San Francisco Surgical Errors Lawyer
Surgical procedures are often necessary to treat life-threatening conditions or improve quality of life. However, when errors occur during surgery, the impact can be devastating. Surgical mistakes can lead to long-term health complications, extended recovery time, or even death. At Callaway & Wolf, we understand the serious consequences of surgical errors and are here to help if you or a loved one has been a victim of a medical mistake.
Our experienced surgical error attorneys in San Francisco are dedicated to securing justice for those who have suffered due to medical negligence. We know that these types of incidents can be overwhelming and confusing, especially when medical professionals fail to meet the standards of care that patients deserve. That’s why we are committed to holding responsible parties accountable and ensuring that our clients get the compensation they need to move forward.
This page outlines how our lawyers in San Francisco can step in to support you if someone responsible for your surgery has failed to provide proper care. We will work tirelessly to help you get the financial recovery you deserve across San Francisco, CA, so that you can focus on healing and getting the care you need.
Surgical Errors Law Firm Serving All Courts in San Francisco, California
Callaway & Wolf is a San Francisco law firm that understands how a surgical error can drastically change your life. Whether you’re dealing with severe health complications, emotional distress, mounting medical bills, or lost income, we know how overwhelming and frustrating this experience can be. At Callaway & Wolf, we are committed to being part of the team that helps you rebuild your life and hold those responsible accountable.
Callaway & Wolf is dedicated to serving victims of surgical errors throughout San Francisco, California. Our office is located at 1388 Sutter St., Suite 1010, San Francisco, CA 94109. If you or a family member has been seriously injured by a medical error or negligence, contact Callaway & Wolf today by calling 415-541-0300 to schedule a risk-free, no-obligation consultation.
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“Boone Callaway and the team at Callaway & Wolf have been great to work with: supportive, professional, and successful in helping me through a personal injury claim. I would highly recommend them.” – Gerhard Z.
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What is a Surgical Error?
A surgical error is any mistake that occurs during a surgical procedure that could have been avoided and violates professional medical standards of care. Surgeries carry with them an inherent risk simply because of the nature of the medical procedure, and patients are required to sign consent forms indicating that they understand that the surgery involves potential risks. However, patients never agree to risks associated with the possibility of a deviation from an accepted standard of professional care by their physician or other medical provider during the course of a surgical procedure and hospitalization.
Common Types of Surgical Errors
Surgical errors can result in minor inconveniences, such as a patient taking a bit longer to heal, or in more severe cases like paralysis or death. Some of the common types of surgical errors include leaving surgical equipment of any kind inside of a person, nerve damage during surgery, cutting the wrong area of a patient, and using too little or too much anesthesia. Any surgery has a risk of unintended damage to adjacent body structures, but this does not mean that it is not malpractice when this occurs. The type of injury, the location of the injury, and other factors will determine what cases will be seen as malpractice rather than just an inherent risk of the procedure. If you or a family member has suffered pain & suffering or a loss due to a surgery gone wrong, contact a surgery error lawyer at Callaway & Wolf today – offices in San Francisco and Oakland.
Common Reasons for Surgical Errors
There are many reasons that surgical errors or wrong-site surgeries occur. Some of the most common reasons include the following:
- Fatigue – Doctors are often fatigued, leading to surgical errors that could have been prevented.
- Improper Work Process – If a doctor takes shortcuts during a medical procedure or surgery, they may be medically negligent for any resulting injuries. Oftentimes, improper work processes lead to wrong-site surgeries, as the surgical site is not correctly identified.
- Incompetence – If a doctor has not received proper training or experience with respect to the medical procedure or surgery, you may have a medical malpractice claim against them from any injuries caused by their negligence.
- Insufficient planning – This would include the lack of proper care of ensuring that all medical equipment is ready and available to all surgical staff during surgery.
- Poor Communication – Any errors in communication among the surgical staff can lead to medical negligence and surgical errors.
- Drugs or Alcohol – Unfortunately, there are cases where medical professionals have been found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during a surgical procedure.
Medical Malpractice and Surgical Errors
If a surgeon fails to perform a procedure according to accepted medical standards of care, he or she has committed medical malpractice. This is also known as medical negligence. Typically, a court will hear from medical expert witnesses regarding what would be considered reasonable practice to determine if the standard of care was violated. Surgeons and medical professionals have a duty to provide an acceptable and established standard of medical care to their patients. If they breach that duty and directly cause any kind of actual damages (either physical, emotional, or financial), they have committed medical malpractice. It is important to note that not liking the outcome of surgery or suffering injuries that are considered known, inherent risks of a surgery will like be seen as medical malpractice. Of course a wrong-site error is always malpractice.
Establishing Doctor Negligence
Evidence must be introduced to prove that your surgical error or wrong-site surgery resulted in medical complications, injuries, or pain and suffering. This evidence must show that the doctor breached applicable standards of care for the procedure they performed and directly caused your injuries. Medical records, expert opinions, and eyewitnesses are generally necessary to build a strong medical malpractice case. However, persons who are injured from a surgery often do not know how the injury occurred.
Contact an Experienced Surgical Errors Attorney in San Francisco
If you were injured due to a surgical error or wrong-site surgery, you may have a strong medical malpractice claim. Proving a medical malpractice claim requires navigating complex laws and deadlines, hiring medical expert witnesses, and obtaining the testimony of witnesses who attended the surgery, such as nurses or other medical professionals. A medical expert’s review is typically needed to tell whether or not a case is viable.
If you believe you were injured as a result of a surgical error or wrong-site surgery, contact our team of experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Callaway & Wolf by calling 415-541-0300 to schedule a free personal consultation in our San Francisco office. Or, if you prefer, send us a confidential message on our contact page, and you will receive a prompt response.
