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Thu 26th May | 2016

What Are Medical Malpractice Never Events?

Medical Malpractice BY

While we usually discuss the different types of medical malpractice, there are certain things that are considered “never events.” This means that these actions are never supposed to happen in a hospital. Unfortunately, they are more common than we would like to believe. As part of a study conducted by Johns Hopkins regarding medical malpractice never events, it was determined that these acts of negligence occur at least 4,000 times per year. This statistic is alarming.

At Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Littky-Rubin & Whitman, we believe that individuals should fully understand never events and what kind of effects they can have on someone who suffers from one of them. Our Florida medical malpractice attorneys know what actions must be taken if someone has been harmed as a result of a medical malpractice never event. So that you can better understand what these negligent-related acts are and how they can impact a victim’s life, we believe it is important to answer the question: what are medical malpractice never events?

Leaving an Object in a Patient

During surgery, there are a number of items being passed around from doctor to nurse and so forth. There are also times when items are used inside the patient to control bleeding or help the surgeon maneuver. While these are often very helpful tools, if an oversight occurs and the surgeon forgets about one of these items while closing up the patient, they may leave the object in the patient. This is dangerous as it can cause serious problems such as infections. According to the Johns Hopkins Malpractice Study, this occurs roughly 39 times a week.

Operating On the Wrong Person

The surgeon and operating team has the duty to make sure they are operating on the right patient. This means the charts are accurate, they’ve been checked, their identification matches up, and more. Operations on the wrong patient occurs about 20 times a week according to the Johns Hopkins study. This means that these people are undergoing unnecessary surgeries which can cause them serious injury. This could also result in someone losing organs.

Operating On the Wrong Body Part

Checking a patient’s chart also means that the surgeon will know exactly what procedure needs to be done and where on the patient’s body it will occur. Far too often — about 20 times a week based on the Johns Hopkins study — doctors operate on the wrong body part. This means a patient may be schedule for surgery on the left arm and the surgery is actually performed on the other arm or a completely different procedure is performed on another body part. This can cause serious injuries to the victims who may have underwent a procedure on a wrong part.

It is important to know that if you’ve been a victim of a medical malpractice never event, you have various rights to file a claim for damages you may have suffered. These never events can cause significant damage to nerves, tissue, and more in the body. In these cases, the doctor, hospital, or even operating room staff may be considered liable for their actions.

If you or someone you love has sustained a catastrophic injury as the result of a medical malpractice, having a skilled Florida medical malpractice lawyer on your side is important. Call Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Littky-Rubin & Whitman to discuss your potential claim. It is important to act quickly and start the process so you can preserve any evidence that may be used in your case to help you benefit. Don’t hesitate to learn more about your rights.