More than 300 million surgical procedures are performed around the world every year. Unfortunately, surgical errors are more common than you might think. In fact, 10 percent of all medical errors in the United States are surgery-related.

If you or someone you care about has been harmed because of a surgical error in Jackson, Mississippi, it’s important to explore your legal rights and options. When a surgeon makes a mistake during a procedure, they have to be held accountable. The experienced Jackson injury attorneys at Singleton Schreiber can help you make that happen.

Singleton Schreiber is a trusted name in medical malpractice litigation, advocating for the rights and best interests of injured patients in Mississippi and throughout the United States. As award-winning legal advocates, we’ve recovered more than $3 billion in damages nationally from hospitals, insurance companies, healthcare providers, and other responsible parties for our clients.

Now, we can help you demand maximum compensation after a surgical error, too. Contact our law office in Jackson, MS, today to begin with a free consultation.

What is a Surgical Error?

A surgical error is a never event – a medical mistake that should never happen. They’re preventable as long as surgeons exercise the degree of care and skill that’s expected of them in the medical field.

Given the delicate and invasive nature of surgical procedures, the potential for catastrophic injury and death is quite high when a surgeon makes a mistake.

Surgical errors can include:

Wrong-site surgery: performing a surgical procedure on the wrong part of the body
Wrong patient surgery: performing a surgery on the wrong patient
Anesthesia errors: errors in administering anesthesia to a patient during a surgical procedure
Improper hygiene and disinfection protocols: failing to follow proper hygiene and disinfection protocols that can protect a patient from unnecessary infection

Causing serious nerve damage or bleeding: making imprecise incisions or cuts in a patient that result in excessive bleeding or nerve damage

Leaving a foreign object in the body: leaving a sponge, tool, instrument, or another object in the body after closing
Performing unnecessary surgery: performing surgery because a patient’s condition was misdiagnosed

Surgical errors like these can permanently change a patient’s life. Potential consequences can include serious infection or disease, amputation, chronic physical pain, and emotional distress.

Jackson, Mississippi Surgical Errors Attorney

Why Do Surgical Errors Happen?

Surgical mistakes are a type of medical error that happens when a healthcare provider is negligent.

Some of the most common causes of surgical errors include:

Poor communication between a surgeon, nurses, and other healthcare providers
Poor planning and preparation for a procedure
Failing to confirm a patient’s identity prior to surgery
Deviating from hospital protocols and policies
Distractions during a procedure
Understaffing
Surgeon fatigue
Using outdated or improper surgical techniques during a procedure
Deviating from accepted surgical plans and standards
Drug or alcohol use

In Mississippi, a healthcare provider can be sued for malpractice if they’re negligent during surgery and cause an avoidable injury or death.

Who Could Be Liable For a Surgical Error?

While you might absolutely have a legitimate claim against the surgeon who performed your procedure, liability for a surgical error might also extend to other parties.

Depending on the specific circumstances of the surgery and your case, liable parties might include a:

Nurse
Physician’s assistant
Anesthesiologist
Hospital
Manufacturer of a medical device or piece of medical equipment

You might even have a potential claim against the doctor who referred you for surgery if it turns out that you were misdiagnosed or that they missed key information that contributed to mistakes that were made during surgery.

What Damages Can Be Awarded to Victims of Surgical Errors in Jackson?

As the plaintiff in a Mississippi medical malpractice lawsuit, you’ll have the opportunity to seek compensatory damages to help offset the costs of a surgical error.

Compensatory damages include economic damages to alleviate the financial burdens you might experience, as well as non-economic damages to help with the more subjective life changes and trauma you experience because of the event.

Our Jackson medical malpractice attorneys can help you fight to get money for:

Current and future medical bills
Lost wages and job benefits
Short-term and/or long-term disability
Reduced earning capacity
Costs related to long-term hospitalization, lodging, and travel
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life
Inconvenience
Physical disfigurement and scarring
Embarrassment
Chronic physical pain

Punitive damages can also be awarded if your surgical error lawsuit goes before a jury and there’s compelling evidence to show that the surgeon (or other defendants acted maliciously, attempted to conceal the surgical error, or were grossly negligent.)

The more of an impact the surgical mistake has on your quality of life and the more financial stress it creates for you, the more compensation you can typically expect to recover through a personal injury lawsuit. Working with an experienced Mississippi surgical errors lawyer in Jackson can help you win your legal claim and maximize your recovery. Call Singleton Schreiber to discuss the details of your case and discover how we can help you fight to achieve the best possible case results today.

When Do I Have to File a Lawsuit If I’ve Been Harmed Because of a Surgical Error in Mississippi?

Like other medical malpractice lawsuits, claims related to surgical errors are typically subject to a two-year statute of limitations in the state of Mississippi in suits against private providers and a one-year statute of limitations in suits against public providers.

Under certain circumstances, the statute of limitations can be tolled if there’s a delay in discovering an injury. However, under the state’s statute of repose, claims must still be filed seven years after the date the surgical error is made. There are limited exceptions, like cases where a foreign object is left in the body. In these situations, patients are often permitted to file a lawsuit even after the seven-year period is over.

In other cases, you’ll lose the right to demand compensation from a negligent surgeon or other at-fault parties if the statute of limitations runs out before you take action.

Experienced Jackson, MS Surgical Errors Attorneys Ready to Fight For You

Medical malpractice lawsuits – especially those involving surgical errors – can be very challenging. Laws are complicated, and hospitals will be ready to invest considerable resources into preventing you from getting a cent for your injuries and suffering. You’ll also need time to cope with what’s happened and recover from your injuries or your loved one’s wrongful death. That’s why it’s important to ask for help.

Victims of medical malpractice in Mississippi turn to Singleton Schreiber. Our Jackson, MS surgical errors attorneys are top-rated litigators with a multi-million dollar track record of success. We’re well-versed in Mississippi medical malpractice law, have decades of experience working with reliable medical expert witnesses, and have decades of hands-on experience navigating high-stakes, high-value legal claims like yours.

Working with our local lawyers and benefiting from our personal injury law firm’s national resources means giving yourself the best opportunity for success.

Call our law office in Jackson, MS, today to discover how we can fight to make a difference in your life in the wake of a devastating surgical error. We’re here to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.