Many Louisiana residents can understand the trepidation one feels when checking into a medical facility for surgery or any other procedure. Not only do people fear that pain and discomfort may accompany the procedure, but they may also worry that medical personnel might not follow all necessary safety protocol, including sterilizing of instruments. Such negligent actions can lead to unexpected serious consequences, perhaps even resulting in a medical malpractice situation. Recently, a woman from another state filed a lawsuit against a surgery center, claiming its failure to follow proper sterilization procedures led to thousands of patients being exposed to dangerous pathogens. The woman was one of 3,778 patients who had visited the facility for a procedure between Jan. 1, 2018

On behalf of David Bowling of The Bowling Law Firm, A Professional Law Corporation posted in Surgical Errors on Tuesday, January 1, 2019. When someone checks into a hospital for surgery, whether in Louisiana or another state, he or she likely assumes specific procedures are in place to protect the safety of all patients. However, a recent investigation by public health officials in a different state revealed a surgical error that took place at one hospital several years ago. As a result, in addition to being fined over $40,000, the hospital had to take action to improve its internal processes to improve patient safety and prevent medical and surgical errors. In Dec. 2014, a woman checked into the hospital for open-heart surgery.