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October 04, 2010

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surgical error

A surgical error compensation claim falls within the category of medical negligence and not as a personal injury. A surgical error compensation claim is based on the evidence that the surgeon has made an error which was avoidable had the surgeon paid due care and attention, and that you – as the patient – have suffered an injury because of it. That injury must also lead to damages on your part – either prolonged physical or psychological trauma, the inability to work with subsequent loss of earnings, or some other expense which now justifies a surgical error compensation claim.

Surgical Error Compensation Claims 

As with all medical negligence claims, if you have been injured due to a surgical error you have a three year period within which your claim must be made. This three year period would normally begin on the date of your surgery. However, in some circumstances you may not be aware that a problem has occurred until a later date. In these cases the three year period would not begin on the date of your surgery, but the date you became aware of the error and injury.

surgical error compensation

The Health and Safety Executive prefers not to disclose the number of surgical error claims for compensation that are made each year in Ireland, and it is only when we read about them in the newspapers that we find out the sort of surgical errors that are made due to a lack of care in Irish hospitals.

surgical errors

Whenever a patient requires a surgical procedure, they will be informed about any risks associated with having an operation, but they cannot be expected to anticipate surgical errors. Surgical patients place their trust in the surgeon and medical team supporting him, and reasonably believe that they are competent, experienced and prudent.

Keystone East Insurance

Seems like the "time out" will eliminate a lot of mistakes. Knee surgery is one thing but imagine if the surgery was on a vital organ.

Penyakit Diabetes

These are two of the four examples provided by the PSA: 1) a patient was scheduled for a surgical procedure on the left hand under axillary block. The anesthesiologist blocked the right arm. The correct arm, left, was marked appropriately. The error was discovered by the anesthesiologist after initiating the block. 2) A patient was admitted for surgery [on the right knee].

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NOTES

  • Blogmaster
    This blog is organized and maintained by David S. Smith, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University of Pennsylvania. His subspeciality is anesthesia for patients undergoing neurosurgery. For the past 6 years he has had responsibilites for patient safety and clinical care quality improvment in a Department of over 65 faculty who provide anesthesia care for about 24,000 patients each year. Correspondance can be sent to [email protected]
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    The purpose of this blog is primarily to provide ongoing contact with former residents and faculty of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. Others may also have an interest in the topics presented. We plan to discuss a variety of issues related to the practice of anesthesiology with an emphasis on patient safety, risk management and medical legal aspects of care.
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    The content and observations on this Weblog come mostly from members of the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care of the University of Pennsylvania. However this material does not represent the official opinion of that Department, the University of Pennsylvania or any of its other Departments or Divisions. Medicine is a rapidly changing field. We cannot guarantee that any of the material here is correct or up to date.
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