When you undergo surgery, you expect the physicians, nurses, and technicians involved to operate according to the high standards of care required by the medical profession. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. When a patient is harmed by preventable errors before, during, or after a surgical procedure, the professionals responsible can be held legally accountable for their oversights. 

If you or a loved one has experienced health complications related to a surgical procedure, the attorneys at O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble can help you understand your rights and legal options. For almost two decades, our team has fought on behalf of residents of Jersey City who’ve suffered the devastating consequences of surgical errors and other forms of medical negligence. With the help of a skilled surgical malpractice lawyer, you could be eligible to recover compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial harm you’ve suffered.

Why Consult With a Surgical Malpractice Attorney in Jersey City

Even routine surgical procedures involve a number of risks and potential hazards. In many cases, operations fail to achieve desired results for a patient, even if the medical professionals involved do everything right. 

However, when healthcare providers make careless, preventable errors, that’s another story. Unfortunately, avoidable mistakes at the hands of medical professionals are all too common. Some examples of surgery-related negligence our attorneys have encountered include:

  • Complications due to ignorance of patient history;
  • Lack of informed consent from the patient;
  • Delay in surgery leading to health complications;
  • Operation on the wrong site or side of the body;
  • Errors in administering anesthesia;
  • Foreign objects left in the body during surgery;
  • Miscommunication leading to unnecessary operation;
  • Post-operative medication errors;
  • Inadequate sanitation of surgical instruments or environment; and
  • Insufficient treatment or monitoring post-surgery.

Since surgery is an invasive procedure, even simple mistakes can lead to devastating and even fatal consequences for patients. Depending on the type of surgery and the mistake, victims of surgical negligence often suffer:

  • Traumatic brain damage,
  • Spinal cord damage,
  • Temporary paralysis,
  • Internal infection,
  • Chronic pain, and
  • Permanent disability. 

Treating these complications is often painful and costly for patients, who may be faced with additional surgeries, physical therapy, and expensive prescriptions. When this happens, the providers responsible can and should be held legally liable for the harm they’ve caused. A surgical malpractice lawyer can help you hold a negligent practitioner accountable through a medical malpractice lawsuit. With the help of your attorney, you could recover financial compensation from the responsible practitioner and help ensure they can’t repeat their wrongs.

Compensation for Victims of Surgical Malpractice in Jersey City

Under New Jersey law, patients harmed by substandard medical care can be eligible to recover legal damages. In medical malpractice cases, victims can receive two types of compensation for the losses they suffered: economic and non-economic damages. 

Economic damages aim to repair the financial toll of medical negligence. They often include:

  • Past medical expenses—costs of hospital stays, medical supplies, prescriptions, and treatment due to the provider’s negligence; 
  • Future medical expenses—estimated costs of any future treatment the patient requires;
  • Lost income—the value of wages and benefits lost while the victim is unable to work; and
  • Front pay—payment for expected future earnings lost due to the victim’s injury.

By contrast, non-economic damages are designed to compensate victims for intangible losses that can result from malpractice. These damages often include compensation for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and disability or disfigurement.

In some cases, victims of malpractice could also recover punitive damages. As the name suggests, these damages aim to punish physicians whose negligence is exceptionally reckless or careless. However, New Jersey law limits the amount of punitive damages a victim can recover in a personal injury case. 

Proving Surgical Malpractice in New Jersey

To be eligible for legal compensation for medical malpractice, patients must prove that a physician acted negligently in their care. A successful surgical malpractice lawsuit proves the following four key points:

  • The medical provider owed the patient a standard of care; 
  • The provider violated their duty of care;
  • The patient suffered harm; and
  • The direct cause of the patient’s harm was the provider’s failure to provide standard care.

Proving these four points requires a combination of legal research, medical evidence, and testimony from a medical expert. Our attorneys work closely with our clients to gather the documentary evidence needed to demonstrate the standard duty of care expected for patients in your situation. Through our network of qualified healthcare professionals, we can connect you with a trained medical expert who can testify to the level of care you were denied. Whether your claim goes to trial or enters settlement discussions, you can be confident that your lawyer will fiercely represent your interests and negotiate for you to recover the maximum compensation possible.

Surgical Malpractice Attorneys Jersey City Relies Upon 

At O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble, we understand that no amount of compensation can undo the profound harm that surgical malpractice does to patients and their families. However, by taking legal action against the provider who harmed you, you may be able to lessen some of the emotional and financial burden that your injury has placed on your family. 

Our Jersey City malpractice attorneys have over 100 combined years of experience fighting for patients betrayed by careless medical professionals. In the past decade, we’ve won numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for victims of medical malpractice. 

Contact us to schedule your free consultation with one of our surgical malpractice lawyers in Jersey City today.