Surgical Error Lawyer
If a preventable mistake during surgery turned your life upside down, you deserve answers and a clear path forward.
Gloria Becker Law represents patients and families facing complex medical malpractice matters. We work with clients to guide you through North Carolina’s surgical error claims process with clarity, compassion, and courtroom-ready advocacy.
Understanding Surgery Errors for Medical Malpractice Claims
Surgical procedures carry inherent risks, but when avoidable mistakes occur due to negligence, they can form the basis of a medical malpractice claim. Understanding how surgical errors happen—and how they differ from expected complications—is essential for determining whether you have legal grounds to pursue a case.
Common Examples Of Surgical Negligence
- Wrong Site Surgery: A wrong site surgical mistake is when the operation occurs on the wrong body part or the wrong patient; consequences can be immediately noticeable and require corrective procedures.
- Foreign Object Left In Body: A retained sponge or tool left at the site after a procedure is a medical error that may cause infection, pain, brain damage, or even death if not discovered promptly.
- Anesthesia Errors: Dosing failures, poor monitoring, or failure to review allergies are mistakes that can trigger serious injury including cardiac events and permanent injuries.
- Nerve or Organ Damage: Lapses in technique by medical doctors, surgeons, or nurses are medical mistakes that can require revision surgery and extended rehabilitation.
- Infection and Sepsis: Breach of sterile technique or poor communication across the medical team can leave patients permanently injured and facing prolonged hospital stays that otherwise could have been avoided.
Our Approach To North Carolina Surgical Error Claims
Your surgical error lawyer from Gloria Becker Law will investigate the circumstances of your surgery to determine what evidence supports your claims.
Rapid Evidence Preservation and Record Review
We secure hospital charts, imaging, and operative reports quickly because the time limit matters. Preserving devices, photographs, and notes from the patient and loved one helps us connect the surgical mistakes to the injuries and the compensation you are entitled to pursue under North Carolina law.
Expert Collaboration and Case Building
Board-certified medical professionals analyze whether a medical professional fell below the standard of care. Their testimony clarifies how a surgical mistake, a series of mistakes, or poor communication caused the injury. When appropriate, we consult anesthesia, surgery, nursing, and infection-control experts to address complex cases.
Damages, Losses, and Future Needs
We document lost wages, future earning capacity, ongoing treatment, and non economic damages tied to pain, suffering, and life changes caused by the surgery error. For families facing wrongful death, we also address funeral costs and the impact on survivors.
Negotiation, Litigation, and Trial Strategy
Many surgical error lawsuits resolve after robust discovery, but we prepare as if trial is certain. We adapt our litigation strategy to your unique situation and pursue outcomes where responsible parties are held accountable and injured clients can seek justice.
What To Do If You Suspect Surgical Negligence
If you believe a preventable mistake occurred during your surgery, taking the right steps early can make a major difference in your case. Surgical negligence can be difficult to recognize right away, but unexplained pain, complications, or unexpected outcomes may signal that something went wrong.
Request and Preserve Your Records
Ask the hospital and doctor for complete medical records, discharge instructions, and imaging. Keep a diary of your symptoms, bills, and out-of-pocket costs, and avoid signing releases until you speak with an experienced surgical error lawyer.
Speak With a Surgical Error Attorney Early
A medical malpractice lawyer who specializes in cases involving surgical mistakes will evaluate whether negligence caused the injuries, explain the claims process, and outline next steps to maximize compensation. Early counsel helps you navigate insurers, hospitals, and complex liability issues throughout North Carolina.
Surgical Error In North Carolina FAQs
How do you prove a surgical error?
You must show a medical professional with similar training would have acted differently, that a breach occurred during the medical procedure, and that the breach caused your injury. Expert testimony and medical records tie the failure to the damages in a surgical error case.
Can you sue for a mistake in surgery?
Yes. If negligence by a doctor, surgeon, nurse, anesthesiologist, or other healthcare provider caused injuries, you can file a medical malpractice claim under North Carolina medical rules to seek compensation.
Is it worth suing for medical negligence during my surgery?
If negligence led to significant injuries, permanent injuries, lost wages, intensive treatment, or death, working with a surgical error lawyer to have the responsible party held liable can provide vital compensation for medical costs and non economic damages.
What is the hardest element to prove in a surgical error case?
The hardest element to prove in a surgical error case is causation—showing that the doctor’s mistake directly caused the patient’s injury rather than a known surgical risk or underlying condition. This often requires detailed expert testimony and thorough review of medical records.
What if the outcome of my surgery was bad but no one clearly erred?
A bad result alone is not malpractice. Our surgical error lawyers assess whether malpractice occurred by analyzing protocols, communications, and decisions made as well as interviewing experts familiar with operating room standards for the specific procedure.
Who can be sued—individuals or the hospital?
Often both. Liability depends on employment relationships, policies, and actions. A hospital can be responsible for system failures while a doctor or nurse may be liable for individual errors.
What types of compensation can I get from my surgical error claim?
You may be entitled to compensation for both economic and non-economic losses. This can include medical expenses, lost wages, future care costs, and rehabilitation, as well as damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life.
Protect Your Legal Rights with a Raleigh Surgical Error Lawyer
If you or a loved one suffered injuries after a surgical error in Raleigh or the surrounding areas of Wake County, our medical malpractice attorneys can help. We’ll explain the claims process, deadlines like the statute of limitations, and how we’ll build your case to maximize compensation and protect your future.
Contact Gloria Becker Law today to schedule a consultation by calling 919-748-9400 or filling out our contact form to get started.