Surgical Error Malpractice

By nature, surgery always comes with some risks. Unfortunately, those risks are sometimes compounded by preventable errors that made by surgeons or hospital support staff. For example, a study conducted by Johns Hopkins Medicine, found that approximately 4,000 ‘never events’ occur in surgeries each year. ‘Never events’ are defined as very serious surgical errors that should never occur, such as a surgeon operating on the wrong side of the patient. These very serious errors represent a small percentage of total surgical errors. Ultimately, surgical errors are a form of medical malpractice and responsible medical professionals must be held accountable for any resulting damages.

Understanding Surgical Errors

Surgery is a complicated process. It is critical that medical professionals handle each stage of the operative process with adequate skill and proper care. This begins with correctly diagnosing the condition of the patient and carries through the actual operation all the way to the patient’s eventual discharge. When proper procedures are not followed, the risk of error dramatically increases. Some examples of relatively common surgical errors include:

• Performing an unnecessary surgery;
• Operating on the wrong part of the body;
• Using surgical tools in a negligent manner;
• Failing to properly sterilize tools or the operating room;
• Improperly administering anesthesia;
• Causing accidental damage to nerves or muscles during the operation itself; and
• Failing to prevent avoidable postoperative complications such as infections.

If you have been the victim of any of the listed errors, or if your surgery harmed you in any other way, you owe it to yourself and to your family to speak to an experienced legal professional. Your attorney will be able to review your case and help you determine what you need to do next to protect your legal rights.

What Compensation is Available for Victims?

Surgical error victims are entitled to recover compensation for the full extent of their losses. More specifically, our medical malpractice attorneys may be able to help you seek damages for:

• All medical expenses;
• Rehabilitation-related costs;
• Needed medications or medical equipment;
• Lost wages or loss of earning capacity;
• Pain and suffering;
• Long-term disability; and
• Disfigurement.

Contact Our Attorneys Today

At Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C. our Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys have extensive experience handling surgical error malpractice cases. If you have been a victim of surgical error malpractice, please contact our team today to set up your free initial consultation. Our firm represents medical malpractice victims in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and throughout the country.