Medical Malpractice Involving Surgical Errors
Surgeries are complex procedures that carry a degree of risk. While no surgery is guaranteed to be a success, patients have the right to expect that they will receive the same degree of care from one surgeon as they would from another similarly trained surgeon. A failure to provide the accepted standard of care can be classified as medical malpractice.
Cases of medical malpractice involving surgical errors tend to result in steep emotional, physical, and financial damages. Individuals in the Bellevue, WA, area who have been harmed by a surgical error can work with the medical malpractice lawyers at Quick Law Group, PLLC to pursue their right to financial compensation.
Grounds for a Medical Malpractice Case
As we’ve stated, every surgical procedure carries a degree of risk. And even the most highly qualified surgeons can make errors. Most patients are asked to sign a consent form prior to surgery acknowledging that they are aware of the risks of their procedure. Given these facts, many patients are unsure of whether or not they have the right to sue for medical malpractice, even if a surgical error occurred and caused them harm.
Our Bellevue lawyers encourage anyone who suspects they have been victims of medical malpractice to get in touch with our legal team. We look at the details of each situation to determine if there is grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. For a case to be valid, we must be able to demonstrate three key factors:
- There was an established doctor-patient relationship
- A surgical error was made, and the error fell short of meeting the accepted standard of care (i.e. a similarly trained surgeon faced with the same circumstances would not have made the same error)
- The patient suffered physical, emotional, and/or financial damages as a result of the surgical error
Types of Surgical Errors in Medical Malpractice Cases
There are many types of errors that can be made during surgery, and some are more harmful than others. Types of surgical errors that may constitute medical malpractice include:
- Cutting a nerve or organ during surgery
- Cutting or operating on the wrong body part/location
- Anesthesia error
- Failure to monitor patient vitals
- Leaving a surgical instrument or foreign object in the body
- Cross-contamination from unclean surgical instruments
- Operating on the wrong patient
Compensation for Medical Malpractice Damages
In cases of medical malpractice, our Bellevue clients have the right to pursue financial compensation for the full range of damages stemming from the surgical error, including those that are financial and those that are physical/emotional. Common types of damages in a medical malpractice case include:
- Cost of medical expenses (both past and future)
- Loss of income
- Loss of wage earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
Contact Quick Law Group, PLLC
If you or a loved one has received substandard medical care that resulted in physical and/or financial damages, you may have grounds to file a medical malpractice claim. To learn more about your legal options, contact our practice online, or call (425) 576-8150 to schedule a consultation at the Quick Law Group, PLLC.