Syracuse Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Surgical procedures are daunting for any patient. When surgical wounds become infected due to not being cleaned properly, the patient can suffer grave harm. If you or someone close to you has developed an infection after surgery, you need to have a seasoned Syracuse medical malpractice attorney on your side. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, we believe you deserve an opportunity to hold the responsible party accountable and get fair compensation for your injuries.
In any medical procedure in which the skin is being cut or pierced, there is a potential for infection. This is because the object poking through the skin can introduce bacteria into the body. A post-surgical infection, also known as a surgical site infection (SSI), refers an infection that occurs within 30 days of a surgical procedure in the part of the body where the surgery took place. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), SSIs were the most common health care-associated infection, accounting for 31 percent of all hospital-acquired infections among hospitalized patients. In fact, there were approximately 722,000 hospital-acquired infections in the country, leading to over 75,000 deaths in 2011.
Many times, medical malpractice is the basis for SSIs. Medical malpractice takes place when a medical professional fails to use the level of care that a reasonably prudent medical professional would have used in the same or similar circumstances, thereby injuring the patient. A number of errors or negligent acts could lead to a post-surgical infection, including but not limited to:
- Improper hygienic standards followed by doctors and other staff (i.e., washing hands properly);
- Inadequate sanitization of surgical tools and equipment;
- Surgical tools left inside the body during surgery;
- Failing to properly clean the operating room.
Post-surgical infections can be severe, painful, and debilitating. Often, victims of such infections require additional medical care to treat the infection. Fortunately, New York law allows victims of malpractice to recover a variety of damages, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, costs of future care, and any other losses from the medical professional’s negligence.
Medical malpractice claims, like other types of legal claims, must be filed within a certain time frame, known as the statute of limitations. Under New York law, you have 30 months after the medical injury to file a lawsuit in civil court. If the lawsuit is for wrongful death, the statute of limitations is typically two years from the date of the death. There are limited exceptions to these rules, but we will not know if those are applicable until we analyze your specific case.
Post-surgical infections can have serious and long-term consequences for a patient’s health. In the most severe cases, these infections can lead to death. If you have suffered a post-surgical infection, you may be entitled to compensation. At DeFrancisco & Falgiatano Personal Injury Lawyers, our reputable and hard-working Syracuse surgical malpractice attorneys can analyze the facts of your case and help you understand your legal rights and options. For more information, call us at 833-200-2000 or contact us online.
More Blog Posts:
Failing to Diagnose Skin Cancer Can Be Devastating, Syracuse Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, April 30, 2018
Hematologist Malpractice in Syracuse and Throughout New York, Syracuse Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, April 23, 2018
