Surgical errors can have catastrophic consequences for a patient as well as his or her loved ones. If you sustained an injury due to a surgeon’s neglect, you may have a medical malpractice lawsuit on your hands. Our Baltimore surgery malpractice advocates will take our time reviewing your case and help you understand your legal rights and options following a medical mishap.
A study recently printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that patients of surgeons who acted unprofessionally around their colleagues were more likely to have complications following surgery. In fact, surgeons who exhibit unprofessional conduct can weaken the performance of their teams, the researchers found, potentially putting patient safety at risk.
To conduct the study, data from almost 13,7000 patients and 202 surgeons from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program were used. Researchers examined post-surgery reports to determine whether the surgeons’ colleagues reported any of the following conduct: uncertain or ill-mannered communication, poor or unsafe care, lack of integrity and failing to follow through on professional obligations.
This type of conduct can have a real impact on patients. In fact, the study discovered that when a surgeon had one or more instances of unprofessional conduct over the previous 36 months, their patients were 12 to 14 percent more likely to deal with complications ranging from infections to stroke to kidney failure in the month after surgery.
Surgeons have a duty to provide competent care and part of this includes behaving in a professional manner and minimizing risks of injury to the patient. If you have sustained an injury because of a surgeon’s error, carelessness or misconduct, you may be able to recover compensation through a medical malpractice claim. In order to prove medical malpractice on the part of a surgeon, the patient must show that the surgeon’s conduct fell below the accepted standard of care when compared to the conduct of a reasonably competent surgeon performing the same procedure under the same or similar circumstances. The patient must also demonstrate that he or she suffered some type of harm and that this harm was a direct result of the surgeon’s violation of the appropriate standard of care. Each of these elements must be shown before the plaintiff can recover any compensation whatsoever.
It is important to note that not all surgical errors are obvious. Some are clear while others are subtle and happen internally. Since these cases are so complicated, we will consult with reputable and qualified expert witness who can speak to the standard of care in your case and also testify about how that standard of care was violated.
If you have been injured due to a surgeon’s negligence, whether it was outpatient surgery or major surgery, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At Arfaa Law Group, our skilled Baltimore surgery malpractice attorneys are committed to providing personalized and detail-oriented representation to each and every one of our clients. You can trust that we have the experience and skills needed to get you the compensation you rightfully deserve. To learn more, please call 410-889-1850 or contact us online today.