Today, we want to bring you a story from out of state because we know it is something that could happen here. A woman has filed a lawsuit against the Vanderbilt University Medical Center for $20.5 million, claiming that a surgeon operated on the wrong kidney.
At The Weitz Firm, LLC, we know that these kinds of mistakes are shocking. They are everyone’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, they occur at much higher rates than many people think. If you need a surgical malpractice attorney Philadelphia, call us today so we can work on securing the compensation you deserve.
What Happened Here
In this case, the patient, Carla Miller, was supposed to get a stent placed into her left kidney. Instead, the surgeon placed one in her right kidney. Miller had to have surgery to fix the mistake, but the damage has been done. The lawsuit claims that the woman’s urinary system was damaged and that she will need to be on dialysis for the rest of her life.
“This type of error is shocking and inexcusable in modern medicine, and it is mind-boggling that it could occur at an institution like Vanderbilt,” said Miller’s attorney.
Surgery Is A Big Deal
Millions of surgeries are performed in the US each year. Many are emergency surgeries and others are elective. Regardless of a person’s reason for having surgery, they should not have to worry about getting further injured due to the negligence of anyone on the surgical team.
You may have heard of the dreaded “never events” that are always on display on medical shows:
- Operating on the wrong body part.
- Operating on the wrong person for the wrong procedure.
- Leaving surgical objects inside of a person.
- Awakening during surgery.
These are all scary things that could happen. We know that “never events” happen in surgery more than 4,000 times a year in the US. What we do not have numbers for are more “minor” surgical errors that do not have to be reported.
Surgical mistakes can happen at various levels around surgery and the error rate would decrease with improved pre-surgical planning. This can include ensuring a thorough patient medical history is completed, reviewing patient medications, and more. Before and during an operation, it is vital that the surgical team communicates with one another and that they follow all fail-safe protocols in place.
Moving Forward From Here
If you or a loved one have been the victim of a surgical mistake, please seek legal assistance as soon as you can. At The Weitz Firm, LLC, we know how detrimental these mistakes can be. Our qualified and experienced team will work to secure the compensation you need for all of your incident-related expenses. This can include:
- Compensation for all medical expenses related to the mistake
- Coverage of lost wages if you cannot work
- Loss of enjoyment of life damages
- Pain and suffering damages
- Punitive damages against the people responsible
When you need a medical malpractice lawyer Philadelphia, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 267-587-6240.
