Surgical Error Attorneys In Lake Charles

The surgical team should adhere to a checklist before, during and after surgery to keep the patient safe. When doctors or nurses deviate from procedure or make critical errors, the result can be catastrophic or fatal. There is no room for error in surgery.

The Townsley Law Firm has a record of success in medical malpractice litigation, including lawsuits for surgical negligence. We have sued surgeons, anesthesiologists and hospitals for irreversible harm from surgical mistakes. Our Lake Charles attorneys have handled cases in southwest Louisiana and statewide.

Did the surgeon screw up? Call our surgery malpractice lawyers at 337-377-0584 for a free consultation.

Surgeons And Their Teams Can Make Many Errors

There are risks with any surgery, but the surgical team can be held accountable for serious injury or wrongful death resulting from negligence. We can pursue damages for any type of surgery malpractice:

• Errors during or after hip surgery, heart surgery, brain surgery, cancer surgery, gallbladder surgery and other types of surgery
• Foreign objects left inside the patient
• Operating on the wrong body part
• Performing the incorrect procedure
• Out-of-date or ill-advised procedures
• Anesthesia errors
• Nicked organs, blood vessels or nerves
• Post-surgical infection
• Failure to monitor in post-op/recovery
• Emergency room error (failure to diagnose appendicitis, heart attack, etc.)
• Fatal surgery

Partner Todd Townsley brings 30 years of focused litigation experience. We have cultivated a network of top experts in surgical specialties, anesthesiology and other fields of medicine who can help us make the case for malpractice.

When Orthopedic Surgery Goes Wrong

Orthopedic surgery addresses conditions involving bones, joints, tendons and ligaments. These procedures include joint replacements, spinal fusions, fracture repairs and soft tissue surgeries.

Critical mistakes can happen at any point in the process. The surgeon might place hardware in the wrong position, damage a nearby nerve or perform the entire procedure on the wrong site. Poor sterile technique by the surgical team can also lead to dangerous infections.

If this happened to you, the results can be devastating: more surgeries, lasting limitations or a quality of life that will never be the same. Some of the most common orthopedic surgical errors we see include:

• Wrong-site surgery: Operating on the wrong bone, joint or body part due to failures in verification protocols or the surgical safety checklist
• Hardware placement errors: Positioning screws, plates or rods incorrectly, causing pain, instability or long-term structural damage causing immediate pain, instability or progressive structural damage
• Surgical site infections: Not following proper sterile protocols before, during or after surgery, allowing dangerous bacteria like staph to infect the surgical site
• Nerve or tissue damage: Injuring nearby nerves, blood vessels or soft tissue in ways that affect your movement or sensation
• Post-operative monitoring failures: Missing or ignoring signs of complications after the surgery ends

Our attorneys have handled cases involving spinal fusion complications, hip replacement failures with staph infections, ankle fracture ORIF infections, cervical fusion complications and hardware placement errors. That experience gives us a direct understanding of how these mistakes happen and what it takes to prove them in court. If an orthopedic surgeon harmed you, we can help you pursue the accountability and compensation you deserve.

Examples of Our Surgical Error Case Results

We pursue damages for past and future lost wages; medical expenses and life care expenses; serious disability such as vision loss, organ damage or loss of use of a limb; reduced enjoyment of life; pain and suffering; and emotional distress. Our demonstrated results in medical malpractice are due to decades of collective experience, unique medical insights and our ability to invest the necessary resources. Below are some of the surgical error cases we’ve handled:

• Skipped Surgical Step Led to Transection of Three Vital Structures – Over $4,500,000 Recovered in Settlement
• Mistake During Surgery Led to Transection of Common Bile Duct – Over $1,650,000 Recovered in Settlement
• Screws Left Loose and Misplaced After Spinal Fusion led to Severe Spinal Abscess – Over $1,650,000 Recovered in Settlement
• Skipped Clot-Prevention Measures led to DVT and Amputation of Leg – Over $1,250,000 Recovered in Settlement
• Untreated Surgical Leak After Perforated Diverticulitis led to Stroke – Over $950,000 Recovered in Settlement
• Improperly Placed Stent After Esophagus Perforation led to Prolonged Suffering – Over $950,000 Recovered in Settlement

Receive a Free Initial Consultation About Surgical Errors

We work closely with clients to understand their needs and develop the strongest case for compensation. We are here to help with everything, including access to medical care while the case is pending. For a free consultation, call our Lake Charles and Jennings surgical error attorneys at 337-377-0584 or reach us online.