Imagine going in for back surgery but leaving the hospital without a kidney. Unfortunately, this is what happened to one woman and, sadly, represents the life-changing magnitude of medical errors that patients sometimes have to deal with. If you have been hurt due to a surgeon’s negligence, our experienced Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys can help you hold the at-fault medical professional accountable. With years of experience, we will help protect your rights and aim to get you the compensation you deserve.
A surgeon from Florida took out a woman’s healthy kidney when she was undergoing back surgery in 2016 because he mistakenly believed that the kidney was a cancerous tumor. The woman had been suffered back pain following a car accident and was slated to go through anterior lumbar interbody fusion surgery, in which troublesome vertebrae in a person’s spine are fused together into a single larger bone. During the procedure, the physician noticed a pelvic mass and made a presumptive diagnosis of cancer and decided to remove the mass entirely. It turned out the mass was not a cancerous tumor at all, but the woman’s kidney. The woman filed a lawsuit against the surgeon, which was recently settled. The terms of the settlement agreement were not disclosed.
Surgery Malpractice
Sadly, surgery errors are more common than you may think. Surgeons understand that things can go wrong even during the most routine and commonplace procedures, which is why responsible hospitals and surgical teams take extensive precautions to make sure everything goes smoothly. Even with seemingly comprehensive safety measures, however, things can go wrong. Surgeons often make grave errors that result in life-long patient harm. When this happens, the patient can sue for medical malpractice.
Consider the aforementioned case in which the surgeon removed a woman’s healthy kidney while thinking it was a tumor. That would be an example of an egregious error that would almost certainly result in the surgeon being liable for malpractice. Surgery malpractice takes place when the surgeon causes harm to the patient by deviating from the accepted standard of care. This standard of care refers to the level of care that a reasonably prudent surgeon would have used under the same or similar circumstances.
Damages in Medical Malpractice Cases
Victims of medical malpractice cases can recover a variety of economic or non-economic damages, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, disability and compensation for any other injuries or losses arising from the malpractice. It is important to note that non-economic damages are capped in Maryland medical malpractice cases.
Baltimore Surgery Malpractice Attorneys
Surgery is daunting enough without the possibility of a preventable medical error taking place. If you have been injured or someone you know has died due to a surgeon’s negligence, you have rights. At Arfaa Law Group, our seasoned Baltimore surgery malpractice attorneys will evaluate your claim and help you get the answers and justice you deserve. With extensive experience, we will use our resources to build the strongest possible case on your behalf. To connect with one of our attorneys, call 410-889-1850 or contact us online.
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