Surgical errors are truly unacceptable events. When a surgeon walks into a surgery, all of their focus has to be on the patient. Others working with them need to understand the job at hand and do everything they can to get the patient through the surgery successfully and without complications.
Unfortunately, many surgeries go wrong. These surgeries may cause patients to need further medical treatment. Some could lead to death due to complications.
What should you do if your loved one is hurt during a surgical procedure?
The first thing to do is to talk to the medical provider about what they’re going to do to correct the situation. Some will offer to perform another surgery for free or to offer services to assist your loved one recover from the injury at no charge.
If the team does not admit to its mistake and seems determined not to offer a resolution, then you can talk to your attorney about filing a lawsuit. Usually, a hospital and surgical team will do whatever it can to settle outside court. Going to court exposes the hospital and its doctors to the risk of a large payout to the victim and bad press about the incident. That’s something they want to avoid.
What can you expect if you file a medical malpractice lawsuit?
There is no way to know for sure what will happen during a medical malpractice lawsuit. Some people may find that they have such a strong case that they get settlement offers for fair amounts right away. Others will go to trial and lose the case. Your attorney’s job is to give you the opportunity to bring a case and to give you the best chance of success. That may be through going to trial or by accepting a fair settlement.