Compensation for Surgical Fires
If you or a loved one has been the victim of surgical fire malpractice in the operating room or suite in an outpatient surgical center, you may be eligible to receive compensation for surgical fires. It is important to know your rights in the state of Florida. Surgical fire malpractice cases are preventable, and you should not have to suffer further due to the negligence of nurses, technicians, or surgeons. Here is what you should know.
Compensation for Surgical Fires | What are Surgical Fires?
There are on-patient surgical fires and inpatient surgical fires. The difference between the two is whether or not the fire occurred inside the body or outside the body. The only fires that should occur, under standard patient care, happen inside the body, such as reacting to bowel gas. According to the FDA, an estimated 550 to 650 surgical fires occur in the United State per year, with some incidents causing serious injury, disfigurement and even death.
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Compensation for Surgical Fires | What is a Fire Triage?
For a fire to occur, three components must be present in the Operating Room: An oxidizer, an ignition source and a fuel.
- Oxidizers can include oxygen and nitrous oxide,
- Ignition sources include lasers, electrosurgery units and drills.
- Fuels include sponges, tracheal tubes and drapes.
The three responsible entities for your safety in the Operating Room include anesthesiologists, surgeons, and nurses. This group should operate together to ensure that your operating suite is safe. The group will hold a surgical time out to make sure the elements are not hazardous.
Compensation for Surgical Fires | Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim
In the State of Florida, you can’t jump right away into filing a medical malpractice suit. You have to go through a pre-suit process, during which time your attorney will gather all relevant medical records and send these to an expert for independent review. This expert will provide an affidavit, which your attorney will send via certified mail to the medical provider. That medical provider will have 90 days to consult with an attorney and malpractice carrier, and at the end of that period must either admit or deny the claim. If the medical provider denies your claim, your attorney will file a lawsuit.
If you are seeking compensation for surgical fires, please contact our experienced Tampa medical malpractice attorneys right away to schedule a free consultation.
