Surgical Error Attorney Helping Patients in Montana and Wyoming
Mistakes during surgery happen more often than people realize. Surgical errors can be devastating, resulting in catastrophic consequences for the injured patient and his or her family. While not all mistakes that occur during an operation constitute medical malpractice, many do occur as a direct result of the surgeon and other medical personnel violating established standards of medical care. If this has happened to you, then you have a right to hold the doctor responsible for your injuries. While a Wyoming or Montana surgical error lawyer can advise you on how to proceed in your particular situation, the following information provides a background on how you can get help for your medical malpractice injury.
Common Surgical Mistakes
Surgeons and their medical staff take the lives and well-being of their patients into their hands every time they enter the operating room. These professionals undergo years of education and training precisely because there is so much that can go wrong during every kind of surgical procedure, even the very common ones. Usually, things go according to plan and the patient’s outcomes are as expected. But there are times when medical professionals behave negligently and the patient ends up suffering unnecessarily.
Some examples of medical errors cases that a Montana or Wyoming surgical error attorney regularly encounters include:
- The wrong procedure is performed on the patient
- Surgery was performed on the wrong site
- Surgery was prolonged to the patient’s detriment
- There was damage to organs adjacent to the surgery site
- There was damage to surrounding muscles, ligaments, tissue, and nerves
- Equipment was not properly sterilized
- Surgical instruments were left in the patient’s body
- Anesthesia errors — such as failing to account for patient allergies — were made
- The patient experienced a postoperative infection that could have been avoided
How Surgical Errors Happen
Often patients and their families are left wondering how the surgical error could have happened. Your surgical error attorney at Ragain & Clark is here for you to work through this tough time. While there are a number of different reasons behind surgical errors, some common ones are:
- Hospital staff are too tired to perform their duties safely
- Medical professionals are under the influence of drugs and alcohol
- The surgeon or the surgical team take shortcuts during surgery
- The surgeon was not properly trained and/or does not have adequate experience to perform the procedure
- The medical staff failed to properly plan for the procedure, which resulted in certain precautions — like having necessary equipment available when it is needed — being bypassed
- The failure on the part of medical staff to properly communication among themselves and with the patient
- Post-surgical standard and necessary protocols were not followed
Warning Signs and Symptoms of Surgical Negligence
Some surgical errors may be obvious and, in some cases, the doctor or hospital may even admit that a mistake occurred during your surgery. Unfortunately, the victims are unaware that a mistake occurred in many cases. You should contact a surgical error attorney immediately if you have suffered any of the following symptoms:
- Severe post-surgery infection that results in serious illness and risk of death
- Unexpected or undisclosed side effects or complications
- Internal bleeding
- Inflammation beyond what was expected
- Excessive or sharp pain
- Temporary or permanent disability
- Signs of nerve damage
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever
In some situations, surgical errors can cause the patient to fall into a coma. The worst-case scenario, of course, is that the error results in death. Whatever your symptoms may be, do not ignore them. An experienced surgical error attorney can review your case and determine whether you have a claim.
Do You Have a Surgical Negligence Claim?
As with any type of medical malpractice claim, you must be able to prove that the surgical team failed to act in accordance with the established standard of care. This can be difficult to prove in the context of a claim based on a surgical error because surgery always has certain risks of complications or mistakes, and there is no guarantee that the surgery will be successful. While you should always consult with a surgical error lawyer before deciding what to do in your case, here are some guidelines to consider whether your error rises to the level of malpractice:
- The surgical error was clearly a mistake;
- The surgical error was preventable; and
- You suffered harm or injury as a result of the surgical error.
Some surgical errors are obvious, while others may not be, and the doctor or hospital may be unwilling to admit that a preventable mistake occurred. And depending on your case, proving that you suffered harm or injury due to the mistake may be the most challenging element to establish. Recovery following surgery can be difficult and unavoidable complications are common. Depending on your illness or injury, it may be difficult to prove that the harm you suffered was caused by the error instead of the underlying condition.
An experienced surgical error attorney can review your medical records and determine whether you have a medical malpractice claim as a result of the medical error you have suffered.
What is Your Surgical Error Case Worth?
If you have suffered as a result of a surgical error, you may be entitled to compensation. A surgical error lawyer can review your claim and provide an estimate of what your case may be worth based on the following factors:
- The cost of additional medical treatment needed to correct the mistake or treat the resulting condition
- Any lost wages or other income as a result of prolonged recovery due to the mistake
- Your pain and suffering caused by the surgical error
Living with the Consequences of a Surgical Mistake? Our Surgical Error Lawyer Can Help
If you are suffering as the result of a surgical mistake, a Ragain & Clark, PC a surgical error attorney is available to meet with you at no charge to discuss your options for pursuing a claim in Montana or Wyoming. Please contact us online or call our offices directly: