Baltimore Surgical Error Injury Lawyer
Whenever a person undergoes a surgical procedure, there are certain risks. This is true whether surgery is planned, elective, or necessitated by an accident or medical emergency. Unfortunately, sometimes the risks of surgery are deepened or even created by errors made by the medical professionals involved with your procedure.
Going under the knife can be scary enough without worrying about whether your surgeon and the rest of team is going to make a mistake. Surgical patients have the right to trust that the medical professionals involved in their treatment will perform professionally and not make mistakes that can worsen their conditions.
The unfortunate reality is that errors happen in every profession—and medicine is no exception. In cases where these errors amount to medical malpractice, victims are typically able to recover compensation for any losses they sustain.
If you have suffered an injury while undergoing a surgical procedure, contact an experienced Baltimore surgical error injury attorney as soon as possible.
Randolph Rice is committed to helping people who have been injured by the negligence of medical professionals and is not afraid to take a case to trial, should justice demand it. To schedule a free consultation with Mr. Rice, contact us online or call our office today at (410) 694-7291.
Examples of Common Surgical Errors in Baltimore
When you undergo a surgical procedure, you rightfully expect that it will improve your condition, not make it worse. Unfortunately, a significant number of people wake from surgery only to find that serious errors have injured them. Errors that can lead to serious injuries include:
- Performing the wrong procedure
- Operating on the wrong patient
- Medication errors
- Failing to maintain a sterile environment
- Wrong surgery site
- Leaving instruments or sponges inside a patient’s body
- Amputating the wrong limb
While these kinds of incidents may sound like the stuff of urban legend, the reality is that people do wake up from surgery missing the wrong limb, and there is literally nothing they can do to fix what happened.
Victims of serious surgical errors can have their entire lives destroyed. For this reason, those who sustain unexpected injuries during surgical procedures need to talk to a lawyer to determine whether they are eligible for compensation.
Who is Liable for a Surgical Error in Baltimore?
Not every surgical error gives rise to a medical malpractice claim. the law allows medical professionals to make mistakes—so long as they are reasonable and the professional’s conduct was in line with the applicable standard of care. To be legally actionable, someone’s negligence must cause the error
This type of claim differs from other injury cases because most of us are not familiar with the practice of medicine. While we can all presumably agree that driving 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit is unreasonable, it is less likely that we can discuss what a reasonable heart surgeon would do in a given situation while operating on a patient.
For this reason, malpractice cases often involve the use of experts who testify about the applicable standard of care and whether they believe that the conduct of the medical professional in question fell below that standard.
These cases are often highly technical, which is one reason why victims of surgical errors should not represent themselves.
What Kind of Medical Negligence Can Lead to Surgical Errors?
Many kinds of negligence have the potential to lead to serious, life-altering surgical errors. Some of the more common include:
- Failing to adequately review a patient’s medical history to identify certain risks
- Operating on a patient while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Operating on a patient without having adequate sleep
- Failing to take a patient’s history before starting a procedure
- Failing to communicate adequately with the surgical staff
- Allowing distractions in the operating room
- Failing to maintain a sterile environment
What Should You Do if You Were Injured by a Surgical Error in Baltimore?
If you think you were harmed by the negligence of a medical professional during surgery, you can protect your rights. First, never accept a settlement offer from the hospital, surgeon, or insurance company before speaking to a lawyer.
After you accept a settlement, it is very difficult to obtain additional compensation, and first settlement offers are often far less than what you deserve.
Make sure to document the way in which your injuries affect you, including any pain you experience, problems you have sleeping, activities in which you are unable to participate, and feelings of anxiety or depression that you may have. Finally, seek out an attorney who practices in the area of medical malpractice.
These cases differ significantly from those involving other personal injuries, and a lawyer without experience in this area of law may not get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact Us Today to Speak with a Baltimore Surgical Injury Attorney
If a botched surgical procedure victimized you, contact a Baltimore surgical error injury attorney as soon as possible. Incidents like these are typically the result of medical negligence, and victims are often able to recover significant compensation for their losses.
Attorney Randolph Rice understands how to hold negligent medical professionals accountable for their actions and works hard to ensure that his clients obtain the compensation they deserve.
To schedule a free case evaluation with Mr. Rice, call our office today at (410) 694-7291 or send us an email through our online contact form.
