If your doctor’s surgical equipment is poorly sanitized, you, and other patients, could suffer severe consequences. Faulty or inadequate sterilization can increase the surgical patient’s risk of infection, which can lead to the development of HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis A, or other blood-borne diseases.
Recently, faulty sterilization at Goshen Health, a hospital in Indiana, put countless patients at risk of serious infection—and, unfortunately, this issue happens in other healthcare facilities across the country. If you or someone you love suffered an infection or another injury due to poorly sterilized surgical equipment, our firm is here to help.
Why Wagner Reese?
At Wagner Reese, our attorneys know what it takes to build a strong case against negligent, careless hospitals and sterilization companies. We’ve handled countless medical malpractice cases during our decades in practice, including cases involving a variety of terrible surgical errors. Since opening our doors in 1997, we’ve recovered more than $300 million in verdicts and settlements on behalf of our clients, and we’ve been recognized by several prestigious organizations.
Our attorneys have been honored by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and many more. No matter how complex or problematic your case may seem, our firm is prepared to provide you with the zealous, comprehensive legal representation you need and deserve.
Call (888) 204-8440 today to get in touch with our Indianapolis-based unsanitary surgical equipment attorneys.
The Danger of Poorly Sanitized Surgical Equipment
Surgical rooms must be kept perfectly clean to avoid infection. Hospitals must, by law, go to great lengths to ensure surgical rooms are free of potential contaminants, which is why patients must wear sterilized hospital gowns, doctors must vigorously wash their hands, nurses must don surgical masks, and so on. As you can imagine, a contaminated surgical instrument, which comes in direct contact with the patient, can be extensively damaging.
The equipment could transfer deadly germs, microbes, or bacteria to the patient, resulting in painful, sometimes life-altering infections. If left untreated, some infections may result in life-long illnesses or permanent damage. In extreme cases, infections can also be fatal.
Who Could Be Liable?
When dealing with a surgical equipment issue, there are several parties who could be liable. First and foremost, the hospital or medical facility where the surgery takes place could be liable for allowing the faulty equipment to make its way to the surgical table. Some hospitals outsource surgical sterilization, in which case the sterilization company could be at-fault for failure to sterilize the equipment. If a doctor reuses dirty equipment or contaminates equipment due to some type of misconduct, they could be liable for the resulting damage as well.
Surgical equipment contamination may be caused by:
- Improper sanitization processes
- Faulty sanitization packaging
- Unsanitary equipment storage
- Reuse of surgical equipment
- Misconduct involving surgical equipment
- Insufficient hospital policies regarding surgical equipment
Do You Have a Case? We Can Help.
Our team at Wagner Reese understands how traumatizing surgical mistakes can be, especially if the mistake led you, or a loved one, to develop a severe illness or injury. We firmly believe in holding negligent parties responsible for their actions, which is why we are passionate about helping the wrongfully injured seek justice and maximum compensation after medical mishaps. Our attorneys are passionate about using their legal skills to help our clients, and we have the resources and the reputation to support a wide variety of medical malpractice cases. Whatever you’re up against, our firm is here to lend the legal support you need.
To learn more about the faulty sterilization issues at Goshen Health, read our blog, “Goshen Health Issues Letter To Surgical Patients Warning of Faulty Sterilization and Risk of Infection.”
Contact Wagner Reese today to get started on your case. Our Indiana-based faulty sterilization attorneys are here to help.
