Surgeon Malpractice Lawyer Orlando

Medical malpractice can impact a patient for the rest of his or her life. Sometimes medical mistakes are confusing because it’s difficult to determine whether the doctor made an error because the outcome is normal or if the doctor was actually negligent and/or incompetent. Here are six common types of malpractice. If you’ve experienced any of these incidents, you may want to talk to a surgeon malpractice lawyer in Orlando, Florida about compensation for your injuries.

As a surgeon malpractice lawyer in Orlando, Florida can explain, a “never event” is a medical mistake that is easily preventable, clearly identifiable, poses serious consequences for the patient, and indicates major issues regarding safety at the medical facility the event occurs at.

Examples of never events include surgery on the wrong body part, major medication errors, blood transfusions using the incorrect blood type, and pressure sores/ulcers. According to the Institute of Medicine, there are more than 100,000 never events that occur every year, killing more people than die in car accidents. The annual costs of never events exceeds $9 billion.

At N, our legal team has worked with many victims of never events in getting them the financial justice they deserve. The following is a brief overview. For more details and to meet with a seasoned Orlando surgeon malpractice lawyer, call our office. 

Table of Contents:

Surgical Errors

One never event that occurs far too often is when a surgical sponge is left inside a patient. One case that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine detailed the experience of a 42-year-old woman who went to her doctor because symptoms of bloating, only to discover that there were two gauze sponges inside her abdomen. The woman had only had two surgeries in that area, both C-sections. Incredibly, one surgery was six years prior and the other nine years. This meant that the two sponges had been inside the woman for at least six years, possibly longer.

The sponges had fused onto the tissues of her stomach and colon. This posed a potentially fatal health risk. Fortunately, the woman survived the surgery to remove the sponges.

According to another study, conducted by the American Society of Anesthesiologists, there are almost 6,000 cases of surgical items left inside patients in this country each year. There is a strong possibility that number is even higher because there is no federal law requiring any reporting of these incidents. In more than half of these incidents, the item left inside the patient is a surgical sponge.

In addition to the pain these items can cause victims, there is also a high risk of the development of an infection which can cause sepsis or death.

Each  Orlando surgeon malpractice lawyer has extensive experience in these types of malpractice cases. Call our office if you or a loved one has been a victim of surgical never event and find out what legal recourse you may have. 

As an Orlando surgeon malpractice lawyer understands, doctors make many mistakes during surgeries, especially in today’s healthcare environments where profits are often more important than patient safety. Medical malpractice occurs when surgeons perform an incorrect procedure or perform unnecessary surgery. The anesthesiologist might administer the wrong amount of anesthesia. Patients who experience postoperative infections could be victims of malpractice from using non-sterile instruments.

Misdiagnosis

Doctors can misdiagnose a patient, causing the patient not to get treatment in time to prevent serious damage. You may have received the wrong type of treatment, which caused damage when you didn’t need it. Not every misdiagnosis is malpractice, but it should be investigated by an Orlando surgeon malpractice lawyer.

Delayed Diagnosis

Sometimes, it isn’t about whether the doctor misdiagnosed the illness or not, but the time frame in which the diagnosis occurred. Did the doctor order all the necessary tests to determine a correct diagnosis? Did the doctor fail to notice symptoms that would have led to a correct diagnosis?

Failure to Treat

When a doctor isn’t diligent about providing care, it’s called failure to treat. Maybe the doctor released the patient from the hospital too quickly or didn’t provide enough follow-up care. The doctor might not have provided adequate treatment.

Birth Injuries

Injuries that occur to babies at birth can create the need for lifelong medical care. If the injury was preventable, it’s likely that medical malpractice was responsible. It can be difficult to show negligence was the cause, but it’s to your child’s benefit to explore the possibilities.

Faulty Medical Products

When the doctor uses a medical device that doesn’t work as promised, it can cause irreparable damage to the patient. This is another type of malpractice that occurs. The manufacturer could be liable for the injuries and subsequent medical bills. A medical malpractice lawyer Orlando offers can evaluate your case and determine who the liable party is.

Do You Have a Claim?

Medical malpractice isn’t always cut and dried. It can be difficult to find medical providers willing to say that another doctor didn’t provide a certain standard of care. You should discuss your situation with an experienced surgeon malpractice lawyer Orlando clients recommend from Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. who can help you assess your claim and take the next steps to protect your rights.

Surgical Protocols

The majority of surgical never events occur during emergency surgeries even though there are specific procedures and protocols which should be followed during surgical procedures by all medical personnel involved. Leaving items behind in a patient is a strong indicator that these protocols were not followed and could be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Contact an Orlando Surgeon Malpractice Lawyer Today

Florida injury law allows victims to pursue financial compensation for the losses they have suffered due to the actions of medical staff. Each medical malpractice lawyer Orlando victims trust from our firm understands the overwhelming stress these types of mistakes can have on families and work diligently to obtain financial compensation because of the harm victims suffered when medical staff failed to provide the necessary medical treatment.

The legal team at Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. has successfully represented many clients and their families who suffered serious injury or illness because of the negligence or carelessness of a doctor or other medical staff. Call our office to schedule a free case evaluation with a surgeon malpractice lawyer clients recommend and to find out how we can help.