Surgery requires dozens of decisions before, during, and after a procedure. When a preventable mistake occurs at any of those stages, a patient may leave the operating room with a new injury, a longer recovery, or the need for additional treatment that should never have been necessary.
Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers has over 45 years of combined experience handling serious injury claims and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients. If something went wrong during your surgery in Jacksonville, Florida, our Jacksonville surgical mistake lawyers can help. Contact us today at (904) 356-6071 to schedule a free consultation.
What Can Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers Do for Me Following a Surgical Mistake in Jacksonville, FL?
A poor surgical outcome does not automatically mean malpractice occurred. The important issue is whether the medical team provided appropriate care under the circumstances and whether a departure from accepted standards caused additional harm.
At Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we can have the treatment evaluated from that perspective.
To establish what occurred and how it affected you, our Jacksonville personal injury lawyers can:
- Obtain operative reports
- Review preoperative testing
- Examine anesthesia records
- Analyze postoperative care
- Consult qualified medical experts
- Compare treatment with accepted standards
- Document additional medical expenses
- Evaluate future treatment needs
Medical malpractice cases depend on showing more than the fact that a patient was injured. We develop evidence connecting the provider’s specific error to the additional harm you experienced and pursue the compensation supported by that evidence.
Contact us today for a free case review with a Jacksonville medical malpractice attorney.
What Causes Surgical Mistakes?
Some complications can occur even when a surgical team does everything correctly. Others result from errors that reasonable preparation, communication, or attention could have prevented. Distinguishing between the two is an essential part of a malpractice case.
Surgical mistakes may involve:
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Performing the wrong procedure
- Damaging nearby organs
- Leaving surgical objects behind
- Anesthesia errors
- Poor infection control
- Medication mistakes
- Inadequate postoperative monitoring
- Delayed treatment of complications
Our law firm examines the entire course of care rather than isolating the procedure itself. A preventable injury may originate in the operating room, but negligence before surgery or during recovery can also contribute to a patient’s condition.
What Injuries Commonly Occur in Surgical Mistake Cases?
The harm caused by a surgical error depends heavily on the procedure and the nature of the mistake. An injury to an organ or blood vessel can create an immediate emergency, while an infection or untreated complication may worsen over several days.
Patients may experience:
- Internal bleeding
- Nerve damage
- Organ perforation
- Severe infections
- Brain damage
- Permanent scarring
- Loss of organ function
- Mobility limitations
Additional surgery may correct some of the damage, but it can also mean another hospital stay, more time away from work, and further physical pain. Our attorneys account for the treatment caused by the error as well as any lasting limitations it creates.
What Compensation Is Available to Me?
A surgical mistake can create expenses and losses that were never part of the patient’s original treatment plan. Compensation in a successful malpractice case is intended to address the additional harm attributable to negligent care.
Depending on the circumstances, damages may include:
- Corrective surgery costs
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Permanent impairment
- Future medical care
- Emotional distress
- Reduced earning capacity
- Home assistance
The value of a claim should reflect the difference the medical error made in your life. Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers can use medical evidence and information about your work, recovery, and future needs to document that difference.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?
Florida law generally gives you two years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, the deadline may depend on when the malpractice occurred and when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury. Florida law also imposes a four-year deadline in many cases.
Surgical errors are not always immediately apparent, so determining when the filing period began can be complicated. Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers can review your treatment timeline and the circumstances surrounding your injury to determine which deadline may apply.
Speak With a Jacksonville Surgical Mistakes Lawyer for a Free Consultation
A surgical injury can leave you with questions about what went wrong and whether the harm could have been prevented. An experienced attorney can review the circumstances and help determine whether medical negligence may have contributed to your injuries.
Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers can review your medical records, consult qualified medical professionals, and pursue compensation when the evidence supports a malpractice claim. Contact us today for a free consultation with a Jacksonville surgical mistakes attorney.