Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Medical procedures have changed rapidly in the past decade due to new technologies and innovations. In spite of the advances, risks continue to be a part of every surgical procedure, regardless of how frequently it is performed. Evanston surgical errors may cause patients to experience life-changing or even fatal consequences. According to medical malpractice lawyers, these errors are typically called “adverse events,” and they include such actions as an operation performed on the wrong site or an instrument left inside the body cavity after surgery.

As with birth injuries, anesthesia errors and some medication errors, recovery from a mistake of this magnitude is not a simple matter. Surgical mistakes can be as personally costly to patients as failure to diagnose an issue or unnecessary or unauthorized medical procedures. The process of recovery often requires multiple corrective surgeries and lengthy hospital stays, while causing emotional trauma and financial devastation.

Evanston Surgical Malpractice Lawyers

All medical malpractice claims require evidence of three primary elements, which include the following:

• The surgeon did not perform work that meets acceptable standards.
• The patient suffered an injury due to the substandard care.
• The injury created a negative emotional, physical, psychological or financial impact on the patient.

Surgical malpractice lawyers know that no two malpractice cases are the same, which often makes it difficult to demonstrate a concrete link between the substandard work, the injury and the resulting trauma. The patient must be able to show that the damage would not have occurred if the physician performed the operation correctly.

Surgical Errors

Some surgical errors are not immediately obvious. For example, one of the most common items left inside patients after abdominal procedures are surgical sponges. These typically look like a mass of tissue on an x-ray, and initial pain may be misinterpreted as part of the recovery process. Family members may find it difficult to discuss ongoing or worsening symptoms with the patient’s health care providers, who fear breaches of doctor-patient confidentiality. It is often not until the sponge or towel begins to puncture internal organs that doctors are able to discern the cause.

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury due to a medical professional’s negligence, a Chicago medical malpractice attorney at Cary J. Wintroub and Associates may offer legal advice on how to conduct an investigation, protect your rights and obtain compensation for injuries and recovery care. Contact our team at (312) 726-1021 to schedule a free consultation.