Surgical Error Lawyer Philadelphia Pennsylvania

Imagine this: A patient suffered from a benign tumor in his left lung. He was admitted into a hospital to have the mass removed from his left lung hoping to get back to work soon after the surgery was over. However, the surgeon at the hospital operated on the wrong lung and removed nearly half of the patient's healthy right lung. By the time the doctor had realized the mistake, the patient had lost so much of his healthy organ that removing the tumor and surrounding tissue from unhealthy left lung was no longer an option. The tumor burst three years after the wrong surgery resulting in the patient's death. This is a true story. A very sad true story.

We have all heard stories of surgeons amputating the wrong leg or leaving a sponge inside a patient's body. Some of these stories seem so incredulous that we tend not to believe them. However, these errors are real and they happen to people around us almost every day. Patient who have been subject to such terrible surgical blunders want to see justice served. They want to make sure the same mistake is not allowed to happen to someone else. In addition, they want to recover fair compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If a surgical error results in death, the family of the diseased can bring a wrongful death claim and/or survival action to recovery compensation for their losses. Surgical mistakes comprise a high percentage of total medical malpractice cases in the United States and Pennsylvania.

Surgical Errors in Pennsylvania

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Practitioner Data Base, Pennsylvania ranked second among all 50 states both in total medical malpractice payments and payouts per capita in 2011. 95 percent of the $320 million in medical malpractice payments were made because of settlements. In the same year, there were 110 jury verdicts in medical malpractice cases with more than 15% of them ranging between $1 million and $5 million awards and 5% reaching over $10 million. These alarming statistics show that in spite of the high quality of medical and surgical care most hospitals and doctors provide, mistake occur and patients get injured.

Medical malpractice does occur with alarming frequency leaving thousands of patients in worse condition than that in which they would have been in had medical mistake not taken place. Shockingly, many medical malpractice cases involve wrong-site surgery - terrible errors involving the wrong limb or the wrong surgery. Every week, 40 people are victims of wrong-site surgery in the United States. The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority reports that one of the reasons why surgical errors occur is that surgeons fail to follow such safety rules as marking the correct site for surgery on each patient and conducting a timeout designed to help stop doctors from amputating the wrong leg, cutting into the wrong patient, or performing the wrong surgery.

In addition, those surgeons who talk to a patient in the pre-operative area are less likely to make a wrong-site error than those who first see the patient when he or she is wheeled into the operating room. Also, the surgeon's attitude in the operating room plays an important role. If a surgeon allows the lower-ranking operating personnel to alert him or her in case something goes wrong, surgical mistakes fall almost by 35 percent. Not doing so can have deadly consequences. Pennsylvania officials recently described one such case in which a surgical technician realized that a surgeon was operating on the wrong side, but didn't say anything until the patient was in the recovery room after surgery. Preventable mistakes like these happen because lower level staff members fear that if they point out to a surgeon's blunder, they will infuriate the surgeon. This may result in serious injury to the patient.

If you have been subject to a surgical error, it is important to learn about your rights. One of your rights is to recover fair compensation for medical and other expenses associated with the surgical error. The Lassen Law Firm, Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys, has been fighting for the right of many Pennsylvanians to receive financial recovery for their medical malpractice injuries. We are a reputable Philadelphia law firm that has been helping Pennsylvania patients get high settlements and jury verdicts for over a decade. If you need an experienced medical malpractice lawyer fighting on your behalf, call the Lassen Law Firm now for your free confidential consultation.

Medical Malpractice Lawyer Pennsylvania

With the rise of surgical procedures in Pennsylvania, we see a corresponding rise of surgical errors. During surgery, doctors and nurses need to make snap decisions. When the wrong decision is made by a member of the surgical team, the results can be devastating. The wrong surgical procedure could take place. Medical supplies may be left inside the patient. Failure to react in the correct way can lead to unanticipated negative results. The Lassen Law Firm, Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyers, handles numerous surgical mistake cases.

When patients decide to have surgery, they are usually warned about the complications they may face due to the condition of their health. However, patients are rarely warned about the serious surgical errors that medical professionals can make during surgery. Surgical errors and complications are common, but are rarely addressed or even talked about. Common surgical errors include:

Misuse of equipment
Inadequate medical training
Lack of familiarity with surgical procedure
Use of defective medical devices
Failure to thoroughly monitor the patient throughout surgery.
Failure to respond appropriately to problems in surgery.
Leaving surgical instruments and sponges in patient.

When a medical professional does not exercise sufficient care during surgery, and the patient sustains an injury due to the physician's negligence, the medical professional can be held liable. After a patient has sustained a surgical injury or infection, he/she is legally entitled to seek compensation from his/her doctor. The injured patient may seek monetary damages for: medical expenses, lost wages, lost future income, injuries, physical and mental impairment, and pain and suffering. The Lassen Law Firm, Pennsylvania medical malpractice attorneys, will fight to get you the maximum compensation available under the law.

The Lassen Law Firm is comprised of leading Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers who have extensive legal training and experience in medical malpractice law. We have handled numerous surgical errors cases. If you have questions about a Pennsylvania medical malpractice case, call The Lassen Law Firm today for your free consultation.

The Lassen Law Firm only deducts a 29% contingency fee, not the standard 45% like other firms. We serve ALL of Pennsylvania. We can sign you up over the phone and start working on your case today.

Stop Searching. Start Calling. 215-510-6755.

Authored by: Christian Lassen