You’re scheduled to undergo surgery this morning and you’re fairly nervous. Although you are scared that something will go wrong, you don’t really have a choice. Your doctors have told you that you need this surgery, so you check in at the hospital with the hope that the procedure you’re going to receive will help you.
When you wake up, you feel fine, but as the anesthesia and pain medication wear off, you’re in extreme pain and have a sinking feeling that something has gone wrong. A few weeks later your fears are confirmed—the doctor made a mistake during surgery and now you’re suffering because of his carelessness.
Waiting for the Doctor to Tell You About the Mistake? Don’t Hold Your Breath!
Unfortunately, the doctor who made the error likely won’t even bother to mention it to you. In 2013, the investigative news site ProPublica asked patients to complete a Patient Harm Questionnaire. Here are the disturbing results:
- Only nine percent of the patients surveyed said the medical facility voluntarily disclosed the harm that was done to the patient.
- Only 11 percent of patients reported they or their family members ever received apologies from providers.
- When the patients were told of the harm, it was only because the medical professionals were forced or were under pressure to.
- More than 30 percent paid bills related to the harm they received because of the medical mistake. The average cost of the bills is $14,024.
Don’t Let the Doctor Get Away With It
The attorneys of Shevlin Smith want to help you get justice for this terrible act of negligence. Not only should you not have to pay for medical bills related to the mistake, you should also receive compensation for the error.
Contact us today to find out what we can do to help you, and begin to get on with your life again.