Did you hear the one about the patient in Florida who went in to have his right leg amputated only to awaken from anesthesia to see that his left leg was gone instead? Or the woman who had brain surgery performed on the wrong side of her brain? Or the psychiatrist who billed a single patient for group therapy claiming he had to counsel all 120 of the patient's personalities? You may be waiting for the punch lines for these jokes, but these stories are, in fact, real.
Each year thousands of errors are made during medical procedures ranging from the egregious errors highlighted above to minor errors. One case I am aware of involved a surgeon who stitched his patient up without removing a towel used to dab blood during surgery. For years the patient struggled with pain around the area which had been operated on. More than a decade later another doctor discovered the towel after extensive tests had been performed. A second operation was required to remove the towel. The surgeon who originally performed the operation denied leaving the towel inside the patient. The facts indicated otherwise. After consulting a medical malpractice attorney the patient was able to recover her costs associated with the additional medical expenses as well as for the pain and suffering she experienced as a result of the surgical error.
Consult A Medical Malpractice Attorney
If you suspect you might be suffering as a result of a medical error, consult a medical malpractice attorney. Most medical malpractice attornies do not charge for an initial consultation and can tell you during the consultation whether you have a valid claim. I know medical malpractice attornies who were so versed in medical terminology and know their area of practice so well they could write volumes on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of almost any type of major medical condition. If you suspect you suffer from a medical error, review the article titled "How To Find An Attorney" in this blog and contact a medical malpractice attorney.
