It can be difficult to know whether or not you need to hire a surgical error lawyer based on your situation. The law can be complex, and sometimes you simply don’t know whether or not the physicians looking after you have been negligent in the eyes of the law. Speaking to an attorney will help you determine whether or not you should hire a lawyer and start building a case. Below, you’ll read about some situations where you should most definitely hire legal aid.
5 Situations Where You Should Hire a Surgical Error Lawyer
Table of Contents
1. You Experienced a Complication You Weren’t Warned About
Before performing a procedure, doctors must warn their patients of all the major complications that could occur during or after the procedure. Doctors who don’t alert the patient of the complications they could experience are committing medical negligence. If you experience complications during or after your surgery that you weren’t warned about, then you have a case against your physician. Contact a surgical error lawyer in Baltimore for help.
Be aware that your doctor doesn’t have to tell you about every little thing that could occur as a result of the procedure. Lingering pain, itchy stitches, and other relatively obvious issues don’t count as complications. However, if you experience anything more major than this, then you may have a case. You may also have a case if you experience pain that lasts for weeks or months after your surgery if you were not warned that this lingering pain could occur.
2. Your Surgeon Left Something Inside You
Sometimes surgeons make mistakes. They may leave a sponge or a tool inside you after your surgery. Most surgeons will catch this error before they close you up, so you’ll never find out about the near-mishap. However, sometimes you’ll go for an x-ray years later and discover there’s something inside you that isn’t supposed to be there. Your doctor will likely conclude that this foreign body was left in during a surgery you may have had months or years prior.
The object that was left inside you may also cause illness. Your doctor may find an object inside you while trying to find the cause of your symptoms, and they will likely conclude that this is what’s making you ill.
3. Your Surgeon Operated on the Wrong Body Part
Some mistakes are rare, but that doesn’t mean they never happen. You may have been booked in to have your left kidney taken out, but there was a mixup somewhere and your surgeon removed your right kidney instead. You most definitely should hire a lawyer here, as this mistake can have major repercussions on your health.
4. Your Surgeon Performed Somebody Else’s Surgery
Let’s say your name is John Smith, and you’re booked in for knee surgery. Meanwhile, John Smythe is attending the same hospital, and he’s booked in for surgery on his hand. Your similar names may create a mixup in a hospital with negligent staff. Because of this, you may be given John Smythe’s hand surgery instead of your knee surgery.
Operating on the wrong patient is a major error, and you definitely need a surgical error attorney to help you in this situation. It may seem very obvious that you have a case, so you might be tempted to sue without the help of an attorney. However, you always need someone with legal expertise on your side even if the surgical error is blatant.
5. You Were Injured Further During Your Surgery
If your surgeon accidentally damaged your other organs, nerves, veins, or arteries during your surgery, then you’ve experienced a surgical error. You should file a claim against this doctor for negligence.
What Compensation Can I Get After I Experience a Surgical Error?
1. Medical Fees
You can be reimbursed for your medical bills after you experience a surgical error. Future medical costs related to healing from the error can also be covered.
2. Lost Income
Some errors are so major that you can be left unable to work for the foreseeable future. You can sue for the income you would have earned while recovering from medical issues.
3. Emotional Distress
Experiencing medical neglect can be highly jarring. Compensation for emotional damages is often very high in medical malpractice cases.
4. Legal Fees
Medical malpractice lawyers charge a contingency fee. Their payment is taken out of your settlement. In some cases, you can be reimbursed for this fee.
Medical neglect is never something you should ignore. If you’re ever in any of the situations above, then you should hire legal help and begin filing a claim at once. You only have two years to file from the time you discovered the error, so work fast to win the compensation you deserve.