New Mexico Wrong-Site Surgery Lawyers
You went into surgery trusting the team to operate on the correct part of your body, and they did not. A wrong-site error can leave you with a new injury and the original problem still untreated. At The Law Office of Salazar, Sullivan & Jasionowski, our team includes attorney Tammy M. Jasionowski, an attorney-physician who holds board certifications in Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Pathology, and we have focused exclusively on medical malpractice since 1997.
As New Mexico wrong-site surgery lawyers, we accept only three to five new cases each year, giving each claim close, sustained attention.
Understanding Wrong-Site Surgical Errors And Medical Negligence
Wrong-site surgery covers any operation performed on the wrong body part, the wrong side, the wrong patient or with the wrong procedure. Examples include replacing the healthy knee, fusing the wrong spinal level or removing the wrong kidney. When a surgical team gets it wrong, the cause usually traces to one of these breakdowns:
- Skipped time-out procedures: The surgical team fails to pause and confirm the patient, procedure and site before the first incision.
- Marking errors: No one marks the operative site, or someone marks the wrong side.
- Flawed records or imaging: A mislabeled scan or a charting error points the surgeon to the wrong location.
- Handoff failures: Details get lost when shifts change or staff never confirm the plan with the patient.
Each of these failures is preventable, and each can support a claim that a surgeon’s mistake amounted to medical negligence. Wrong-site cases are one part of the full range of medical negligence claims we handle across the state.
Is Wrong-Site Surgery Automatically Considered Medical Malpractice In New Mexico?
Not automatically, though the facts in these “never events” are often clear. A claim must still show that the surgical team fell below the accepted standard of care and that the error caused real harm. Operating on the wrong site rarely meets that standard, so the harder questions are usually the extent of the damage and who shares responsibility. Attorney Jasionowski reviews the records with a physician’s eye, helping our wrong-site surgical error attorneys answer those questions early.
What Kind Of Compensation Can Be Recovered In A Wrong-Site Surgery Claim?
Catastrophic surgical error compensation can include past and future medical care, corrective surgery, lost income and reduced earning capacity. It can also cover pain, disability and loss of enjoyment of life. New Mexico caps some damages against qualified providers, though medical care costs are exempt.
Have A Doctor-Attorney Review Your Surgical Malpractice Claim
Most New Mexico malpractice claims carry a three-year filing deadline. Contact our Albuquerque-based legal team today for a free, confidential case evaluation. Our doctor-attorney and dedicated medical malpractice lawyers will review your case and help determine your legal options. Call 888-819-2544 to speak with an Albuquerque surgical malpractice lawyer.