Philadelphia Surgical Malpractice Attorneys

All too often, we hear in the news about a patient that underwent a surgical procedure and a sponge, needle, surgical instrument, lap pad, towel or retractor was left inside of them after the surgery. Other times, there was an anesthesia mistake or medication error that caused a devastating injury. Even more frightening is when we hear about a patient who caught on fire or was burned during surgery. All of these incidents are considered surgical errors.

While a surgery going wrong is not necessarily always due to malpractice, if a surgeon provided care that was below an established standard of care, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. The Beasley Firm's award-winning surgical malpractice lawyers in Philadelphia specialize in investigating and trying cases involving surgical negligence.

In our 60+ years of practice as a firm, we have achieved:

• More than $2 billion in awards for the injured and harmed
• The two largest medical malpractice verdicts in Pennsylvania history
• 300+ verdicts & settlements of $1 million or higher
• The state's first million-dollar verdict
• Inclusion in the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® list every year it has existed

Our two record-setting medical malpractice cases involved surgical malpractice: in one case, a doctor operated negligently on an infant in a procedure he was not trained or prepared to do. In the other case, a world-renowned heart surgeon badly conducted a procedure that was not authorized by the infant's parents. Our Philadelphia surgical malpractice firm achieved $100 million and $55 million respectively for our clients to ensure that their children received the lifelong medical support they require as a result of surgical malpractice.

How Often Do Surgical Errors Occur?

Surgical errors should not happen under any circumstances, but they still occur when hospital staff does not adhere to established safety procedure. According to a 2012 Johns Hopkins study, surgical malpractice occurs at least 4,000 times a year. Because there are so many surgery mistakes occurring each year, the Joint Commission, the organization that gives hospitals their accreditation, developed a "Universal Protocol" that requires every surgeon, nurse, nurse anesthetist, surgical technician or anyone else involved in a surgery to take a "time-out" to confirm the right patient and right surgical procedure, in addition to completing a surgical checklist prior to any surgery.

Some of the common surgical procedures that lead to complications are:

• Spinal surgery
• Heart or cardiothoracic procedures
• Cardiac catheterizations
• Plastic or cosmetic surgery
• Tonsil and adenoid surgery
• Gastroschisis surgery
• Congenital heart defect surgery
• Surgery on an infant or child
• Atrial septal defect (ASD) or ventricular septal defect (VSD) repairs

The Consequences of Surgical Mistakes

Our medical malpractice firm is familiar with the pain and suffering that surgical malpractice causes. The injuries, the lifelong pain, the inability to go back to work or enjoy the same quality of life-these are all-too-common effects of surgical negligence. That's why our firm exists. Every verdict or settlement we've won has gone toward helping our clients fully recover from their harm, receiving the medical, emotional, and financial support they deserve.

Any surgical or anesthesia mistake can lead to:

• Blindness
• Spinal cord injury
• Paralysis (Quadriplegia or paraplegia)
• Heart damage or myocardial infarction (MI)
• Blood clots or pulmonary emboli (PE)
• Wrong body part/organ removed or operated on
• Severe burns
• Nerve damage
• Organ damage
• Internal bleeding or hemorrhage
• Stroke
• Infection or sepsis
• Brain damage or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Death

Any mistake in an operating room, post anesthesia care unit (PACU), or recovery room can lead to the need for an additional surgery, on-going pain, suffering and financial difficulties. Here at the nationally known Beasley Firm, our surgical malpractice lawyers, nurses, and doctors on staff fully understand how surgical errors or anesthesia drug mistakes can happen, even if the information is not written in the medical record, anesthesia record, or operative note.

If you or a loved one is suffering due to a poorly-conducted surgical procedure, please feel free to contact any one of our experienced Philadelphia surgical malpractice attorneys, at (215) 866-2424 for a strictly confidential consultation. We can investigate your case and help determine if malpractice was the cause of your suffering. Our attorneys are here to hold your surgeons accountable for their negligence.

Call (215) 866-2424 as soon as possible to get the answers you need in a free consultation.