishandled a sepsis case.

Have Questions About a Sepsis Misdiagnosis Claim in Georgia?

Visit our Sepsis Misdiagnosis FAQs to learn about hospital liability, Georgia’s statute of limitations, wrongful death rights, and what compensation you may recover when sepsis is missed or delayed.

Contact Georgia’s Top Sepsis Misdiagnosis Attorneys Today

If a Georgia hospital or medical provider failed to diagnose or treat sepsis in time — and someone you love suffered devastating harm or died as a result — you deserve attorneys who will fight with the same ferocity that James R. Haug and Colin A. Barron bring to every case they try. Haug Barron Law Group, Personal Injury Lawyers is Georgia’s preeminent plaintiff-only catastrophic injury and wrongful death firm. We have the verdicts. We have the credentials. We have the commitment. And we work entirely on contingency — no recovery, no fee.

Do not navigate Georgia’s complex medical malpractice system alone. Contact us today.

If your loved one suffered permanent organ damage, limb loss, or death because a Georgia hospital failed to recognize or promptly treat sepsis, the plaintiff-only firm behind Georgia’s landmark $30 million sepsis verdict is ready to fight for the full accountability and compensation your family deserves. Contact Haug Barron Law Group today for a free, confidential consultation — no fee unless we win.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this content does not create an attorney-client relationship with Haug Barron Law Group. Every case is unique. Contact our office directly for an evaluation of your specific situation.

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