South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
The technological advances in the medical field over the last 20 to 30 years have resulted in patients receiving improved care when treated for a variety of medical conditions and ailments. However, mistakes and errors by medical providers remain more common than many observers would believe. Although the incorporation of precision digital technology and improved medicines have benefited patients significantly, the human element of medical care leaves patients vulnerable to avoidable mistakes by medical professionals.Poorly designed information systems and over-worked, under-trained staff can result in patients receiving inapplicable, inadequate, or dangerous treatments that could have been avoided by the exercise of due care by medical professionals. If appropriate legal action is taken, patients and families who have been affected by such negligence can obtain financial compensation from the responsible parties.
Surgeons Remove Man’s Kidney Unnecessarily, Based on Physician’s Order
One type of preventable surgical mistake that can devastate patients and their families occurs when the wrong procedure is performed on a patient. In a recent article, CNN reported on such a situation that occurred at a Massachusetts hospital earlier this year. According to the news article, a physician’s order instructed surgeons to remove the patient’s kidney, and the surgery was performed successfully. Unfortunately, only after the kidney was removed did doctors discover that the patient did not need the procedure.
According to a statement from the hospital where the procedure was performed, the patient’s physician mistakenly scheduled the man for a kidney removal, although he needed an entirely different surgery. The hospital stated that the proper protocols were followed based on the physician’s order, but the surgeons could not have known that the kidney removal was ordered by mistake because the ordering physician works in an office outside the hospital. As a result of the mistakes that were made, the patient has lost a kidney and also must now undergo the surgery that should have been performed in the first place.
Available Legal Remedies for Victims of Serious Medical Errors
One study mentioned in the news article states that these types of mistakes are made in one out of 112,000 surgical procedures performed in the United States. This figure includes both errors when the wrong procedure is performed on a patient and errors when a patient undergoes a procedure intended for an entirely different patient. A separate report noted by CNN found that approximately 200,000 people died from complications or other post-operative issues related to surgeries in 2015 alone.
Some medical procedures are inherently risky, and undoubtedly not all of the mentioned deaths last year were the result of negligence or an avoidable mistake. In instances when avoidable mistakes are made and a patient is injured or dies as a result, legal recourse may be available. Patients and their families in the Miami area who have been injured or died because of a surgical error can seek financial compensation from the responsible parties through a South Florida medical malpractice claim.
Should You or a Loved One Contact an Attorney?
If you or a close family member has been injured or died from complications related to a surgical procedure or a mistake involving other medical treatment, the Miami medical malpractice attorneys at Friedman, Rodman & Frank may be able to assist you in seeking the compensation you deserve. Medical providers have a legal responsibility to exercise due care and obtain a patient’s informed consent for surgical procedures, but mistakes and failures remain surprisingly common. Patients deserve a dedicated advocate to fight for justice when mistakes are made, and our South Florida malpractice lawyers take pride in helping our clients hold negligent medical providers responsible for the harm they have caused. At Friedman, Rodman & Frank, we represent clients in medical malpractice and other negligence cases throughout South Florida. Contact us and schedule a no-obligation consultation at no cost to you. Call us toll-free at 877-448-8585 or use our web form to be put in touch with a skilled attorney and discuss your case.
More Blog Posts:
Court Permits Wrongful Death Claim to Proceed after Personal Injury Judgment Had Been Awarded Based on Defendant’s Same Negligent Conduct, South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog, published August 4, 2016.
State Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Medical Malpractice Plaintiff’s Attempt to Extend Statute of Limitations, South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog, published July 15, 2016.