Most people are nervous before going into surgery. This is certainly understandable. There are countless things that could go wrong during a surgical procedure, and a successful outcome is never guaranteed. While some negative surgical outcomes are unavoidable, other times, a patient’s injury or death during surgery is the result of medical malpractice. If you or a loved one were the victim of a surgical error, you may be entitled to financial compensation through a medical malpractice claim.
Medical Standard of Care
A surgeon, just like other medical professionals, has a duty to provide reasonably skilled medical treatment to the patients in his or her care. A surgeon fails to uphold this crucial duty if he or she provides treatment that violates the medical “standard of care.” The medical standard of care is the type of care that a medical professional of similar training and status would have provided in a comparable situation. In most medical malpractice claims, medical authorities offer expert opinions about whether the physician, surgeon, or other medical professional in question violated the medical standard of care.
Types of Surgical Mistakes That May Lead to Medical Malpractice Claims
Surgeons, like everyone else, may make mistakes from time to time. However, some mistakes are so egregious that they are unforgivable. One of the most disturbing examples of these so-called “never events” occurs when an item used during surgery is left inside of a patient’s body. Other examples of surgical errors that may often lead to medical malpractice claims include:
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