Surgical operations are an important of the healthcare system. If done properly, they can completely remedy certain medical conditions and lessen the severity of symptoms of other conditions. However, with this potential for reward comes potential risk. A doctor’s mistake may lead to serious injuries, permanent disability or death. When this happens, victims should fight to hold those negligent medical professionals accountable.
Two medical malpractice victims are seeking to do just that after they were given unnecessary heart operations. According to their lawsuits, their doctor implanted defibrillators and pacemakers even though tests indicated the victims did not need the implants. Some speculate that the doctor performed the operations to receive high payments from Medicare. The extent of harm caused to the victims is unclear at this time, but it could be significant.
An unnecessary surgery, an operation on a wrong body part, or a nicked organ can leave a victim with severe pain and suffering. He or she may be left immobilized, unable to partake in daily activities with family and friends, and the injury may render him or her incapable of working. Medical expenses can also accumulate and, when coupled with lost wages, can destroy an individual’s financial security.
But victims do not have to sit idly by and take what comes to them. Instead, these individuals can fight for the compensation they need and deserve. In Massachusetts, an experienced attorney can help a victim attempt to show that a medical professional’s negligence caused his or her injuries, which is a requisite to obtain compensation. With an aggressive legal ally on his or her side, a medical malpractice victim has hope of finding closure, justice and the money needed to get life back on track.
Source: CBS Chicago, “Lawsuits Claim Indiana Doctor Recommended Unnecessary Heart Surgery,” Dana Kozlov, May 7, 2014
