At The Weitz Firm, LLC, we regularly discuss the damage that medical mistakes can cause for victims. Medical errors are a leading cause of death in the United States. Here, we want to highlight a recent story in the Philadelphia Enquirer that shows how one doctor learned from a mistake he made. Our Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys are here to help anyone harmed due to a medical error. We diligently work to investigate these cases in order to secure the compensation necessary for our clients.
Jason Han is a doctor, and he recently wrote about something that most doctors do not discuss – a mistake they made. Writing in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Han discusses an incident in which he was urgently called to a patient’s bedside one morning. The patient’s blood pressure was falling in their heart rhythm was unstable. Han quickly determined it must be ischemia, a condition in which the heart does not get enough blood flow, usually because of a blockage somewhere.
Han called his attending surgeon and explained how he wanted to treat the patient. The surgeon agreed, and Han began to prepare for the procedure. However, Han then ran into his senior resident and explained what was happening. The senior resident had also addressed the patient and knew that it was not ischemia. The resident pointed out what Han had missed on the patient’s chart and that a different intervention was needed.
In this case, Han’s mistake was caught before any harm could come to the patient. However, he says that he remained disappointed in himself for having made the wrong call for a long time after the situation was over.
Han is a doctor that is determined to change the statistics. According to Johns Hopkins researchers, as many as 250,000 people are killed each year due to preventable medical errors. That makes medical mistakes the third leading cause of death in this country. These incidents happen in a variety of ways, including missed information, as we saw in Han’s case. Medical mistakes also include:
For those who survive a medical mistake, they often face tremendous medical expenses and extensive pain and suffering.
If you or somebody you love has been injured due to a medical error, you need to seek legal assistance as soon as possible. You could be entitled to significant compensation, and the team at The Weitz Firm, LLC is ready to help. We will thoroughly investigate every aspect of your case in order to secure the compensation you need. This can include:
When you need a Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 267-587-6240.
We are highly selective in the cases we undertake to ensure that can give each client his full attention. You can schedule an appointment for a personal injury consultation at our Philadelphia office by calling us, or by filling out our online intake form.
