When an Oregon medical patient is scheduled for surgery, he or she typically understands that all surgical procedures involve a certain amount of personal injury risk. However, every patient has the right to reasonably expect that surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologists, practitioners and other licensed care providers will act according to accepted safety standards and protocol during pre-surgery treatment, throughout an operation and during post-operative care. Sadly, surgical errors often occur, which can leave patients in worse condition after their operations than they were before.
If your surgeon leaves a foreign object inside your body, operates on the wrong body part or mistakes you for another patient and performs a procedure that is not meant for you, you might suffer serious infection or other injuries. Before or after surgery, you can be a proactive patient, asking questions and making sure you understand everything your doctors and nurses are doing. However, if you are unconscious on an operating table, you are helpless. You are trusting that those involved in your surgery will do what they are supposed to do in the manner in which they are supposed to do it.
Sadly, tens of thousands of people die every year because of medical mistakes. If you survive a surgical error, you are entitled to seek a monetary judgment against the person or people deemed liable for negligence in your case. You can do this by filing a medical malpractice claim in a civil court.
If you file an injury claim for surgical errors in an Oregon court, you will be tasked with proving that someone was negligent and that said negligence directly caused your injuries. Damages in such cases often include physical pain and injury, emotional trauma and economic distress in relation to expenses associated with the incident. Sokol & Foster, P.C. are committed to helping you obtain the compensation you deserve for the suffering you’ve endured because of medical negligence.