We trust that when we have surgery the doctor will take all the necessary steps to prevent us from further injury or harm. However, that is not always the case. A malpractice lawsuit was filed in Cook County alleging negligence during surgery caused serious injuries. The lawsuit states that the man underwent a surgical procedure during which a clip was not removed. The surgical error lawsuit seeks damages of more than $50,000 as well as legal costs.
Medical Mistakes
According to the CDC, Centers for Disease Control, medical mistakes are now the third most common cause of death in the United States. As medical patients, we assume that the doctor knows what to do and is careful not to make any mistakes. Yet thousands of people are injured or die every year because of medical errors. Medical mistakes consist of many types of errors including such things as misdiagnosis, pharmacy errors, medication dosage problems, failure to diagnose, and surgical mistakes.
Surgical Clip Was Left in Patient
Surgical clips are small devices that are used to help pull sections of the body away from an area where surgery is taking place. Some of these clips can be quite small. The surgical team is required to ensure that all of the clips, devices, and tools utilized in the surgery are accounted for during and following the operation. In this case, a clip was left inside of the man’s body after his surgical wound was closed. The lawsuit indicates that the team likely did not know they left it there or otherwise failed to inform the patient.
Damage from Surgical Devices
Injuries can occur due to surgical devices such as clips being left inside of patients. The area may not properly heal and the patient could experience a great deal of pain. The internal area where the clip is located could become infected and if the infection worsens it could spread throughout the body. The only way to remove a clip or other object is to perform another surgery. The longer the object remains inside the body the harder it may be to extract.
Prevention of Medical Mistakes
Medical errors are preventable. There are many reasons why these types of mistakes happen. The doctor or medical team may be rushed or may be stressed due to overwork. The hospital may not have proper procedures in place to ensure that mistakes are not made. The pharmacy or doctor needs to take the time needed to determine whether a specific prescription medication is right for the patient and is prescribed or filled in the correct dosage.
Medical Negligence
Mistakes made by doctors and others on the medical staff are often considered to be medical negligence. Doctors are held to a high standard of care and when they fail to uphold these standards they may be negligent. In this instance, the man suffered severe pain and physical injuries because the clip was mistakenly left inside after surgery. The lawsuit requests damages that include medical and other expenses and court costs. If you or a family member were injured because of the negligent actions of a doctor, contact the legal team at Levin & Perconti to schedule a consultation today.
