When you go to a hospital for surgery, you expect your medical team to follow the established protocols and do everything possible to ensure your procedure is successful. Unfortunately, egregious and unacceptable mistakes, such as performing the wrong procedure, can happen.
If you experienced harm because of a medical error, contact an Upper Marlboro wrong procedure lawyer. Skilled medical malpractice attorneys can help you fight for justice and fair compensation following a surgical mistake.
What Is a Wrong Procedure Error?
A wrong procedure error is the type of mistake that should never happen in an operating room. These mistakes can occur when healthcare workers fail to follow the standard procedures, when hospitals are overscheduled, or when surgeons rush between operations without properly consulting with their patients. They can also occur when multiple surgeons are involved in the same case and fail to communicate with each other or the patient, or due to negligence in reading an X-ray or other test result.
The following are examples of wrong procedure errors seen in hospitals and medical offices:
- Operating on the wrong patient
- Removing the wrong body part
- Performing the wrong type of surgery
- Performing a biopsy on the wrong body part
- Performing a back operation on the wrong level of a patient’s spine
- Operating on the wrong side of the body, such as the wrong leg or arm
Hospitals and medical offices should have standard protocols in place to prevent mistakes from occurring, such as using checklists and running through each step before every procedure. For instance, doctors or nurses should mark the surgery site and confirm what type of procedure is going to be performed with the patient prior to putting them under anesthesia. A trusted lawyer in Upper Marlboro can review a patient’s medical records alongside experienced medical experts to learn what went wrong and who is to blame for the wrong procedure.
Potential Aftermath of a Wrong Medical Procedure
Undergoing the wrong procedure can result in irreparable harm. In addition to having to recover from the wrong medical procedure, the patient may need new treatment or need revision surgery to fix what occurred in the operating room. Patients also have to prepare themselves both physically and emotionally for another operation to perform the correct procedure. Sadly, some mistakes cannot be fixed—such as amputation—and the patient must live with the consequences for the rest of their life.
Settlement amounts for wrong procedure claims vary depending on the specifics of each case. When determining the amount, the courts will consider the type of error as well as its impact on the patient—for instance, whether or not the error caused a permanent injury. A seasoned Upper Marlboro wrong procedure attorney can help patients and their families seek reasonable compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, disfigurement, and disability.
Talk to an Upper Marlboro Wrong Procedure Attorney Today
When you schedule a medical procedure, you put your trust in your doctor and their medical staff. Therefore, when they perform the wrong procedure on your body, they should be held legally responsible. Talk to an Upper Marlboro wrong procedure lawyer at Price Benowitz to discover how they can help you seek justice for what you have gone through. Call to schedule a consultation today.
