When you have surgery, you have every right to expect that the surgeon is well-trained, well-informed, and focused on you and on the procedure being performed. But this expectation may be misplaced. A shocking number of surgical errors occur every day in the United States. The Veterans Health Administration estimated in an article published in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, that between five and ten surgical errors occur in the United States every day.
The greatest numbers of these are in the specialties of ophthalmology and orthopedics; but the most serious and harmful errors occur in lung surgery and surgeries performed on the wrong body part (wrong site surgeries).
When an error in a surgical procedure occurs, the surgeon and hospital may be liable for medical malpractice. An experienced Arizona surgical errors attorney is there to help you state your case when these mistakes are overseen.
We Hold Liable Parties Accountable for Surgical Error Injuries
Arizona law allows you to file a claim against the provider and liable employees as individuals. However, it is challenging to establish liability without a full investigation of the facts. Determining who is responsible will also show how much they owe you for your losses.
Our Phoenix surgical errors attorney will hold liable parties accountable for surgical injuries, including:
- Hospitals
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Anesthesiologists
- Medical device manufacturers
- Surgical facilities
- Labs
- Other liable parties
Typically, a surgical error injury investigation starts with a review of all documentation and evidence of your injuries. We will consult with experts, eyewitnesses, and you to find out as much as possible. Our documentation of your findings combined with applying the law is how Knapp & Roberts will provide you with all legal options and strategies for getting what you deserve under the law.
Types of Surgical Errors
Some errors that often indicate medical malpractice include:
- Neglecting to monitor the patient appropriately
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Damaging nerves or blood vessels
- Leaving foreign objects in the body
- Transfusing incompatible blood
- Transplanting an incompatible organ
- Failing to take proper measurements before and during hip replacement surgery causing leg length disparity
Consequences of Surgical Errors
A patient who is a victim of surgical error is seven times more likely to die in the hospital than one who is not, according to research published in Medical Care. Patients surviving a surgical error often return to the hospital with a variety of complications in the three months following the error. Some of the frequently seen complications include infection, sepsis, hemorrhage, hematoma, respiratory failure, or an open wound at the site of the sutures.
If You Suspect that You Were Harmed by a Surgical Error
You may only realize that something is amiss later on, when you fail to recover as expected or develop new symptoms. If the surgery was performed on the wrong site, it will probably be apparent right away. But if a surgical implement was left in your body, it could take a long time—even years—before the mistake is discovered. Don’t expect your surgeon to admit to an error; you will generally need a second or third opinion.
At the earliest indication that you’ve been the victim of a surgical error, contact a highly experienced Phoenix medical malpractice attorney. In Phoenix, call the malpractice law firm of Knapp & Roberts for a professional legal opinion based on many years of successfully pursuing recoveries for clients who have suffered from medical errors.
An Experienced Phoenix Surgical Errors Attorney for Complex Cases
Medical malpractice law suits are challenging and complicated, requiring an Arizona surgical errors lawyer with specific experience in medical cases, familiarity with complex statutes of limitations, and access to medical professionals who will examine your records and determine when and how your surgeon deviated from the standards of surgical practice recognized by the medical community in Arizona.
How Knapp & Roberts Is Different
When dealing with surgical error injuries, people can suffer from severe injuries that result in a lifelong disability or death. Surgical errors occur far too often, and providers should be held accountable. The legal team at Knapp & Roberts understands that their negligence has given rise to your trauma and legal battle for recovering compensation.
The surgical errors attorneys at the law firm of Knapp & Roberts are accustomed to handling these difficult malpractice cases. We are familiar with medical terminology, procedures, and standards of practice. We maintain relationships with well respected physicians who are available to provide expert medical testimony to help prove your case, and who are deeply committed to improving safety standards by holding incompetent, negligent, and careless medical professionals accountable when they injure patients in the course of surgery or other medical procedure.
At Knapp & Roberts, we believe we can reduce the danger that these doctors pose to unsuspecting patients by making them face up to the damage they’ve caused. We fight tirelessly to ensure that the medical malpractice victims we represent will have their day in court, and that justice will be served. Our Phoenix personal injury attorneys have a history of recovering millions of dollars in damages for our injured medical malpractice clients, and we will pursue a recovery for you with the same level of commitment that all of our clients have come to expect.
Our Phoenix surgical errors attorney takes a compassionate approach with clients to help them exhaust their legal options. Here are several compelling reasons why our law firm makes a difference:
Trial Experience
For more than three decades, our experienced legal team has recovered millions on behalf of clients. While we have negotiated many settlements out-of-court, Knapp & Roberts will not shy away from taking your case to trial. Regardless of your circumstances, our legal team will stand by your side throughout the process.
Devoted to Injury Law
We have successfully represented hundreds of personal injury cases throughout Arizona that have resulted in successful client outcomes. Our focus on Arizona personal injury law allows us to take an efficient and effective approach, even for highly unique situations. If you suffer from surgical error injuries, count on us to provide the answers you deserve.
Ability to Tell Your Side
Our Phoenix surgical errors lawyer can persuasively convey a case’s facts to both a judge and the jury. This ability to properly articulate your side of the story is also useful when negotiating with insurers and defense attorneys while convincing them that it is in their best interest to provide you with a fair award. Knapp & Roberts will never back down from a fight when someone legally owes you compensation.
No Upfront Attorneys’ Fees
You do not have to pay for injuries you did not cause, nor should you have to come up with legal fees. Arizona law allows attorneys to take cases on a contingency fee basis. That means if you hire Knapp & Roberts to represent your case and investigate the circumstances, you owe us nothing until you win.
Free Consultations
We also welcome prospective clients to get legal information about their cases at no cost or obligation. Call our legal team at 480.991.7677 to schedule a Free Consultation or message us about your case online. There are no attorneys’ costs until you win your surgical error injury case.
Time Restrictions on Filing Suit for Surgical Errors in Arizona
Don’t delay. Call Knapp & Roberts as soon as you suspect that a surgical error or other type of medical malpractice has occurred. Legal time limits in Arizona restrict the window of opportunity to file civil malpractice charges, so don’t take a chance on losing your right to a monetary recovery for your damages. Call a Phoenix, AZ surgical errors attorney at Knapp & Roberts today for a free, no-obligation case analysis. We assume all financial risks, and you pay us nothing unless we obtain a monetary settlement or verdict in your case.