Medical malpractice is the area of personal injury law that concerns mistakes and errors committed by doctors and other medical professionals. It is an unfortunate truth that many New Yorkers suffer harm at the hands of practitioners who are charged with helping their patients improve their health. One of the most common situations where medical malpractice occurs is during surgery, and this post will briefly address some of the ways that mistakes may happen on the operating table.
One common form of surgical error is the wrong site surgery. This mistake occurs when a doctor operates on the right patient but performs the procedure on the wrong part of the body. Wrong site surgeries often happen on the incorrect sides of patients’ bodies. For example, a doctor may perform the correct surgery for the patient on the wrong arm.
Another common surgical error is the wrong patient surgery. This mistake is exactly what it sounds like: a doctor performs a surgery on a patient who does not require it. During any surgery, rightful or otherwise, medical practitioners can leave foreign objects like sponges and gauze in patients, which can quickly lead to infections and other serious complications. When surgical errors happen, medical practitioners fail in their duties to provide their patients with sufficient care.
Injuries and losses sustained at the hands of negligent doctors and medical care providers are often compensable for medical malpractice victims. Pursuing a medical malpractice claim can be time consuming and complex, and victims of these forms of personal injury can benefit from working with attorneys who understand the requirements of medical malpractice claims.