How Do Charlotte Surgical Errors Occur?
Did your surgery in North Carolina or South Carolina go seriously wrong, as in the following situations? Whether your surgery was planned or took place on an emergency basis, we welcome the opportunity to evaluate your case.
- Your surgical team omitted or ignored an important step in pre-surgery preparations: blood work, medical history, drug reactions.
- A surgeon operated on the wrong body part — perhaps removing the wrong breast or kidney, for example.
- Your surgeon or other health care providers failed to monitor you during the postsurgery period and you developed infections or other complications.
- The surgeon left a foreign object (such as a sponge, knife, or clamp) in your body, leading to pain, infection, and/or follow-up surgery to remove it.
- Your bowels, gall bladder, or another internal organ was punctured as the surgeon worked on an affected body part nearby.
- The surgeon failed to administer appropriate prophylactic antibiotics before or during surgery, resulting in infections that could have been prevented.
- You were given the wrong dosage of anesthesia, resulting in serious harm or unnecessary pain.
- Stitches were done incorrectly, creating painful adhesions, and requiring additional corrective medical care.
- Respiratory intubation or placement of feeding tubes was done incorrectly, resulting in serious harm.
Medical malpractice cases are challenging for many plaintiffs’ lawyers because of the reluctance of many doctors to testify against other doctors. The cases that we take on at Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, are ones in which medical negligence is clear and indisputable. Our Charlotte, NC medical malpractice attorneys work with an extensive network of qualified physicians. We aggressively pursue all avenues of evidence and relief for our clients who have been injured as a result of serious surgical errors.
Medical Mistakes Are Not Uncommon
Surgical errors are only one type of medical error that can occur. According to researchers at Johns Hopkins University, medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Researchers say that more than 250,000 people lose their lives each year due to preventable medical errors. Aside from medical mistakes, these errors can include medication mistakes, a misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose, failure to treat, healthcare-acquired infections, and more. Regardless of what type of preventable medical error occurs, negligent medical providers should be held accountable if their actions caused a patient serious injury or illness or resulted in an injury or illness becoming significantly worse.
Time Frame to File a Medical Malpractice Claim
In both North Carolina and South Carolina, victims of medical malpractice have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent party in their case. In both states, the medical malpractice statute of limitations is three years from the date the medical malpractice occurred or from when a patient reasonably ought to have discovered that medical malpractice caused them harm.
There are various reasons why the medical malpractice statute of limitations may differ from this typical three-year time frame, so please consult with a skilled Charlotte medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible to help ensure you take the necessary steps to get your claim filed on time.
Types of Compensation Available For a Charlotte Surgical Error Case
Despite advanced technology and information systems in hospitals, grievous surgical errors still occur, often causing serious harm to patients. Doctors, nurses, and surgical technicians are responsible for taking precautions and following accepted protocols and procedures designed to protect patients from surgical errors.
If you were seriously injured through a surgical error, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and losses, including the following:
- Additional medical expenses
- Wage replacement for time off work
- Expenses related to medical care, such as travel and parking fees for medical appointments
- Intangible losses: pain and suffering
The total amount of compensation available for a successful medical malpractice case will vary depending on the circumstances related to each particular situation. A skilled medical malpractice lawyer in Charlotte will be able to work with trusted medical and economic professionals to help properly calculate all economic and non-economic costs that a patient incurs.
Contact a North Carolina Medical Malpractice Attorney
Brown Moore & Associates, PLLC, is an established medical malpractice law firm offering free initial consultations to injured surgical patients in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Call toll free 800-948-0577 or contact us online.
