The news media is notorious for reporting the growing problem of medical malpractice in hospitals, especially for those perpetrated by orthopedic surgeons. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that these surgeons often take on multiple cases, working 50 or more hours a week. Some allow assistants to prepare patients for surgery, making little contact before the patient enters the operating room. Doctors who practice in this way may be opening themselves up to making mistakes in the operating room.
The most common instances of orthopedic surgery malpractice include:
In order for a victim to file a malpractice suit against their orthopedic surgeon, these elements must exist:
Once those prerequisites have been met, a victim may be able to file suit for any or all of the following compensation:
While there is an ever-increasing demand for orthopedic surgeries today as more and more people attempt to participate in athletics or return to athletics later in life, there is also an increase in orthopedic surgery errors, even in the simplest procedure by the best surgeons. Those errors may not always include negligence, but when they do, it is up to a qualified attorney to walk a victim through the process, help them find the evidence they need, and pursue the settlement they deserve in a medical malpractice lawsuit. These complicated processes are beyond the ability of most nonprofessionals, but a good medical malpractice lawyer should be able to take care of all the details, allowing the victim to continue to heal while they wait for their settlement.