In the medical field, certain errors are considered unacceptable under any circumstances. For example, a surgeon should never operate on the wrong patient. Safeguards are typically in place to prevent such mistakes. Surgical teams double-check records to ensure they have the right patient, are performing the correct procedure and are operating on the appropriate part of the body.
Despite their name, however, never events do occur, and they can result in serious harm to patients. When this happens, it often indicates negligence by the medical team, the surgeon or even the hospital itself.
What does this negligence look like?
The specifics depend on the case, but there are many ways these mistakes can happen.
For instance, two patients scheduled for surgery on the same day may have similar names. A nurse might accidentally bring the wrong medical file to the surgeon. The surgeon, relying on the incorrect file, performs the wrong procedure or operates on the wrong person. While this may seem like a simple miscommunication error, it can have devastating consequences.
Imagine a patient who comes in for knee surgery but instead has their leg amputated below the knee. This error would irrevocably alter the patient’s life, all because of a mix-up with records or the identity of the patient. Meanwhile, another patient who was supposed to have their leg amputated might mistakenly receive knee surgery instead.
If something like this happens to you, it’s crucial to understand your legal rights. You may be entitled to financial compensation, especially if negligence clearly caused the error. While never events are rare, they do happen, and you do have options for addressing them.
