Surgery patients are among the most vulnerable in the entire hospital. Unless they’re just having a minor surgery done with only a local anesthetic, the patient will have to undergo general anesthesia. They are literally at the mercy of the doctors and nurses while they are unconscious from the anesthetic,
That’s why surgical errors are so problematic. These vulnerable patients can’t shout, “No! It’s my left kidney! Not my right!” They can’t speak up and tell the surgeon that it feels like there might be a surgical sponge still in their belly before the incision gets stitched up.
But these types of never-events, unfortunately, occur daily at hospitals all over the United States. When they do, the patient victims must endure the consequences, which in some cases can be fatal. If the healthy kidney was excised and the remaining one is withered and non-functioning, that patient is condemned to a life tethered to a dialysis machine. A surgical sponge left behind could cause sepsis to develop and the patient to succumb.
Surgical errors are caused by negligence or incompetence on the part of those entrusted with caring for their patients and upholding the standards of care. The egregious damages that result from surgical errors are legally actionable.
If you suffered a surgical error, we can help you seek justice in your quest to be made whole again. In cases where that is no longer possible, the survivors of surgical error patients who died from their injuries may need to take legal action to recover financial damages. We can review your case and offer our assessment of your chances for recovery.