Fighting for Victims of Surgical Error in SC
Any surgical procedure must be handled with care. We trust our doctors to provide that treatment with skill and meticulous attention to our health. When a surgical error happens, the consequences for patients can be devastating.
Surgical errors can leave patients with lifelong pain, disability, scarring, and disfigurement. Victims may need additional surgery or treatment to repair the harm caused by the initial error. If you suffered a complication after an operation in South Carolina, an experienced surgical error lawyer can determine what went wrong and help you pursue compensation for your losses.
What are Surgical Errors?
Some of the most common surgical errors include:
- Wrong-site surgery
- Wrong-patient surgery
- Wrong-procedure errors
- Anesthesia errors, including administering too much or too little anesthesia or failing to monitor patient vital signs
- Leaving equipment or foreign objects inside the patient
- Failure to respond to signs of patient distress or complications
- Infections due to failure to maintain a sterile environment
- Inadequate post-operative care
According to a study published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, wrong-site surgeries accounted for nearly eight percent of sentinel events, defined as a “patient safety event that results in death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm” from 2018 to 2021. The most common injuries and complications resulting from surgical errors included the need for additional surgery, pain, mobility dysfunction, aggravated injury, death, total loss, and scarring.
Surgical Errors and Medical Malpractice in South Carolina
Under South Carolina law, a patient who suffers harm due to a surgical error may have the right to file a claim against their healthcare provider if the error occurred due to medical malpractice. A medical provider commits malpractice when they render treatment that fails to meet the accepted standard of care. Healthcare professionals generally define the standard of care as the decisions or actions that other providers of similar training and experience would undertake in identical circumstances.
Types of Compensation in a Surgical Error Claim
In a surgical error claim, you may have the right to recover compensation for injuries and losses you sustain due to your surgeon’s or surgical team’s mistake, including money for:
- Costs of additional medical treatment or rehabilitation you need to recover from injuries or complications caused by the surgical error
- Costs of long-term care you may need for disabilities caused by the surgical error
- Lost wages or loss of future earning capacity
- Physical pain and emotional distress
- Lost quality of life due to permanent scarring, disfigurement, or physical disabilities
How a South Carolina Surgical Error Lawyer Can Help
South Carolina surgical errors attorneys can help you pursue compensation and justice when a healthcare provider harms you during surgery. A lawyer can investigate your case to obtain evidence proving that your injuries or complications occurred due to your surgical team’s malpractice. A lawyer can also help you seek maximum compensation for your ongoing and future losses by documenting your injuries and working with medical, vocational, and financial experts to calculate a fair financial recovery.
Contact Our South Carolina Surgical Errors Attorneys
If you sustained injuries or health complications due to a surgical error, you deserve to hold your healthcare providers accountable for your harm and losses. Contact Wilson Law Group, LLC, today for a free consultation with one of our South Carolina surgical errors attorneys.