Surgical Errors

Pittsburgh Lawyers Representing Victims Of Surgical Errors

Surgery is usually done to make a patient feel better. But sometimes a patient comes out of surgery in worse physical condition then when he or she entered because something bad happened while the doctor was operating. That injury may include damage to another organ, trauma caused by a surgical instrument or even operating on the wrong body part. Often, these errors and injuries are due to the surgeon not paying close attention during the operation. That should not happen! A surgeon’s job is to “measure twice and cut once,” not the other way around. Unfortunately, many patients suffer injury at the hands of a surgeon they thought was going to improve their medical condition, and as a result of that injury they may die or suffer life-changing injuries.

I’m attorney John Gismondi, founder of Gismondi & Associates. We are lawyers who have years of experience representing people in Pittsburgh and throughout Pennsylvania who have been injured as a result of avoidable errors during surgery. A powerful lawsuit can provide full and complete compensation for you, and it can also send a strong message that will help to prevent some other person from being injured by a similar mistake or accident.

What Went Wrong During Surgery?

Hospitals do not usually take pictures or videos during surgery. The only people in the operating room who know what happened are doctors and nurses, and naturally they may not be willing to say anything to help the patient. Therefore, our lawyers have to play detective to figure out what went wrong.

In addition to a careless surgeon, injuries in the operating room can also be caused by improper use of medical equipment by nurses or other staff. Because many surgical instruments are powered by gas or electricity, burn injuries can occur during surgeries. For example, we have handled more than one case involving electrical burns from grounding pads, which were placed improperly on the patient and caused severe tissue damage. In one case, a five-month-old infant had to have her leg amputated at the hip because of a grounding pad burn. Thus, it’s not only the surgeon, but everyone in the operating room who must pay attention to what they are doing in order to avoid surgery-related injuries. After all, the goal of any surgery should be for the patient to leave the operating room in better condition than when he or she came in.

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A Lawsuit Provides Compensation … And More

We wish that we could turn back the hands of time and undo what has happened to you or your family. Unfortunately, no lawyer has that power. However, with a successful lawsuit we can reduce the burdens you face by obtaining full and complete compensation for everything that you have experienced as a result of your injury or the death of a family member … mounting medical bills, lost wages, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, and perhaps most importantly, the loss of the relationship and companionship of a loved one.

We will also fight for compensation to cover everything that you may face in the future. Surgical error cases often involve long-term needs for things such as future surgeries, specialized equipment, personal attendant care and much more. Our goal is to provide full compensation for all of those needs so that you or your loved one can enjoy the very best quality of life possible and make the most of a difficult situation. After all, that is the least that you are entitled to.

Aside from providing you with full and complete compensation, a lawsuit can do one other very important thing: It can force changes to be made by the doctor or hospital that caused the injury to you or a loved one so that no other person or family has to go through what you have.

Our Experience With Surgical Error Cases

Over the past 30 years, we have successfully handled a variety of surgical error cases, including:

• A multimillion-dollar award for a five-month-old infant who had to have her leg amputated after suffering a burn from an electrical pad placed during surgery.
• A recovery well above $1 million for a man from Pittsburgh who had unnecessary prostate surgery and who became permanently impotent because his biopsy specimen taken in the operating room was mixed up with that of another patient.
• A large seven-figure award for a man from Pittsburgh who died because a chest tube was improperly placed and lacerated his liver causing fatal bleeding.
• A large six-figure award for a woman from Aliquippa who went into the hospital for a mastectomy and had the wrong breast removed.
• A significant six-figure recovery for a young man from Pittsburgh who went into the operating room and had the wrong disk removed.
• A large six-figure award for a retired man from Altoona who died because a neurosurgeon “missed his mark” when he placed a needle in his brain.

Call Us Now | Free Consultation

If you or a loved one has been injured by a surgical error, call us now for a free consultation toll free at 1-888-529-1255. And remember, we always return phone calls. Our law office is in Pittsburgh and our attorneys handle medical malpractice cases throughout Pennsylvania.

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