Maryland Medical Malpractice - Surgical Error Washington D.C.

Medical malpractice or medical negligence is defined as the failure of a physician, nurse, or other licensed health care provider to provide treatment according to the medical community’s standards of care which results in injury to or the death of the patient. Medical malpractice can occur for a variety of reasons, such as negligence or medical error. Among the various causes of medical malpractice are surgical errors or mistakes. Surgical errors are not common occurrences, but they can have life-altering consequences for the victim. Because surgical errors have significant and sometimes devastating consequences, surgical protocols were developed in an effort to identify prevent surgical errors. These protocols include checklists and time-outs to ensure that no errors occur during surgery. If you believe a family member or friend has been victimized by a serious surgical error, please contact Robinson & Associates for a free, detailed case evaluation and review. Robinson & Associates, medical malpractice attorneys, has offices in Maryland and Washington D.C. and can assist victims of medical negligence in neighboring states on a case by case basis.

Instances of medical malpractice due to surgical errors while rare are still more prevalent then we would like to admit. Surgical errors occur when a physician or nurse leaves an instrument, needles, or a sponge in a patient or when a physician damages a part of the patient’s anatomy during surgery. That is, a surgeon can injure anatomy that he was not even working on or conversely damage something he was working in a negligent fashion. In some particularly careless cases, the wrong patient has been operated on or in other cases, the surgeon operated on the wrong side of the body or the wrong organ. Rarely, the wrong organ may be removed or the wrong limb amputated. While it is not the patient’s responsibility to ensure the physician is aware of his or her condition and the impending surgery, patients are advised to speak with their surgeon prior to surgery to ensure everything is in order.

The victims of medical malpractice or medical negligence should immediately obtain copies of their surgical records after their surgery. Documentation of the surgery and whether or not all protocols were followed will be important in proving that medical malpractice or a surgical error occurred. An experienced and skilled attorney is essential to assist patients in reviewing the information and medical documents necessary to prove their case in court. Victims of medical malpractice or surgical negligence may be entitled to monetary damages for their pain and suffering, medical expenses, and lost wages. A litigation attorney well-versed in medical malpractice and medical negligence litigation can help victims of medical negligence ensure they receive the monies to which they may be entitled and ensure that those responsible for the victim’s injuries are held accountable. When you need medical malpractice or negligence legal advice in Maryland or Washington D.C, Robinson & Associates can be of assistance in providing a free and detailed case analysis. For immediate information, please call or click here.

Surgical errors in Washington DC

In 2001, approximately 50 percent of medical malpractice trials were against surgeons or involved surgeons in 75 of the largest counties in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice and Bureau of Justice statistics. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health care Organizations (JCAHO) reports that since 1998 the number of serious surgical mistakes has been on the rise. The majority of surgical errors involve wrong site operation, while 13 percent of surgical errors involved operating on the wrong patient and 11 percent involved performing the wrong surgical procedure. Surgical errors can have serious and sometimes fatal consequences for the patient. Surgical errors are classified as medical malpractice, and medical malpractice lawsuits can be filed against doctors that have committed surgical errors.

Surgical errors include more than wrong site operations, operating on the wrong patient, and performing the wrong surgical procedure. Surgical errors also occur when a surgical instrument (i.e. sponge, surgical towel, etc) is left in the patient. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that approximately 15,000 patients have had some type of surgical instrument left inside their body. Victims of surgical error may be subjected to an operation that is unrelated to their diagnosis, and patients may sometimes suffer damage from a planned surgery. When patients suffer damage from a planned surgery this means that the damage to which they were subjected was not a risk that was explained to them prior to their surgery. Whether the surgical procedure endured by the patient was intrusive or non-intrusive, if a surgical error occurred the physician conducting the surgery could be found liable for medical malpractice.

While surgical protocols have been developed and are being used by hospitals in Maryland and Washington D.C., surgical errors still occur. In many cases, if a few simple steps were followed and information verified, the chances of surgical error would be greatly diminished. However, physicians and their assistants often do not take the few minutes required to verify patient information and surgical errors result.

Victims of surgical error in Maryland and Washington D.C. can contact the law offices of Robinson and Associates for a free consultation. Robinson and Associates is dedicated to assisting victims of medical malpractice and are committed to helping victims obtain the financial compensation to which they may be entitled.