Whenever a doctor performs a procedure, there’s always a chance that something could go wrong. Whether the procedure is a “simple” out-patient matter or a complicated surgery, the danger exists. We trust that our medical professionals are all smart, that they all have our best interests in mind and that they all pay close attention to their work each and every day. But unfortunately, that’s just not always true.
Medical professionals are human like everyone else. Not every doctor is highly skilled and some are much better at their jobs than others. They get distracted. They sometimes daydream. Basically, they have good days and bad days. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being human, but patients depend on and expect excellent medical care. Most of all, patients deserve the best medical care available and whether they are paying for it out of their own pocket or through insurance, doctors charge a lot of money for these services. So, it’s only fair that every doctor should give their very best efforts all of the time.
When a medical professional fails to meet a certain standard of care, then medical malpractice happens. Sometimes, no permanent injury results from the doctor’s negligence. In these cases, the patient is very lucky indeed, because in other cases the results can be extremely serious. Permanent injury, paralysis, or even death may result.
Take for instance what happened recently when a 92 year old Chicago man went to a Skokie dentist for a dental implant fitting. While reclined in the dental chair and in the middle of the procedure, he heard the dentist say “Did you catch it?” to which he replied, “Catch what?”. As it turned out, an inch long dental tool had fallen down his throat. He swallowed it and then it lodged in his stomach, requiring an X-ray, an MRI and two more procedures called an endoscopy. After a great deal of pain and a great deal of money, doctors were finally able to get the object out of his body. Not surprisingly, the patient then sued the doctor for medical malpractice to get compensated for his pain, suffering and lost money.
If you believe that you have been the victim of medical malpractice or any other injury due to the negligence of another, call us 24 hours a day at Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC. Consultations and appointments are always free and without any obligation.
Source: NBC Chicago, “Suit Claims Dental Tool Went Down Man’s Throat”, Bernard Bell, August 8, 2013.
