Surgical procedures, while often life-saving, carry inherent risks that can lead to medical malpractice claims. Errors during surgery—such as operating on the wrong site, leaving instruments inside a patient, or causing nerve or organ damage—can have serious, sometimes permanent consequences.
Patients who experience complications due to surgical mistakes may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering. It’s crucial for individuals and families to understand their legal rights and consult with experienced medical malpractice attorneys to evaluate potential claims.
For many injured persons, medical malpractice comes off as a betrayal. Someone who seeks treatment from a doctor wants to be sure all appropriate steps of care occur. When entering a New Jersey hospital for surgery, these expectations can be even higher. Malpractice during a surgical procedure could present life-threatening risks.
Anyone with apprehensions about undergoing surgery might feel nervous about statistical facts. Surgery incidents represent the second-most common medical malpractice cases. Unfortunately, there is a lot that can go wrong when a physician performs negligently during surgery. And even “minor” surgery presents risks, such as disfigurement during a routine cosmetic procedure.
Interestingly, intricate neurosurgery cases are far less than general surgical malpractice cases. Perhaps this information may prove disturbing. Few people expect problems from routine general surgery, but issues can arise.
The severity of the incidents comes off as shocking, such as 9% of surgical malpractice cases that included a patient’s death. Nearly one-third of claims were from permanent and significant injuries. With permanent injuries, issues could be life-altering and costly.
Negligence takes many forms. During a surgical procedure, a lack of care could lead to infections or worse. Wrong limbs have undergone amputations, and procedures on the wrong patient have occured.
Reasons why malpractice occurs during surgery may prove shocking. Distractions due to ringing cell phones or casual conversations might be inexcusable. All it takes is a small distraction to cause surgical errors.
If injured in a medical malpractice case, a client could rely on an attorney to procure damages to cover further medical care and pain and suffering. In wrongful death cases, an attorney may recover enough from the physician’s malpractice insurance to cover severe financial losses to the family.
