Learning that you need surgery can be a shock. You may also worry that something will go wrong. Most surgical procedures go as planned. However, surgical mistakes can cause injuries that are unrelated to the surgical procedure.
Our West Palm Beach surgical mistakes lawyers at the Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers have over 28 years of legal experience handling personal injury cases. We diligently fight for the compensation you deserve for damages caused by negligence and wrongdoing.
If you believe you are the victim of surgical mistakes, call (561)-556-7873, or contact our law firm online for a free consultation with a personal injury attorney in West Palm Beach, FL.
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Our West Palm Beach, FL Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help You If You’re Injured Because of Surgical Mistakes
Our West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers have worked on countless medical malpractice cases in our three decades of representing personal injury victims. We understand that you have been through a traumatic event. Our legal team handles all parts of your case so that you can focus on healing from your injuries instead of dealing with insurance adjusters, investigators, and defense lawyers.
When you hire our legal team at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, you can expect us to:
- Conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of your injury using all available resources
- Work with your physicians and medical experts to determine the extent of your injuries
- Document your damages and properly value your personal injury claim
- Monitor the statute of limitations for deadlines to file claims and lawsuits
- File all insurance claims and handle communications with the insurance providers
- Negotiate a fair settlement for your injury claim
- File a lawsuit and represent you in court if the parties refuse to negotiate a fair settlement amount
Contact our law firm in West Palm Beach, Florida, to schedule a free case evaluation with a West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyer. You deserve to be compensated for your injuries, economic losses, and pain and suffering damages. Our legal team will not stop fighting for a fair settlement until all avenues for compensation are exhausted.
How Common Are Surgical Mistakes?
It is scary to realize how often surgeons make mistakes and errors. Errors in the operating room are some of the most common types of medical errors. Roughly 400,000 patients are victims of surgical errors each year in the United States.
Examples of Surgical Mistakes
There are numerous mistakes made in the operating room. Some surgical mistakes occur before surgery even begins. Other mistakes and errors are made during surgery and post-op.
Common surgical errors include, but are not limited to:
- Leaving a foreign object in the surgical site
- Operating on the wrong patient
- Performing unnecessary surgical procedures
- Operate on the wrong body part
- Performing an operation on the wrong side of the body
- Anesthesia mistakes and errors
- Failure to monitor for infections and post-operative complications
- Cutting an organ or other body part by mistake
- Failing to obtain informed consent
- Causing nerve damage during surgery
- Failing to sanitize the operating room and medical equipment before surgery
When surgeons or other medical professionals make a mistake or error, the patient can sustain severe injuries and harm. In some cases, the patient may develop life-threatening conditions that result in their wrongful death.
What Are Common Causes of Surgical Mistakes?
It is difficult to believe that surgical mistakes continue to happen with the stringent safety procedures and policies in place at hospitals. Many of the causes of surgical errors and mistakes are human error and negligence.
Common causes of surgical mistakes include, but are not limited to:
- Performing surgery under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Working while drowsy or fatigued (long shifts without sufficient rest periods)
- Poor communication between the surgical team and the surgeon
- Negligence or intentional wrongdoing
- Failing to review a patient’s medical history and perform a risk analysis
- Inadequate training and skills (incompetence)
- Failing to monitor patients after surgery to identify and treat surgical complications
Patients who are victims of medical malpractice can sustain severe injuries and harm. In some cases, surgical mistakes can cause lifelong disabilities and impairments.
Injuries Caused by Surgical Mistakes
The injuries caused by surgical errors vary.
However, mistakes during surgery could result in:
- Nerve damage
- Internal organ damage or failure
- Traumatic brain injuries, including comas and permanent brain damage
- Surgical amputations
- Infections
- Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
- Scarring and disfigurement
You are entitled to damages for your physical injuries caused by the surgeon’s negligence. You may also be entitled to damages for your emotional injuries, such as pain and suffering.
Damages in a malpractice claim can include:
- Cost of medical treatment and personal care
- Emotional distress, mental anguish, and psychological injuries
- Loss of wages, benefits, and other forms of compensation
- Decreases in future earning potential because of a disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life and decreases in quality of life
- Disfigurement, scarring, and permanent impairments or disabilities
The value of a medical malpractice claim depends on the facts of the case. However, cases involving catastrophic injuries and permanent impairments typically increase the value of an injury claim.
Who is Liable for Damages Caused by a Surgical Mistake in West Palm Beach?
The surgeon or other medical professional who made the error is liable for damages caused by the surgical mistake. A medical facility may also be named as a defendant.
Our West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyers investigate the cause of your injury to determine how the injury occurred. We may employ medical experts to assist in the investigation.
Identifying the cause of your injury and the source of the medical mistake is crucial. As the plaintiff, you have the burden of proving the legal elements of a medical malpractice claim.
You cannot recover compensation for surgical mistakes unless you can prove:
- The doctor owed you a duty of care
- The doctor breached the duty of care
- The breach was the cause of your injury
- You sustained damages
If you cannot link the surgeon’s mistake to your injury and damages, the mistake may not rise to the level of malpractice.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Medical Malpractice Law Firm in West Palm Beach, FL
Medical malpractice cases are complex personal injury claims. Our West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney can answer your questions during your free consultation. We provide an experienced legal analysis of your rights and options regarding a medical malpractice claim.
