When you agree to surgery, you are placing a great deal of your trust in your surgeons. You know that you will be in a vulnerable position throughout the process, but you are counting on the healthcare staff to keep you safe and give you the results you need.
The problem is that doctors are human and can make mistakes. Sometimes the errors are minor, but other times they are extreme. One of the scariest forms of medical malpractice is “wrong-site, wrong-procedure, wrong-patient errors“, or WSPEs.
What is a WSPE?
A WSPE can go several ways:
- If your surgeon does work on the wrong part of your body (such as your left leg instead of your right leg), this qualifies as wrong-site surgery.
- A misunderstanding about what the doctor should do can lead to a wrong-procedure surgery.
- The medical team can confuse you with another patient, which may cause a wrong-patient error.
What should you do about a WSPE?
If you have endured any of the experiences listed above and an injury resulted from it, you can bring a case against the healthcare service. You should be able to prove that your provider breached a duty that he or she owed you, which resulted in significant damage. If you are successful, you can get the compensation you deserve. It is also worth noting that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will not cover any of the hospital’s costs.
WSPEs are rare, but when they happen, they can be life-altering. Knowing your rights and holding your doctors accountable can ease the situation for you.
