Even with today’s medical technology, surgery comes with unavoidable risks. Our lives are in the hands of surgeons who, despite years of medical training, are prone to the same mistakes as the average person at work. But when those mistakes have life-altering consequences, you need a trusted St. Louis surgical error lawyer to work through your case and deliver results. Meet with our skilled medical malpractice attorneys today.

Common Surgical Errors

Most surgical errors are easily preventable but are caused by the negligence or recklessness of medical staff.

Surgical errors can have lasting impacts on a person’s life. Although no surgery is risk-free, holding medical professionals accountable for the avoidable mistakes they make is the most effective way to deliver justice to the victims. Our surgical error attorneys in St. Louis can help you file a strong medical malpractice claim to recover compensation for your losses.

Common surgical errors include:

  • Performing surgery on the wrong site or area of the body
  • Performing the wrong surgical procedure
  • Leaving a surgical instrument inside the body
  • Performing a surgery that is not related to the patient’s diagnosis
  • Performing surgery on the wrong patient
  • Failure to correct an error

Our surgical error attorneys have a strong reputation in the St. Louis medical malpractice community, so we can work closely with medical experts to determine whether you suffered from malpractice.

Is It Medical Malpractice?

Medical professionals sometimes make mistakes, and not all errors constitute medical malpractice under Missouri Revised Statutes § 516.105. To bring a successful malpractice claim in St. Louis, our surgical error attorneys will need to prove that the surgeon failed to uphold the standards of care set by their profession.

If the surgeon took an action that a similarly trained professional peer would not have taken, or failed to take an action their peers would have, medical malpractice may apply. Certain events, also known as never events, should never occur during surgery, including operating on the wrong patient or the wrong body part. Such an error often establishes professional negligence.

The Required Elements of Medical Malpractice Involving Surgical Error

Your surgical error claim will have unique circumstances, but there are several elements that our St. Louis lawyers will need to prove, including:

  • The medical professional owed you a duty of care, which is usually established by the doctor/patient relationship
  • The medical professional failed to live up to their duty of care and engaged in some form of professional negligence
  • The medical professional’s negligence directly caused or contributed to cause the harm you suffered
  • As a result, you experienced legal damages, which are the physical, financial, and emotional losses that are addressed by the law

At Zevan Murphy, LLC, we understand how difficult it can be to navigate the legal system when suffering from serious injuries. Our lawyers can act as your zealous advocate to hold the surgeon accountable for their error.

Assessing Legal Damages in a Surgical Error Claim

Our St. Louis attorneys understand that a key factor in every strong surgical error claim is assessing the full range of covered losses to inform a fair settlement. You can seek compensation in several primary categories.

Medical Expenses

Your medical costs in the wake of a surgical error can be immense. You initially required surgery, which means your health was compromised to begin with. Suffering a surgical error can leave you in a worse condition than you were prior to surgery, which can translate to serious and ongoing healthcare needs.

Lost Income

Patients often require a significant amount of time off following surgery. This timeframe, however, can be far longer in the aftermath of a surgery that leaves you injured. If your ability to return to work or your earning power is affected, this category of loss can be much greater.

Physical and Emotional Pain and Suffering

Surgery is painful, but suffering a surgical error can amplify the pain you suffer. The emotional pain and suffering you experience as a result of being harmed by your doctor’s negligence can be profound and could outpace your other losses combined.

Let the experienced lawyers at Zevan Murphy, LLC evaluate your situation and work to ensure that all of your losses are accounted for.

Don’t Wait—Act. Call Our St. Louis Surgical Error Attorneys

If you have been wrongfully injured as a result of a surgical error, contact a St. Louis surgical error lawyer right away. Waiting too long to seek legal representation can result in you losing your right to file a claim and receiving the compensation you deserve.