Boston Wrong Surgery Site or Body Part Lawyers
It is frightening to wake up from a surgical procedure and discover that the surgeon operated on or removed the wrong body part. A study conducted by Johns Hopkins in 2012 found that this type of medical malpractice happens 20 times a week in the United States.
If you have been the victim of a wrong surgery site or wrong body part surgery, you may face serious consequences. Not only do you have to deal with the complications following the surgery, but you also must deal with the reality of having additional medical treatment or surgery to fix the surgeon’s mistake.
Medical negligence or errors can happen before the patient reaches the operating room or during the surgical procedure, as the result of a rushed or ineffective surgery. If one of these unfortunate situations has happened to you, you have the option of filing a medical malpractice lawsuit and being compensated for the injuries and damages you have suffered.
If you have had the wrong part of the body operated on and are now facing serious complications, the Boston wrong site surgery attorneys at Crowe & Harris, LLP can help. Contact our office at (617) 404-3417 or online today for a free consultation regarding your case.
Why Do I Need a Wrong Surgery Site or Body Part Lawyer?
Medical malpractice cases involving surgeries on the wrong site or wrong body part can be complicated. As a victim, you likely do not have the time or energy to deal with the legal and insurance issues this type of malpractice can bring. Not only are you dealing with the aftermath of your surgery, but you may be facing painful medical problems and financial hardship because of a doctor’s mistake.
An experienced surgical error attorney can help you navigate your way through this difficult and time-consuming process so that you can focus on recovering from your trauma. A professional legal team can demonstrate to a jury or a judge that your injury was the direct cause of negligence on the part of the surgeon or the health care provider. Proving medical negligence usually requires consulting with medical experts to determine what the “standard of care” was in your case. A lawyer will assist you in obtaining compensation and damages caused by the surgical error. A lawyer can also review your medical records, interview witnesses, and figure out the circumstances of your surgery to ensure that your medical malpractice case is valid and well-supported.
The statute of limitations for filing a medical malpractice claim in Massachusetts is three years. Medical malpractice claims can be complicated, which is why it is essential to hire a lawyer as soon as possible to avoid missing this deadline.
Why Choose Crowe & Harris, LLP ?
Crowe & Harris, LLP has won innumerable lawsuits and secured millions of dollars in settlements for our medical malpractice clients in Boston and throughout New England. Our lawyers are committed to holding surgeons and other health care professionals accountable to get the best possible settlement for your surgical error case.
Our attorneys have a combined 100 years of legal experience serving clients who have been victimized by doctors when operations were performed on the wrong body part or wrong site on the body. If you suffered severe injuries because of surgical error, you will most likely have substantial medical expenses and be facing weeks or months of medical treatments.
Your mental, emotional, and financial well-being is at state, and you need the experience of Crowe & Harris, LLP to fight on your behalf. We vigorously defend your rights in court, building a strong case with a team of medical experts to make sure we obtain a fair settlement so you can move on with your life. If you suffered injuries resulting from a surgical error on the wrong body part or site, you deserve to have skilled and experienced attorneys on your side.
Type of Wrong Surgery Site or Wrong Body Part Cases We Handle
Surgical errors because of an operation on the wrong surgery site or on the wrong body part should never be allowed to happen. Unfortunately, this scenario is common enough that a mandatory quality standard, known as the Universal Protocol, was enacted. This protocol applies to all hospitals, ambulatory care, and surgery facilities. The Universal Protocol outlines that the following process should be followed before, during, and after surgery:
- Pre-procedure verification process — Prior to the surgery, the surgeon must verify the type of procedure as well as the site to be operated on with the surgical team.
- Surgical site marking — Surgeons must make a physical mark on the body part which is to be operated on.
- Surgical “time out” — A surgical “time out” is conducted immediately before the start of the surgery to ensure that the right site, the correct side of the body, and the right body part are being operated on. This should also verify that all the necessary equipment and documentation is available.
If a doctor misses any one of these crucial steps, they can be considered negligent and held financially liable for your resulting losses. Patients may face extreme emotional trauma due to a wrong body part or wrong site surgery. Even when the error isn’t catastrophic, the financial costs are devastating and time-consuming, since repairing the mistake requires a patient to take extensive time off from work and lose wages.
Common Wrong Site Surgical Procedures
In 2001, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations identified wrong-site surgeries as the third-highest-ranking adverse surgical event. Wrong-site surgeries most often occur during the following types of procedures:
- Orthopedic
- Podiatric
- Urological
- Neurosurgical
- General surgeries
If you have ever had a procedure completed by a capable surgeon, you may remember him marking the area on which he would be operating with a marker or pen before putting you under. This is done by capable doctors to prevent wrong-site surgeries. However, the Joint Commission also found that 70 percent of wrong-site surgeries were caused by a break down in communication over this identification system.
Contact Crowe & Harris, LLP Today
You should not have to deal with huge medical expenses, lost wages, or other bills because of a surgeon’s error. Let the surgical error attorneys at Crowe & Harris, LLP hold the doctor liable so you can secure the maximum amount of compensation and damages you deserve. We deal with all the details and paperwork in filing a medical malpractice claim so that you can focus on your health and recovery.
Our legal team can navigate the legal landscape and fight for your rights. No matter how complex the case, we will communicate with regularly, keeping you informed and answering any questions you may have.
Contact us at (617) 404-3417 to discuss your legal options during a free consultation.
