Errors During Surgery: FAQ

SURGICAL ERROR LAWYER PHILLYCan you imagine your surgeon walking into the room reeking of alcohol? What if your doctor’s recklessness caused them to amputate the wrong limb?

While these scenarios are rare, they have happened. When you visit the doctor’s office or a hospital, you expect medical professionals to treat you with the best care that they can. If you were hurt by a medical professional, then you will likely have questions. Learn everything you need to know about surgical errors and medical malpractice below.

What Causes Surgical Errors?

Surgery is inherently risky, but surgical errors are preventable. Here are some of the top causes of surgical errors:

  • Lack of training
  • Poor communication
  • Failure to plan before the operation
  • Failure to adhere to the standard process and procedure
  • Fatigue
  • Impairment
  • Neglect

Mistakes prior to, during or directly after surgery are often devastating to the patient. On top of increased pain and suffering, their original ailment may not have been resolved. They may also suffer significant emotional distress after the doctors violated their trust.

Some of the most common errors include leaving a foreign object inside of a patient, giving the patient too much anesthesia, operating on the wrong site and performing the wrong procedure.

What’s the Difference Between Medical Malpractice and a Justified Medical Error?

Not every medical mistake rises to the level of medical malpractice. In order to be considered medical malpractice, your doctor must have acted outside of the scope of reasonable care. On top of that, you must have been injured by the error.

In other words, your doctor must have acted in such a way that it deviated from the way another reasonable doctor would have acted.

Do I Have the Legal Basis for a Medical Malpractice Claim?

If you were hurt by your doctor’s recklessness, then you should reach out to an attorney to discuss what happened. Your medical malpractice claim must have the following elements:

  • Your doctor had a duty to provide for your care
  • Your doctor breached that duty of care
  • This breach of duty resulted in an injury
  • Your injury led to specific damages

A skilled attorney can help you determine if your situation meets the legal requirements to be defined as medical malpractice. If so, then you can work with your lawyer to start compiling evidence of your losses.

Contact a Medical Malpractice Attorney for a Consultation About Your Case in Pennsylvania

Were you or a loved one injured due to medical malpractice in Pennsylvania? Then you need to talk to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible for guidance on how to proceed. The Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys at the Marrone Law Firm, LLC are prepared to assist you with your legal claim. We represent victims of negligent surgeons, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Philadelphia and Cherry HIll. Call us today at 215-709-7360 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a consultation. Our main office is located at 200 South Broad Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19102 and we also have offices in Cherry Hill.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.