West Virginia Lawyers Hold Medical Providers Accountable for Surgical Errors
Paulson & Nace, PLLC fights for you when preventable mistakes happen during medical operations
According to an article in Scientific American, a study in the Journal of Patient Safety states that between 210,000 and 440,000 hospital patients die yearly due to preventable medical malpractice. These statistics mean that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease and cancers. What is tragic is that surgical errors can often be prevented through more efficient communication, better preparation and better use of doctors and staff.
The lawyers at Paulson & Nace, PLLC, know how traumatic surgical mistakes can be to the patients and their families. For over four decades, our family-owned law practice has been trying jury trials and negotiating for West Virginian residents. Our lawyers have obtained millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. We have achieved these successes because we listen to the patient, investigate the cause of the medical harm, and determine why the surgical error happened. We then explain to adjustors, judges, and juries how the error could have been prevented. We then pursue damages for economic and personal losses each patient had suffered.
Common errors during surgery
Each attorney at Paulson & Nace, knows the common reasons surgical errors occur. We hold health care providers accountable for these errors. Typical preventable errors include:
- Anesthesia errors. Anesthesiologists must deliver the right medication at the right time. Failure to do so can be fatal or
- Amputating the wrong limb. It should seem obvious that a doctor must operate on the right body part. Still many doctors operate on the wrong limb or operate when there was no need to – because they do not read the charts correctly, they are inebriated or stressed, because of a wrong diagnosis, or for other reasons.
- Lack of oxygen. A delay in getting oxygen to the brain for just a few minutes can cause death, cardiac problems, seizures and brain damage. Some patients fall into a coma. Medical mistakes that can lead to oxygen deprivation include anesthesia errors, failure to monitor vital signs, bleeding and mistakes during neurosurgery
- Leaving objects in the patient. It is just sloppy for a doctor not to check for sponges, surgery tools and surgery debris before the end of any surgery. Leftover objects can cause infections and damage to organs. At a minimum, these surgical errors often require a second surgery to get the object from the patient.
- Cutting in the wrong spot. Internal bleeding needs to be treated as soon as possible or a patient could die. Doctors need to monitor their movements to make sure they do not cause the bleeding through an improper incision. Cutting in the wrong spot can cause a perforated bowel or organ damage. In addition to bleeding, damage to the nerves can occur which can result in paralysis.
- Lack of informed consent. Doctors must explain the risks of surgery to the patient and get the patient to acknowledge the risks by having the patient sign an informed consent form.
- Operating against a patient’s wishes. Competent adult patients have the right to refuse most surgeries. Doctors cannot operate against their wishes.
- Performing a surgery on the wrong patient. Surgeons do need to make sure the correct patient is on the operating table. A surgery on the wrong patient can cause death or permanent harm. It is an inexcusable mistake. Paulson & Nace holds the doctors and hospital or operate on the wrong patient accountable for everything that goes wrong.
Surgical errors require experienced medical malpractice lawyers
Mistakes in the surgery room can cause wrongful deaths. Serious mistakes can require around-the-clock medical care. Patients can suffer complete loss of a body part or permanent health damage. Injuries can prevent a West Virginia resident from being able to work again, do normal daily tasks and enjoy a spouse, children, parents, and friends. Many patients must undergo additional treatment to correct the first medical problem and then to correct the medical mistake. Sometimes, the medical problems cannot be corrected, and the patient has to live with the pain for a lifetime.
At Paulson & Nace, our lawyers are aggressive advocates. We confront unreasonable insurance adjustors and unyielding hospital administrators. Each lawyer fights to make sure the patient gets the full medical benefits needed to maximize the patient’s health, loss of any wages and compensation for medical and emotional pain and suffering. We represent injured patients across West Virginia. We are successful because we know what strategies defense lawyers use, we listen to our patients, and we investigate all the facts and relevant law.
Impressive advocates for victims of surgical errors in West Virginia
Paulson & Nace, PLLC’s distinguished family of medical malpractice attorneys offers the compassionate, personal, and professional attention you deserve. We are widely recognized throughout West Virginia for both our comprehensive legal services and our aggressive advocacy for patients who have suffered from surgical errors. When you choose a qualified medical malpractice lawyer from our practice to represent you, you are choosing a team that values families and family relationships. Please call 304-741-8079 or fill out our contact form to tell us your story in a no-obligation consultation. Our office is located at 3501 Maccorkle Ave SE, Charleston, WV 25304.
We have dedicated our lives to helping medical malpractice victims and their families. Now, let our family help you and yours.