Tacoma Surgical Errors Lawyer

An alarming amount of surgical errors happen every year in the United States, including over 4,000 “never events.” Simply put, this name is given to events that should have never happened. And yet, sometimes surgeons make unthinkable mistakes. Leaving a device inside a patient. Amputating the wrong limb. Performing the wrong surgery altogether.

When these mistakes happen, the impacts can be severe, permanent, and devastating. If this sounds familiar, you might be wondering if a medical malpractice lawsuit is your next step. Read on to learn more how our medical malpractice attorneys at Ladenburg Law may be able to help.

What are Some Surgical Errors that Might be Considered Medical Malpractice?

From a moment a patient enters the hospital, there are lots of opportunities for mistakes to happen.

Here are some of the surgical errors we’ve seen that may be grounds for malpractice:

• Operation on wrong part of body
• Patient mix-ups
• Anesthesia errors
• Medication errors
• Nerve damage
• Punctured organs
• Burns
• Failure to remove surgical devices

Believe it or not, this list is not exhaustive.

What Causes Surgical Mistakes to Happen in the First Place?

Surgeons go to years of medical school, and we trust that hospitals have checks and balances. So how does a mistake in the operating room even happen?

Some common risk factors include:

• Surgeon goes on “auto-pilot” or moves too quickly
• Under-staffing
• Communication errors
• Lack of sound surgical procedures or technology
• Faulty equipment
• Failure to properly evaluate a patient before or after surgery

Often, there is more than one cause that led to a mistake. For instance, a hospital may be under-staffed, so a surgeon performs a surgery faster than normal. In the surgeon’s haste, an organ is perforated – something that should’ve never happened.

How Do I Know if the Surgical Error that Happened to me Is Malpractice?

What you should know: not every bad outcome is the result of medical malpractice. Every doctor and nurse has made a mistake at some point, because they are human. Not all errors result in injuries. And not every medical error can or should result in a lawsuit.

At our initial consultation, we’ll take the time to listen to everything that happened and ask you questions. If we’re able to take your case, here are some of the things it’ll be our job to prove:

• Patient-doctor relationship. We need to establish that you’d consented for the doctor to provide you with medical care.
• Breach of care. We’ll need to be able to prove that the doctor significantly deviated from the standard of care his or her colleagues would’ve provided. For this step, our attorneys usually find medical experts willing to testify on your behalf.
• Causation. The next part is to connect the dots between the doctor’s poor care and your injury. Your injury must be a direct result of the doctor’s negligence or wrongdoing.
• Severity of your injury. Can your injuries be shown to have been severe, long-lasting, or permanent? While any injury is undesirable, if it’s minor or temporary, it may not warrant a lawsuit.

Medical malpractice lawsuits are expensive and time-consuming. But, please understand, you will only pay us a fee if we’re able to win your case. This contingency basis helps many of our clients seek justice that would not have been in a financial position to do so otherwise.

Why Should I Consider Having a Tacoma Medical Malpractice Attorney Help Me?

Even if it’s crystal clear that your injury was the direct result of a horrible surgical error, you can expect an uphill battle to get compensation. Doctors and hospitals will fight very hard to discredit your claim to protect their reputation and minimize their losses. Besides this, if you miss a critical deadline or procedure, your claim could be dismissed entirely.

Here are a few of the reasons you should choose Ladenburg Law to help with your surgical error malpractice case:

• We’ll do the investigation. We know how to gather the right evidence including medical records, physician’s history, witness statements, and more.
• We’re well connected to medical experts. We’ll make sure to find the best medical experts to testify on your behalf as we build your case.
• We’re able to offer personalized service. Need help filling out your forms? Can’t make it to the office? Confused by your options and need them explained in plain English? We’re here every step of the way, and able to accommodate you.
• We’re ready to go to court for you. Other personal injury law firms will focus their efforts on getting a settlement, so they can accept a large caseload. At Ladenburg Law, we’ll gladly take your case to trial. We want to make sure you receive fair compensation.
• You only pay us if we win your case. You can rest assured that all costs associated with your claim will be covered upfront by us. We’ll only charge you a fee if we’re able to win your case.

Rely on our expertise and years of experience bringing medical malpractice cases forward. Your doctor will have legal representation on his side. You deserve to have representation, too.

Call Us Today for a Free Consultation

If you’ve been the victim of a surgical error, it’s important that you contact us right away. There are certain deadlines that we’ll need to meet.

We recognize that this is a difficult time in your life. You’re likely healing from the physical and emotional trauma from your surgery. Let us help take some of the burden off your plate so you can focus on getting better. Call us today or a free, no-obligation consultation about your case.