Surgery is a common treatment option for a range of mild to serious conditions, including certain cancers, heart and lung conditions, as well as gastrointestinal and reproductive disorders. Despite modern technologies and advances in surgical techniques, however, surgery can still be a complicated procedure that carries risks for patients, particularly when the procedures are more invasive or when patients have certain other medical conditions.

Have You Suffered a Surgical Error?

If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a surgical error, or if your loved one died from medical malpractice during surgery, contact Gacovino, Lake & Associates for help. Our well-respected, highly skilled lawyers have decades of combined experience helping victims of surgical errors recover compensation for their losses.

Types of Surgical Errors

Surgical problems can occur and harm patients as a result of:

•  Poor preoperative planning: Before any surgery is performed, a doctor should thoroughly evaluate a patient's personal and family medical history, including any medications the patient may currently be taking. Some medications and conditions may require that a procedure be performed in a specific manner in order to be safe for the patients. Failure to do so can lead to surgical errors during a procedure.
• Surgical errors during the procedure: The most serious surgical errors are caused by inexperienced, negligent or careless medical professionals. When such medical mistakes occur during surgery, they can be caused by use of un-sterile equipment, incorrect incisions, prolonged procedures and/or damage to other organs or nerves.
• Post-operative injuries: Infections, recurring conditions and septic shock are types of surgical errors that occur when medical professionals fail to properly clean and attend to patients during follow-up care.

Medical Mistake Statistics

• Each year, between 60 and 70 cases of wrong site surgery—surgery on the wrong part of the patient or on the wrong patient altogether—is reported.
• One in five medical mistakes is life-threatening
• Approximately 98,000 patients die each year due to preventable medical mistakes
• In 75 of the largest counties in the U.S., about 50 percent of all malpractice lawsuits are filed against surgeons
• Last year, there were more than 4,100 settlement payments made in surgical error lawsuits

Starting a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

At Gacovino, Lake & Associates, we welcome prospective plaintiffs to learn more about their legal rights during a free, no obligation consultation with one of our experienced lawyers. We are committed to aggressively defending our client's rights and will work hard to resolve your case in a timely, efficient manner. We recognize the physical, emotional and financial losses you and your family are facing and will commit ourselves to helping you recover the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.

Contact Gacovino, Lake & Associates to determine if you have a substantial lawsuit.

Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury refers to any damage that affects the nerve roots throughout the spine and impairs the body's ability to communicate with the brain. In most cases, spinal cord injuries result in irreversible paralysis (loss of movement) and loss of sensation below the point of injury. Spinal cord injuries may be caused by a range of factors, including:

• blood vessel defects
• developmental or neurodegenerative disorders
• malignancies
• medical malpractice (especially during the birthing process)
• multiple sclerosis
• obstructed blood flow to the spine and its surrounding organs
• stroke
• sudden trauma, which can result from a car accident, a fall, a stab wound or a gun shot wound

Although there is no cure for many spinal cord injuries, researchers are investigating new treatment methods. Currently, treatments for spinal cord injuries revolve around improving a patient's quality of life and helping him/her to live as independently as possible.

Symptoms of Spinal Cord Injuries

The specific symptoms a patient will experience will depend on the nature and severity of the injury as well as whether the injury is:

• Complete: total feeling and function is lost in some part of the body; or
• Incomplete: partial feeling or function is maintained in the affected area

Spinal cord injuries that affect all or part of the lower body (the legs, trunk and pelvic organs) are referred to as paraplegia. Those that affect the body below the neck (the arms, trunk, pelvic organs and legs) are known as tetraplegia or quadriplegia.

In addition to loss of movement and sensation, other symptoms of spinal cord injuries may include:

• an inability to control urination and/or the bowels
• changes in sexual function or sensitivity
• exaggerated reflexes
• extreme pressure in the back, neck or head
• infertility
• lack of coordination
• muscle spasms
• numbness and/or weakness in the affected area
• pain at the site of the injury (due to nerve damage)
• problems breathing, swallowing or coughing

Help For Victims of Spinal Cord Injuries

It's essential that injured parties seek emergency medical treatment to prevent further, potentially fatal complications. Depending on the type and severity of the condition, patients may need:

• surgery
• medications to manage pain and minimize muscle spasms
• physical therapy
• assistive technologies, such as wheelchairs or voice-activated computer programs
• exercise
• experimental treatments (Clinical trials for spinal cord injuries are currently researching a number of new, potentially beneficial treatments)

Have you or a loved one recently been diagnosed with a spinal cord injury? If so, the highly qualified personal injury attorneys at Gacovino, Lake & Associates welcome you to attend a complimentary initial consult to find out if you have a legal claim and are entitled to compensation for your injuries and losses. We will investigate the details of your injury to determine what happened and why, and will fight tirelessly to ensure you recover the compensation you need and deserve.

Nursing Home Abuse

Although most nursing homes enforce strict codes of conduct for their employees and safety standards for their residents, our elderly loved ones may still at be at risk for abuse and neglect. Often, this mistreatment is due to improperly trained, overworked, or unethical employees.

There are many types of abuse, including physical abuse, verbal abuse, and financial abuse. Neglect can range from not providing a patient with nutritious meals or sufficient exercise to failing to socialize a patient or prevent the development of bedsores. If your loved one has fallen victim to nursing home abuse, the medical malpractice lawyers at Gacovino, Lake & Associates can help. To schedule a private consultation with an experienced attorney, contact us today.
Types of Nursing Home Abuse

Sadly, abuse and neglect of our elders is not an uncommon practice. In fact, nursing home abuse can take many forms, such as:

Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is one of the more obvious forms of nursing home abuse. Some of the sign and symptoms to watch out for include:

• Bruises
• Open sores
• Unexplained broken bones
• Sprains, dislocations
• Internal injuries such as bleeding
• Broken eye glasses
• Restrain marks on the wrists or elsewhere

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse occurs when employees have non-consensual sexual contact with a resident of the nursing home. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Bruising on the breast or genital area
• Unexplained infection or venereal disease
• Vaginal or anal bleeding/ signs of tenderness

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse can occur in a number of ways such as:

• Verbal threats, assault and insults
• Public humiliation
• Intimidation by employees or other residents
• Isolation from resident activities
• Not allowing visits from friends and family

Nursing Home Neglect

Neglect is a form of elder abuse. The term is used to define any refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a worker's obligation or duties.

For instance, neglect occurs when an employee fails to provide a resident with the following necessities:

• Food
• Water
• Medication
• Showers
• Safety
• Fresh sheets and/or clothing
• Personal hygiene
• Comfort and care

Sadly there are several ways in which nursing home abuse can occur. Some of the most common signs to look out for include a sudden change in behavior, refusal to see friends and family and friends, and other emotional changes such as unexplained sadness, depression and withdrawal.

Our Elders Are Counting On You

Many times, victims of nursing home abuse and neglect will be too afraid to report incidents of wrongdoing. So, it is up to you to pay attention to the signs and symptoms. If you suspect any wrongdoing, don't wait.

Contact the medical malpractice lawyers at Gacovino, Lake & Associates for help. We will conduct a thorough investigation to expose any wrongdoing that may have occurred. If our investigators and attorneys conclude that abuse or neglect has occurred, we will fight aggressively and relentlessly to ensure all responsible parties are held accountable.

Failure to Diagnose

Failing to diagnose medical problems is one of the most common medical mistakes made by doctors. In fact, experts estimate that as much as 40 percent of all medical malpractice cases result from failure to properly diagnose a patient's condition. In most cases, the later a condition is identified and treated, the less likely there will be favorable outcomes.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a doctor's failure to properly diagnose a condition and you are seeking experienced and committed representation, contact Gacovino, Lake & Associates for help. Our highly qualified, well-respected legal team has decades of experience successfully going up against corporate lawyers and insurance companies to expose medical wrongdoing and to obtain the compensation our clients need to move forward with their lives.
How Failure to Diagnose Occurs

Medical professionals can fail to diagnose patients due to:

• Failure to perform necessary diagnostic tests (This can occur when doctors don't call for specific tests or when insurance companies don't allow doctors to perform these tests)
• Inability to read or inattention to the results of such tests
• The presence of generic symptoms (i.e. fever, fatigue, nausea) that may indicate various conditions
• Lack of experience
• Negligence

Conditions Commonly Misdiagnosed

Conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed are those that are marked by general or minimal symptoms. In many cases, these conditions include (but aren't limited to):

• appendicitis
• cancers
• diabetes
• heart diseases
• hypertension
• liver damage
• meningitis
• neuropathy

When a diagnosis is not made, proper treatment is delayed and, in turn, such health complications are allowed to grow more severe. The consequences can be fatal if treatment is delayed for too long.
Starting a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

Those who have been injured because a medical professional has misdiagnosed or failed to diagnose their condition will have a legal claim and will be entitled to compensation for their damages which may include:

• funeral and burial costs, should their loved one die from a failed diagnosis
• outstanding medical bills
• ongoing treatment costs
• permanent disabilities
• lost wages
• pain and suffering

Prospective plaintiffs can get their case started by meeting with an experienced personal injury lawyer at Gacovino, Lake & Associates. During this initial consultation, our skilled attorneys will inform you of your legal rights and provide you with expert advice on how to proceed with your claim—based on your individual needs and the circumstances of your specific case. We guarantee premier representation in all necessary legal proceedings and will commit 100 percent to your case. Our ultimate goal is to get each of our clients through the legal process efficiently and to help victims of medical malpractice get the highest amount of compensation possible.