Some medical mistakes are so serious that they should never happen–under any circumstances. If you or a loved one were harmed because of one of these “never events,” call an experienced West Palm Beach never events lawyer for help recovering fair compensation.
At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, we offer a free consultation. We’re dedicated to holding negligent medical providers accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Give us a call at (561) 556-7873, or contact our West Palm Beach law office near you today to see how we can help in your case.
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How an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your Never Events Claim
Never events are widely publicized. Hospitals almost always have policies and procedures that are designed to prevent them from happening. So you would think that it would be simple to recover compensation if you were hurt because of a never event.
That’s not always the case. Insurance companies know that victims of never events are usually entitled to high-dollar compensation awards. Hospitals and medical facilities will go to great lengths to avoid the bad press associated with a never event. This can make it very difficult to recover fair compensation–especially if you’re already dealing with a serious injury.
An experienced West Palm Beach personal injury lawyer can help you stand up to hospitals and insurance companies who might try to manipulate you into quietly settling for less than you deserve.
Our attorneys will:
- Conduct a detailed investigation to get the proof needed to find out what happened
- Identify every responsible party
- Work with experts to build a medical malpractice claim for compensation that accurately accounts for the full cost of your injuries
- Handle all communications, paperwork, and insurance negotiations so that you can focus on recovering
At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, we’re passionate about holding negligent medical professionals accountable. You deserve to trust that you’ll be safe in a healthcare setting. You can trust that we’ll do everything we can to help you get full compensation when your trust is violated.
Our West Palm Beach medical malpractice lawyers are here to support you. Give us a call today to arrange your free consultation.
What is a “Never Event”?
A non-profit group called the National Quality Forum (NQF) created a list of “never events” in 2002. They included types of medical mistakes that are so serious that they should never occur under any circumstances.
These issues are so serious that even Medicare has announced that it will not pay for hospital-acquired conditions that occur because of a never event.
Never events are grouped into several basic categories. They include:
Surgical Events
Some mistakes should never happen during the course of a surgery. Surgical errors that are classified as “never events” include:
- Performing surgery on the wrong patient
- Wrong-site surgery
- Performing the wrong surgical procedure on a patient
- Leaving a foreign object or medical tool in a patient’s body
- Death that occurs either during surgery or in post-op when the patient was otherwise healthy
Surgery is traumatic enough when everything goes according to plan. When a serious mistake happens, you could be facing a long road to recovery. If you suspect that something went wrong, don’t hesitate to call our experienced surgical error attorneys for help today.
Product and Device Events
Medical devices can be critical to treating a patient. However, they can also lead to never events, including:
- Serious injury or death caused by contamination of the medical device or biologics in a healthcare setting
- Serious injury or death caused by the use of a device in a healthcare setting when the device was used for unintended functions
If you or a loved one were harmed because of a defective medical device, you may also have the right to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer.
Patient Protection Events
Some patients suffer from conditions that require supervision or specialized care. The following patient protection events are classified as never events:
- Release or discharge of a patient who is unable to make decisions, except to an authorized party
- A patient’s disappearance that leads to death or serious injury
- Suicide or attempted suicide or self-harm that results in death or serious injury in a healthcare setting
You have the right to expect that your loved ones will receive competent care in a hospital, nursing home, or medical facility. If you were a victim of one of these never events, give us a call today to see how we can help.
Care Management Events
Never events classified as care management issues include:
- Artificial insemination with the wrong egg or wrong donor sperm
- Death or serious injury associated with a fall in a healthcare setting
- Stage three or four bed sores acquired in a healthcare setting
- Death or serious injury caused by the administration of unsafe blood
- Medication errors that cause death or serious injury
- A mother’s death or serious injury during labor or delivery if the pregnancy was low-risk and the event occurred in a healthcare setting
- Failure to follow up or properly communicate about lab, pathology or radiology results when the event causes death or serious injury
- Loss of irreplaceable biological specimens causing death or serious injury
A care management-related never event can take place in any type of medical or care environment. In some cases, they can even result from nursing home abuse and neglect.
Environmental Events
Medical professionals also have a duty to provide a safe environment for patient care. Environmental never events include:
- Death or serious injury caused by a burn sustained while providing patient care in a healthcare setting
- Incidents where a line used to deliver oxygen or other gas to a patient contains no gas, the wrong gas, or is otherwise contaminated
- Death or serious injury caused by electric shock in a healthcare setting
- Death or serious injury caused by the use of restraints or bedrails when the patient is under care in a healthcare setting
If you or a loved one were harmed in a hospital, medical facility, or assisted living facility, don’t hesitate to reach out to our lawyers for help.
Radiologic Events
One single never event involves radiology–the introduction of a metallic object into the MRI area if that object causes death or serious injury.
Criminal Events
In most cases, medical errors are unintentional. Patients should never have to suffer intentional harm when receiving medical care. Criminal events classified as never events include:
- Abduction of a patient or resident in a healthcare facility
- Care that is either ordered or provided by someone who is impersonating a qualified healthcare professional
- Sexual abuse of a patient
- Serious injury or death resulting from physical assault of either a patient or medical professional in a healthcare setting
Hospitals and healthcare facilities are expected to take steps to keep patients safe from criminal activity. If you were a victim, you might have the right to sue for damages–even if law enforcement has also arrested the perpetrator.
Never Events Often Lead to Catastrophic Injury or Death
At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, we’re dedicated to helping victims of medical negligence recover fair compensation for all of their injuries. Victims of never events often suffer:
- Brain injuries
- Paralysis
- Loss of limbs
- Infection
- Permanent disability
- Severe emotional distress
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
If you believe you’ve been hurt because of a never event, call our law firm to arrange a free case review today.
How Long Do I Have to Take Action After a Never Event in Florida?
The Florida statute of limitations only gives you two years to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, the two-year period doesn’t start running until you reasonably should have known about the mistake.
Some errors are obvious. In other cases, it might take some time to find out what went wrong. Although most hospital policies require your doctors to apologize for a never event after it occurs, that doesn’t always happen.
In all cases, it’s better to consult with an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible if you suspect something went wrong. We can take action right away to preserve your right to compensation.
What Types of Compensation Can I Expect if I Was Harmed By a Never Event in West Palm Beach?
Victims of medical malpractice are often entitled to substantial compensation. At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, our lawyers can help you recover compensation for:
- Past medical bills
- Lost wages and income
- The future cost of treating a worsened condition
- Lost future earning capacity
- Physical therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Damages for wrongful death
Unlike some other states, Florida doesn’t cap the amount of non-economic damages you might be entitled to receive. We’re here to fight for the maximum compensation possible. All you have to do is give us a call today to get started.
Contact a Trusted Medical Malpractice Lawyer in West Palm Beach
The damage caused by medical errors can be overwhelming. If you were hurt or lost a loved one, call a trusted West Palm Beach never events lawyer at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, for a free consultation today.
