Surgical Errors

Medical professionals are sworn by their code to protect and uphold the safety of patients during a medical procedure. Unfortunately, accidents happen. Inevitable or not, medical practitioners are expected to provide the highest quality of care and mitigate the risk of medical malpractice.

If you’re suffering injuries or facing a life-long disability due to a surgical error, it’s time you make a move. Speaking with reliable and experienced medical malpractice lawyers is your first step in attaining justice.

Our medical malpractice lawyers at The Pagan Law Firm have protected surgical error victims from grievous medical malpractice cases. Throughout our 30+ years of legal experience, we have successfully defended medical malpractice cases and received millions of dollars for the victims.

Contact Us today for a free consultation!

Mistakes in a Surgical Procedure Can Be Life-Threatening

Errors in medical procedures have dire consequences. In fact, John Hopkins Medicine named medical malpractice the third-leading cause of death in the U.S., and the organization estimated that over 250,000 patients died due to negligent medical practice.

A large portion of these medical negligence cases is attributed to surgical errors. In a recent study, over 200 million surgical procedures are performed globally every year. In the United States, professionals estimate about 4000 surgical error cases yearly.

Speaking with medical malpractice attorneys is a must if you’re dealing with the ramifications of a negligent surgery.

Different Types of Surgical Errors

Surgical errors can occur in various forms. Whether through making wrong surgical decisions, negligent surgical techniques, or improper post-surgery practices, it can be classified as surgical negligence.

Operating on a Wrong Body Part

There are many reasons why this occurs. One of the most evident is not properly reviewing the patient’s chart or the surgeon’s exhaustion. Improper surgery could cause unnecessary injuries and lead to deformities on the operated site. Performing surgery on the wrong body part can be considered unnecessary surgery.

Tools Left in Body After Surgery

As crazy as it sounds, cases of tools being left inside the patient’s body parts are more common than you think. Experts estimate about 1,500 instances of cases like this occur every year in the U.S.

Some of the most common left-behind medical tools are surgical knives, needles, surgical tweezers, and medical forceps. Cases of leaving medical instruments inside the patient usually occur during abdominal surgery.

Anesthesia Errors

Anesthesia plays a crucial role during surgical procedures. Anesthesia mistakes such as errors in dosing, not routinely checking the patient’s vitals before administration, and delays in delivering anesthesia could negatively impact the entire surgical procedure. In this context, surgical errors could be caused by other medical experts and not solely by the surgeon.

Injuries You Can Sustain in a Surgical Error

Negligent surgical procedures entail catastrophic and long-term disabilities. Because of this, ensuring proper surgical practices is critical. Here are some of the injuries related to negligent surgical practices.

Deformities

Improper surgical techniques or underlying conditions usually cause deformity after surgery. Regardless, with proper care and patient assessment, medical providers can lessen the occurrence of this condition after surgery.

Nerve and Organ Damage

Nerve and organ damage are critical injuries you should never take lightly. When surgeons are not careful, they might perforate or puncture an organ near the surgery site. This could lead to hemorrhaging, which is a serious injury characterized by excessive bleeding inside the body.

When a nerve is damaged, the patient may feel numb in the affected area. Although nerve damage often naturally heals on its own, sometimes it doesn’t. When this occurs, the patient may experience partial paralysis, muscle weakness, or loss of senses.

Permanent Disability

A permanent disability, such as paralysis, can occur in surgical malpractice. Several surgical errors like improper administration of anesthesia, lack of oxygen supply, accidentally severing a nerve, or perforating an organ could lead to irreversible disabilities.

Filing Your Medical Malpractice Claim

Filing a medical malpractice claim requires several steps to be successful. If you’re planning to make a medical malpractice case in New York, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Contact the medical practitioner involved: It’s imperative to inform the medical team or provider who conducted your surgery. This allows them to investigate their own staff, improve their overall care quality, and correct errors.
  2. Inform the medical licensing board: Suppose the surgical error is so severe that you decide to file a formal complaint. In that case, it would be best to reach out to the New York State Office of Professional Medical Conduct. Inform them of what happened and provide as many details as possible.
  3. Determine your eligibility: New York has a discovery rule for medical malpractice cases. The limit of this rule varies on your specific case. It’s best to consult a medical malpractice lawyer to help you with this.
  4. Contact a medical malpractice lawyer: Speaking with a medical malpractice attorney can help you understand your legal options and know what to expect in your case. They will also be able to help you gather medical records, find witnesses, and file all the necessary paperwork for your medical malpractice claims.
  5. Settling out of court: In some cases, the at-fault party’s insurance company may offer you a settlement. It would be best if you have your lawyer present when negotiating so they can help you get a fair deal.
  6. Taking your medical malpractice case to court: Often, the best way to deal with a medical negligence case is to take it to court. By filing a lawsuit, you can get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Surgical Errors Attorney

Dealing with the negligence of a medical practitioner is never easy. If you or a loved one has been injured due to surgical errors, it’s crucial to secure the best legal help by your side.

Our New York medical malpractice lawyers at The Pagan Law Firm have helped countless victims of surgical errors recover the damages they deserve. With our extensive experience in this area of law, we know what it takes to build a strong case and get you the best possible outcome.

Call us today at (212)-967-8202 to schedule a free consultation with our team. Start your recovery process now and get the justice you deserve.

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