First introduced by former CEO of the National Quality Forum Ken Kizer, MD, “Never Event” refers to particularly devastating and shocking medical errors that must never happen, such as wrong-site surgery, wrong procedure, medication errors, objects left in patients during surgery, and so forth.
According to a study in 2012, there may be as many as 1,500 never events that occur each year in the United States. The same study also reported that there may be more than 4,000 surgical errors each year in the US.
Common Types of Never Events Occurring in Hospitals
There are some errors in the medical field that should never occur under any circumstance. Unfortunately, they happen more often than people like to think. There are certain never events that regularly occur in hospitals in New York and other places across the country. These include errors made by surgeons, such as:
- Operating on the wrong body part: Surgeries performed on the wrong part of the body can have devastating and life-changing results. Removal of the wrong organ or amputation of the wrong limb are examples of such preventable errors.
- Operating on the wrong patient: Mistakes that are made during preparation for surgery or in paperwork can lead to surgeries being performed on the wrong patient. Getting surgery intended for another patient can lead to serious harm and injury.
- Performing the wrong surgery: An error that is made while inputting what procedure the patient requires can lead to the surgeon performing the wrong surgery all together. This can lead to serious complications, injury and in some cases, death.
- Leaving foreign objects in the patient: One of the most common mistakes made by surgeons is leaving surgical or other foreign objects inside the body of a patient. Severe reactions and infections can arise in the patient.
- Anesthesia errors: Healthy patients that die immediately after or during surgery due to anesthesia error is considered a preventable incident and an event that should never occur in any hospital in any circumstance.
Patient harm or death can also result from devices or products that are improperly used. These may include medical devices, drugs or even simple blatant misuse of syringes and other common medical equipment.
- Contamination: Severe infections and other medical issues can occur as a result of contaminated devices or drugs within the medical care setting.
- Air embolism: When air enters the bloodstream during a procedure, severe reactions can result from it, including myocardial infarction or strokes.
- Improper use of devices: Patients can suffer serious harm and injury when medical devices are not used in ways they are intended.
Get Legal Help for Never Event Malpractice in New York
If you or a loved one in New York has suffered serious harm due to a never event caused by medical negligence, you should immediately seek the help of the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Rosenberg, Minc, Falkoff & Wolff, of RMFW Law at 212-344-1000.
There is no reason to scream at the hospital staff. That will accomplish nothing. Let us do the screaming for you but in a more contrite and cordial manner and with the law on our side. RMFW Law knows how to win these types of cases.
You will need a medical expert to support your claim if you want to get paid for your losses. We can find that person for your case. But your claim has to be viable. Call RMFW Law today so we can go over this situation with you. We have won big money for past clients, you too can be on this righteous list. Call RMFW Law now!
