While the following story didn’t happen here in San Diego or in the state of California, it still should send a sharp signal to anyone in the country regarding potential surgical errors made by trained professionals.
A couple of years ago, a woman went in for surgery at a Cook County medical facility in Chicago. She was having invasive surgery to fix nasal and sinus problems that she was experiencing. After the surgery, she developed meningitis, and according to the lawsuit this meningitis is a direct result of the woman’s surgeon failing to take standard precautions during this type of surgery.
The lawsuit also claims that the woman incurred massive medical debt as a result of the meningitis complications after the surgery. She is suing the surgeon and his practice for an amount in excess of $50,000.
Surgical errors can happen — that’s the scary truth. Surgeons and doctors, no matter how highly-trained and no matter how experienced they may be, are prone to making mistakes just like anyone else. The difference is that when they make these mistakes, they can cause someone to suffer life-changing harm, or even cause them fatal complications.
Even if someone survives in the wake of a surgical error, they will have a mountain of medical debt as a result of all the treatment they had to endure to fix the mistake. Given such a scenario, it is no wonder that many victims of surgical errors consult with an attorney and take their case to court to help them deal with the unfortunate aftermath of a botched medical procedure.
Source: Cook County Record, “Patient sues doctor over alleged surgical error,” Robert Hadley, Feb. 15, 2016
