Medication and Surgical Errors

Oakland Attorneys Help You Obtain Compensation After a Medical Error Injury Due to Negligence

Understanding Your Rights as a Victim of Malpractice

While all medical procedures and medications carry inherent risks, those that result in serious injury or harm due to negligence are the most shocking. If a healthcare practitioner made a careless medication or surgical error that caused you unnecessary pain or disability, you may have grounds for filing a legal claim for compensation for physical, emotional and financial damages.

The Law Offices of John E. Hill, P.C. provides skilled, comprehensive legal support to victims of medical malpractice. Dedicated to advocating for clients who suffer undue injury, our attorneys hold negligent caregivers accountable for the pain they cause.

What Is a Medication Error?

Medication errors are a preventable adverse event (PAE). From temporary injury to permanent disability and death, medication mistakes can have a wide range of consequences. Approximately 7,000 people die each year from medication errors such as the following:

• Prescribing the wrong medication
• Prescribing or administering the wrong dosage
• Making mistakes in the preparation and dispensing of the medication
• Making administrative errors

In a hospital, the responsibility for safe delivery of appropriate medication often depends on the nurses. Medication errors frequently occur due to illegible handwriting, inaccurate or incomplete hardcopy or electronic medical records, and carelessness.

Because of their age and physical vulnerability, children and seniors are most susceptible to medication mistakes than adults. When you or a family member suffers harm that could have been prevented with proper care, you should consult legal counsel about your right to financial compensation.

Surgical Error — Could It Happen to You?

Like medication errors, surgical mistakes happen with disturbing frequency in the United States. According to a study by Johns Hopkins, surgeons mistakenly leave objects in the body of a patient approximately 39 times per week and operate on the wrong part of the body or perform the wrong procedure approximately 20 times per week. It’s a troubling truth that preventable surgical events occur more than 4,000 times per year, including:

• Performing the wrong procedure
• Performing a procedure on the wrong part of the body
• Operating on the wrong patient
• Leaving material in the body of the patient
• Performing surgery in a way that damages internal organs and tissue
• Making an anesthesia error

A serious surgical error can cause a devastating injury, lifetime disability or even death. Victims and their families have a right to demand accountability for negligence.

Seek Legal Guidance From a Reliable San Francisco Bay-Area Lawyer

If you suffer injury as a result of medical malpractice, negligence or a preventable accident, the Law Offices of John E. Hill can support you in a claim for rightful compensation for medical bills, lost wages, emotional anguish and other damages. Located in Oakland and serving clients throughout Northern California, our attorneys maintain flexible office hours, and many members of our staff speak Spanish. Call (510) 588-1000 today or contact us online to schedule your free initial consultation.