Attorneys Making A Positive Difference For Victims Of Surgical Errors
Surgery is a major medical procedure that requires patients to place their trust and even their lives in the hands of a medical professional. Sadly, preventable errors in the operating room are all too common. According to the National Institutes of Health, at least 4,000 surgery errors occur annually in the United States – a figure that is probably low due to the fact that many errors go unreported.
After being injured or losing a loved one due to a surgeon’s mistake, you want and deserve answers. That’s where Shevlin Smith, P.C., comes in. Our attorneys bring more than 70 years of combined legal experience in personal injury law. Since we opened our doors in 1986, our firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of injury victims and their families. We want to help you too.
Common Surgical Errors And Their Causes
Our firm has aggressively advocated for many patients who were harmed by surgical errors. Throughout our decades in practice, we have encountered cases and studied records of injuries and deaths attributable to:
- Retained foreign objects (tools and other objects left inside the body after surgery)
- Cutting the wrong anatomy
- Damage to the surrounding anatomy
- Operating on the wrong area of the body (mixing up the left and right arm, for instance)
- Unnecessary surgery
- Unsanitary conditions causing infection
- Unnecessarily delayed surgery
- Poorly trained surgeons and assistants
- Reckless behavior by surgeons
- Inappropriate medical professionals in the operating room
These errors are often the result of poor communication, physician egos, failure to thoroughly study a patient’s medical records, carelessness and distraction, and fatigue. It is incumbent upon hospitals and independent practices to implement safety protocols and other procedures to prevent such hazards whenever possible.
The Devastating Consequences For Patients And Families
Some injuries resulting from surgeon negligence can be corrected and healed. Others, such as amputating the wrong limb, will likely leave a person permanently injured or disabled. Sadly, many surgical errors prove to be fatal.
It is often difficult for family members to get answers in these cases because there were no witnesses who aren’t hospital staffers or who may be held jointly liable. Working with an experienced and tenacious attorney is critical to uncovering the truth and seeking accountability.
Let Us Be Your Advocates – Contact Our Firm Today
Based in Fairfax, Shevlin Smith, P.C., serves clients throughout northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area. We offer free initial consultations and take all cases on a contingency fee basis. We don’t charge any legal fees until we help you recover compensation.
To tell us your story and learn how we can help, call our office at 703-634-7350 or submit an online contact form.