This article is on the subject of something we have discussed before in blog topics and is something we are more than familiar with dealing with here at The Injury Lawyers. The reason we’re going on about it again is because of a recent article in The Independent that has covered the issue of medical professionals confusing their left with their right; and vice versa.
As the article discusses, some of the most horrifying cases of medical negligence boil down to a catastrophic human error of confusing the right and left.
There have been cases where the wrong organ has been removed, or where the wrong limb has been operated on. For fairly obvious reasons the NHS do have stringent checks to ensure this kind of thing doesn’t happen but the phenomenon of confusing the right and the left is still something that occurs today.
The article discusses the obvious distractions associated with working in an environment like a hospital. Phone calls; beepers; instruments making noises; distractions from both staff and patients – these are all things that could cause a brief but significant error in mixing up which side is which. If you imagine a surgeon facing a patient as well, we’re talking about the sides being opposite which can only exacerbate confusion.
Ultimately a factor that is called the ‘distraction effect‘ is one that is prominent in most healthcare professions, and studies have suggested that there are distractions which are enough to confuse even medical professionals.
What happens if you are the victim of a healthcare professional mixing up your sides?
You are entitled to make a claim for personal injury compensation if you are the victim of a blatant human error like this. We have represented and advised thousands of victims who fall within the complex realm of medical negligence law, and we have obtained millions of pounds in compensation for victims over many years.
Although medical negligence claims can be complex it is still important to instruct an expert law firm like us because we can offer risk free arrangements and guarantee the best payout possible – even when the circumstances are more clear cut like this.
All you need to do is call our specialist team on 0800 634 7575 today.
