Whether you are receiving a routine operation or a life-saving intervention, surgeons are expected to meet a high standard of care before, during, and after your surgery to minimize the risk of avoidable harm. Unfortunately, mistakes during surgical procedures, including those performed in Commonwealth Health hospitals, can happen. Sometimes, the consequences of those mistakes are worse than what you would have experienced without receiving surgery in the first place.
If you were injured or became seriously ill because of a doctor’s negligence during your recent surgery, make contacting an Erie surgical error lawyer one of your top priorities. By enlisting the support of a seasoned medical malpractice attorney from Lowenthal & Abrams, you can seek comprehensive compensation for the harm you sustained.
How Negligence Causes Mistakes During Operations
In some instances, surgical errors are clear and unmistakable: for example, amputating the wrong limb or leaving a scalpel or a piece of surgical sponge inside a patient’s body. However, most of the time, surgical errors are caused by a combination of small mistakes made by multiple people, which combine to create a dangerous situation. In such scenarios, every individual who contributed to causing harm to you can be held civilly liable for their actions.
Establishing that a doctor committed malpractice is complex, as state law requires you to obtain a certificate of merit. An experienced attorney can outline the formal support required from at least one medical professional experienced in the same field(s) as the people you are suing in an Erie surgical error claim. Without this, a court will likely refuse to hear your case regardless of how much evidence you have to support it.
Seeking Fair Compensation Within Filing Deadlines
Through a lawsuit or settlement demand, you can seek full compensation for all economic and non-economic damages resulting from a surgical error in an Erie hospital. These can include, but are not limited to:
- Short-term and long-term medical expenses
- Physical pain and suffering
- Disability expenses for home assistance, wheelchairs, and home modifications
- Emotional trauma and distress
- Lost short-term wages, salary, and benefits while recovering, and long-term working and earning capacity
- Reduction in life enjoyment and other intangible impacts of permanent disability or disfigurement
You should seek help from a lawyer as soon as possible after discovering you were hurt through a surgeon’s mistake, as Pennsylvania law typically requires you to file suit within two years.
Contact an Erie Surgical Error Attorney for Assistance
A mistake made by a surgeon during an operation can instantly and irreversibly alter the course of your life. Although money alone cannot fully alleviate the harm from surgical malpractice, enforcing your right to civil recovery in the months after you have been hurt can be vital to maximizing your quality of life and maintaining your financial security.
A Philadelphia surgical error lawyer from Lowenthal & Abrams can provide the custom-tailored support you need. Call today to discuss your legal rights and options.