In every surgery, there are inherent risks patients must accept. However, some errors should never occur. Wrong-site surgeries are one of those. In addition to sacrificing the well-being of the patient, it may be indicative of severe underlying safety issues within the medical facility.
If you or a loved one was affected by a surgery performed on the incorrect part of the body, contact a Tarpon Springs wrong-site surgery lawyer to discuss your case. A surgical malpractice attorney could advise you about whether you might be eligible to make a viable personal injury claim. Working with counsel may be empowering as they offer guidance and support through the process and fight for your justice.
Why Wrong Site Surgeries Happen
In brief, surgeries performed on the wrong body part happen for lack of oversight. Specifically, several reasons might cause the lapse in attention. Though there is a set of nationally accepted pre-surgery protocol best practices, hospitals, and surgery centers may have their own set of rules and cross-checks professionals must follow before a patient undergoes a procedure.
However, when personnel skip steps or commit errors, even if unintentional, innocent people suffer. Mistakes include:
- Failing to mark a site for surgery
- Patient facing the wrong direction on the surgery table
- Marking a left or right limb incorrectly
- Reading an x-ray backward
- Misprinted a chart or surgery order
- Misreading a chart or surgery order
A Tarpon Springs wrong surgery site attorney could investigate the precise cause of the oversight and help get to the bottom of their client’s case.
Damages Available in a Wrong Site Surgery Suit
There are a variety of damages available, including both economic and non-economic damages. The nature and extent of a person’s injuries and the circumstances of the accident will dictate what damages injured plaintiffs may avail themselves of.
Economic damages could include medical expenses incurred as a result of the injury, lost earnings and lost time, as well as the loss of future earning capacity.
Non-economic damages present another category of losses that try to compensate a person for less tangible costs. These could include bodily pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress, embarrassment, difficulty adjusting to disability or disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and aggravation of a disease or existing condition.
If a surgical error results in death, damages that surviving family members could seek damages like loss of consortium, loss of household services, loss of parental care, loss of earnings, and damages related to loss of a child. Experienced legal counsel in Tarpon Springs could help pursue an appropriate amount of compensation for the injuries incurred.
Consult a Tarpon Springs Wrong Site Surgery Attorney
Only someone who has been through the needless tragedy of wrong-site surgery, either personally or via a family member, can understand how frustrating such an experience is. An unnecessary mistake can be difficult to forgive and hard to move on from.
Compassionate legal counsel could help provide legal guidance so you can focus on reordering your life. An experienced lawyer could aid you in making a claim and negotiating with an insurer or pursuing a civil action for damages. Call a Tarpon Springs wrong-site surgery lawyer today to discuss how a local law office could help you.
