New York Surgical Error Attorney
When listening to the surgeon list the potential risks of your upcoming surgery, you’ll never hear him or her talk about the chance of surgical errors. Yet every year, hundreds of patients suffer serious harms and wrongful death from mistakes surgeons and others make in the operating room. Despite strict standards for patient care before, during, and after surgeries, blunders still occur in New York City hospitals. If you or a loved one has become the victim of such an incident, talk to an attorney about pursuing compensation. At Meirowitz & Wasserberg, LLP, our doors are always open for potential clients. Schedule a meeting with our New York City surgical error lawyers to see how we can help you.
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Medical Malpractice Vs. Surgical Complications
The first step in discovering if you have a medical malpractice claim is to verify that the harm occurred because someone’s standard of care fell below the reasonable level — qualifying as legal “negligence.” You must show that your injuries happened because of negligence, not as an expected potential result of the surgery. The following are common examples of medical malpractice, not foreseeable complications:
- Wrong-site, wrong-patient, wrong-procedure surgery: This type of gross negligence should never occur at any hospital. Surgeons may make these errors from lack of communication or pure carelessness.
- Nicking an artery or injuring a nerve: These injuries can point to surgical incompetence or carelessness. Reasonable and prudent surgeons are able to avoid these accidents through due care.
- Anesthesia error: Too little anesthesia can lead to the patient suffering “anesthesia awareness” during surgery. Too much can cause brain damage from lack of oxygen. The anesthesiologist must administer the substance with the utmost professional care.
- Leaving behind a surgical instrument: Surgeons may be too quick to close up the body cavity upon completion of the operation, leaving behind foreign objects. These can cause serious health complications later on.
- Infection from unsanitary tools: Surgery requires absolute sanitation at every stage. Unsanitary hospitals or equipment can lead to serious infections that compromise the patient’s recovery.
Every surgery comes with risks. Your surgeon will have you sign a waiver that states you accept the risks as your doctor has explained them to you prior to surgery. This waiver protects the surgeon and facility from liability in the event of complications that may arise as a result of the procedure. This waiver does not, however, apply in adverse events that occur because of someone’s negligence.
How To Pursue Compensation For A Surgical Error In NYC
If you recently discovered harms you believe occurred during or after your recent surgery at the Fifth Avenue Surgery Center, Midtown Surgery Center or another health care facility in New York City, come to our law offices for legal counsel. Our New York City personal injury attorneys will listen to your story during a free consultation and tell you if we think you have grounds to sue the surgeon, hospital and/or another entity for medical malpractice. Our years of experience give us the ability to spot negligence-related surgical errors when we see them. One meeting with us could shape your entire future.
To bring your claim in NYC, start by retaining a competent attorney. From there, you can navigate the complex legal system and request just compensation for your injuries or a loved one’s wrongful death. Medical malpractice requirements are different in every state, and sometimes even vary by county. Counting on Meirowitz & Wasserberg can make the process easier and more rewarding. Call 800-726-6326 to discuss your potential case today.
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