Bariatric surgeries like gastric bypass and gastrectomy can be very helpful weight loss aids for people who have not gotten good results from exercise and diet changes, and who also have other complications like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes. Like any medical procedure, weight loss surgery can also be risky if it is not performed competently and carefully by qualified medical professionals. Unfortunately, not every surgeon is as diligent as they should be, which can have serious consequences for patients.
If you or a loved one were seriously harmed because of a surgeon’s negligence, you have legal options available to you. Our Shelton weight loss surgery malpractice lawyers at Berkowitz and Hanna, LLC can evaluate your case and work with you to secure the compensation you deserve.
No surgical procedure is entirely without risk, and bariatric surgeries are certainly no exception. In addition to the ever-present risk of complications like infections and internal bleeding, weight loss surgery can also lead to long-term complications like severe acid reflux, gallstones, bowel obstructions, and what is known as “dumping syndrome,” which involves food moving too quickly through the digestive tract and causing severe diarrhea, nausea, and malnutrition.
While doctors are not expected to prevent every possible complication for every single patient they treat, they do have an obligation to meet the same “standard of care” that any other doctor with the same skills and experience would provide under the same conditions. Taking legal action will involve demonstrating that your complications from weight loss surgery in Shelton stemmed directly from your doctor acting in a way no other equally qualified doctor would have. Our malpractice attorneys can help you demand civil compensation for losses caused by those complications.
The strength of any personal injury case is determined by how much evidence you have on your side and how effectively you can present that evidence to support your claim for compensation. Expert witness testimony can often be vital in both regards. One unique aspect of medical malpractice lawsuits is that the involvement of at least one expert witness is not just recommended, but strictly required by state law.
More specifically, Connecticut General Statutes §52-190a requires you to go through a “reasonable inquiry” process before you are allowed to file suit for malpractice. This process entails getting a qualified medical expert to review all your evidence and affirm, in a written statement, signed under oath, that they believe you have valid grounds to sue. Guidance from a lawyer can be crucial to fulfilling this and other procedural requirements for your Shelton bariatric surgery malpractice claim in a timely fashion.
If you are in a position where surgery may be your best option for long-term weight loss, you already know all too well how imperfect certain types of treatment can be and how differently each person may respond to those treatments. Even with that being the case, you should be able to trust that your doctors will do everything in their power to ensure your surgery has the best possible outcome for you and that you do not suffer any long-term harm from substandard care.
If your doctors failed to fulfill the standard of care they owed you, a Shelton weight loss surgery malpractice lawyer from Berkowitz and Hanna, LLC can help you demand comprehensive compensation for your losses. Call today for a free confidential consultation.
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