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Performing a surgical procedure correctly and safely requires extensive medical expertise as well as years of personal experience, support from modern medical tools and implements, and often assistance from a team of other qualified medical professionals. However, even if your surgery was performed perfectly, a lack of sufficient post-operative care could lead to you suffering serious physical harm—harm which, under certain circumstances, could be worse than the problem you needed surgery for in the first place.
If your physicians were negligent in how they cared for you in the immediate aftermath of your recent surgery, you may be able to file suit with a surgical malpractice attorney’s help over any injuries and losses you have suffered because of those physicians’ misconduct. A Philadelphia post operation complication lawyer from Lowenthal & Abrams can help you understand what options you may have in this regard and, if needed, work tirelessly on your behalf to ensure your lawsuit or settlement demand has the best possible resolution for you.
What Kinds of Post-Surgery Complications Can Justify Lawsuits?
Doctors are beholden to what is known as a standard of care with all their patients, which essentially means they must act in accordance with their medical knowledge, training, and experience to provide the same quality of care that any equally qualified physician would provide under the same circumstances. Importantly, this standard of care is in effect both during surgical procedures and during the post-operation period when a patient is recovering from that procedure.
A doctor’s failure to closely monitor patients who have recently had surgery, provide comprehensive instructions for post-op rules the patient should follow at home, and/or promptly address possible complications can lead to incisions tearing open, wound infections, hemorrhages, and circulatory problems, which may cause a patient to go into shock. All these injuries could potentially serve as grounds for a lawsuit, which a Philadelphia post-op complication attorney can help proactively pursue.
Meeting the Certificate of Merit Requirement for a Malpractice Claim
In addition to identifying the person or people to blame for your post-surgical complications and valuing the losses you need to recover for, legal counsel can also provide invaluable help in complying with the rules set by state law for litigation against medical professionals. Perhaps most notably, a post-op complications lawyer in Philadelphia can take the lead in obtaining support for a claim from a qualified medical expert.
Under Pennsylvania state law, this specifically must be done by getting a qualified expert to sign off on something called an affidavit of merit, which is essentially a court-admissible statement made under oath affirming that the expert believes legally actionable malpractice occurred. Failing to obtain this affidavit and submit it either alongside or soon after filing an initial complaint will almost always lead to a malpractice claim being thrown out of court before it even properly begins.
Discuss Recovery Options With a Philadelphia Post Operation Complication Attorney
Unfortunately, successfully filing suit over post-surgery complications can be challenging even if it seems obvious to you that your doctors are to blame for the injuries and/or illnesses you are dealing with. The fact is, not all complications of this nature are preventable even with the best possible medical care, and doctors—or more specifically, the attorneys and malpractice insurance providers representing them—will use that excuse and likely a host of others in an attempt to avoid compensating you.
That said, you will have far better chances of obtaining the restitution you need for your damages if you have a dependable legal professional’s help pursuing it. Call Lowenthal & Abrams today to learn what a seasoned Philadelphia post operation complication lawyer can do for you.
