When plastic surgery goes wrong, patients can suffer physically, emotionally, and socially. Plastic surgery complications include organ damage, nerve damage, deep vein thrombosis, and other potentially debilitating conditions. A Chicago plastic surgery mistake attorney may help victims pursue justice and obtain compensation for their losses.
In 2012, over 14.6 million plastic surgery procedures were performed in the U.S., according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Many people here in Illinois undergo these procedures to improve their appearance or restore physical function. Sadly, as surgical error lawyers in Chicago Heights can attest, cosmetic surgery doesn’t always produce these desired results. Plastic surgery complications can result in painful, permanent or life-threatening conditions.
What Happens When Plastic Surgery Goes Wrong?
As Healthline explains, plastic surgery errors can cause various cosmetic issues. These include bruising, scarring and final results that fall below patient expectations. In severe cases, patients may suffer from disfigurement due to mistakes during the procedure or complications afterward. These unintended cosmetic changes may have lasting psychological effects.
Plastic surgery also exposes patients to various complications associated with invasive procedures. Hematoma, or localized blood pooling, and internal bleeding are both risks during many surgeries. Another common problem, surgical site infection, can threaten the area operated on and the patient’s overall health. Finally, anesthesia complications can have serious consequences, including stroke, heart attack, and even death.
Additionally, depending on the procedure, patients may face other unique risks. As any surgical error lawyers in Chicago Heights know, these include:
- Organ damage — organ perforation can occur during many plastic surgery procedures. The equipment used to perform liposuction may especially put patients at risk for organ damage.
- Deep vein thrombosis — some procedures raise the risk of DVT, which involves the formation of a blood clot in deep veins. This clot can break free to cause pulmonary embolism, or blockage of an artery in the lungs, which can be deadly.
- Nerve damage — this can cause tingling, pain, loss of sensation, weakness, and even muscle paralysis. Nerve damage may occur when nerves are cut, cauterized, or stretched during surgery.
Many of these cosmetic surgery complications can have life-changing consequences. Besides significant medical expenses, victims may face emotional suffering, physical health problems or functional restrictions. When these outcomes result from substandard medical care, injury victims may be able to pursue compensation. A medical malpractice lawyer is the best way to help ensure that victims receive the compensation they need to recover and hold responsible parties accountable. The statute of limitations for medical malpractice in Illinois is usually two years from the date that you discover the injury or error. Exceptions apply, however.
A Chicago Plastic Surgery Mistake Attorney May Help You Prove Negligence
Determining whether medical care was substandard is often challenging. Doctors typically must make subjective decisions based on unique circumstances. Generally, victims must prove that a doctor provided negligent medical care through the testimony of an expert witness. In Illinois, this witness must be licensed in the same discipline as the treating medical professional. The witness also must devote significant attention to this discipline.
Given these criteria, finding a witness and proving a surgical oversight or error represents malpractice can be difficult. Considering this, injury victims may benefit from seeking the assistance of surgical error lawyers in Chicago Heights. These attorneys may be able to offer advice on documenting the claim and pursuing appropriate compensation. They may also help you understand what happens if a doctor makes a mistake and whether you have a valid claim.
Personal injury lawyer fees and those of medical malpractice attorneys are often similar. It’s common practice for medical malpractice attorneys to charge clients on a contingency fee basis. Typically, contingency fees for lawyers services don’t involve any up front costs. Further, the structure doesn’t obligate the client to pay anything unless the attorney wins the case, and the client receives a payout.
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