An apology can go a long way when a person is wronged by someone they trusted. However, in some cases, an apology is simply not enough to right the wrong. This is often the case when surgical errors leave an Illinois patient with permanent injuries -- or worse, the patient dies.
Do surgeons apologize for surgical errors to avoid a lawsuit?
Firm News - $5M Plaintiff's Medical Malpractice Verdict
A Tazewell County jury awarded a $5,008,921.72 plaintiff's verdict to the estate a 36-year-old woman who bled to death during a DaVinci robotic hysterectomy procedure at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois. The gynecologist, Dr. David Kindred, accidently lacerated her left iliac artery and she bled internally for approximately 2 hours before the injury was detected. Meanwhile, the anesthesia staff, which included Angela Brown, CRNA, and Dr. Eric Hawkins, failed to timely diagnose and treat the internal bleeding, despite the presence of deteriorating vital signs in the patient.
Claim alleges that surgical mistakes paralyzed woman
Despite battling anxiety and understanding that every surgery comes with risks, Illinois residents who are told that they require a delicate surgery will most likely accept those risks and consent to the surgery. If surgical mistakes are made, which are often outside the disclosed risks, the patient can become permanently disabled or even die. The medical personnel believed to be responsible could be held accountable.
$502 Million Verdict for Plaintiffs in DePuy Pinnacle Hip MDL
After days of deliberations, a Dallas jury found in favor of the plaintiffs against Johnson & Johnson's DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc. unit with a $502 million verdict. The verdict comes at the end of an 11-week bellwether trial in the multidistrict litigation over defective Pinnacle hip prosthetics.
A surgeon's reputation does not preclude surgical mistakes
Nearly every state, including Illinois, has surgeons who are beloved by patients and colleagues. That reputation, however, does not preclude the possibility that a surgeon could not make mistakes that could have adverse health consequences for a patient. In fact, those surgical mistakes could cause permanent injury or even death .
Electronic record keeping may have increased hospital errors
This is the digital age. Nearly everyone in the United States, including here in Illinois, uses computers, smart phones and/or tablets on a daily basis. For years now, the medical field has been working to catch up to this surge in technological advances, but not everyone is convinced that it reduces hospital errors.
Bariatric surgical mistakes destroy the lives of patients
The third leading cause of death in the United States is medical negligence. It is also one of the most under-reported causes of death. Many of the deaths and injuries are during surgical procedures. Illinois residents who believe that bariatric surgery is their only option to help them lose weight might need to be aware that surgical mistakes seem to be frighteningly common during these procedures.
