St. Louis Surgical Injury Lawyer

Victims Deserve Compensation

There is an inherent risk of injury in any surgical procedure, be it cosmetic surgery or emergency surgery. These risks are usually discussed comprehensively with the patient before the procedure takes place, but what a patient may not take into account are injuries sustained during surgery due to negligence. Surgical injuries caused by negligence happen surprisingly frequently and are responsible for countless deaths in the United States. These errors may occur before the operation starts (in preparation), during the surgery itself or in post-operative care.

Common errors that result in serious surgical injuries include:

• Operating on the wrong body part
• Leaving a foreign item in the body after the surgery is complete
• Unnecessary surgery due to a doctor's misdiagnosis
• Delayed or prolonged surgery
• Perforation of an organ, vein, or artery during the procedure
• Incorrect incision into the body
• Contaminated surgical instruments

If you have suffered an injury while in surgery or if a loved one has been injured in a similar manner, it is highly recommended you contact a St. Louis personal injury lawyer who can assist you in your case by pursuing maximum compensation. Meyerkord & Kurth is a growing personal injury law firm in St. Louis that provides qualified legal help to individuals in their medical malpractice cases. We have the experience that comes from many years of practice in the area and we have handled numerous cases in that time. If you have been injured during a surgical procedure, we are available to help you.

Wrong-Site Surgeries in St. Louis

Did You Undergo the Wrong Surgical Operation?

Undergoing a surgical procedure can be a stressful time in our lives, even if is necessary for our continued health. There is always inherent risk involved with invasive surgery, but we trust our physicians to provide us with safe medical treatment. One of the more mind-boggling medical malpractice errors is wrong site surgery.

It is perplexing that in this modern era of medicine and increased communication how any such error could occur. If you have been a victim of wrong site surgery, you know that the consequences can be severe. Hiring a St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer can help you get answers about the possibility of compensation for your losses.

Sadly, statistics show that wrong site surgeries account for 13% of all "sentinel events," which are classified as unexpected deaths or serious injuries while under medical care. These errors can occur especially when emergency surgery is required, putting incredible time pressures on our medical professionals and sometimes requiring multiple surgeons.

Even with these difficult conditions, these high numbers are unacceptable because of the incredible risk at which they put patients. Within the last decade, a protocol to help prevent wrong-site surgeries has been introduced to hopefully assist in drastically lowering errors.

The three simple steps of this protocol are:

• Always verify surgery site before the operation
• Mark the operation site
• Take a brief break right before beginning surgery

These unfortunate cases of medical malpractice must be eliminated. At Meyerkord & Kurth, we are committed to helping bring justice in your case. Our growing team of dedicated attorneys understands the nightmare that you have been through and we will provide the legal know-how and tenacious representation that you need to protect your rights to compensation after a surgical error.

Incorrect Operation Injuries

From childhood, we understand the necessity and importance of regular visits to the doctor, even if we don't relish them. Excellent care from a physician is an important part of keeping our bodies healthy and in good working order. When we receive a diagnosis that involves surgery, we expect that when we head into the OR, our surgical team will be well-informed and well-trained in high standards of medical care.

Never in our wildest dreams do we imagine an egregious error such as performing the wrong surgery will occur while we are under the knife, putting us at risk of debilitating injury or wrongful death. If an incorrect operation has affected your health or that of a loved one, it is in your best interest to contact a St. Louis personal injury lawyer to find out more about taking legal action.

If you need emergency surgery, the issues surrounding your health are critical and life-threatening. If an incorrect operation is performed due to the haste or lack of preparation by a surgeon, you can end up even worse off than before. Waking up with a missing organ or amputated limb that had nothing to do with your illness or condition can be a nightmarish scenario. Not only do you still need surgery to correct the original problem, but you may now face additional procedures, expenses, and pain to repair the damage of an incorrect operation.

Our Medical Malpractice Attorneys Are Here to Help