Surgical Errors Continue to Harm Patients at Zuckerberg Hospital

The Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center is the only Level 1 trauma center that serves the nearly 1.5 million residents in San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. The hospital was originally at the forefront in treating and identifying early cases of AIDS in the country. Now, it is a safety net hospital that cares for the poor, elderly and homeless in the community. In fact, 80 percent of its patients are either uninsured or on Medicare.

Unfortunately, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital is not immune from medical errors and mistakes. In 2020, they received a rather average safety grade of a C. While the hospital itself excelled in keeping patients free from infection, they encountered multiple issues after surgery. They scored poorly in numerous surgical areas, including:

• Surgical wounds split open often after surgery
• Death from serious treatable complications
• Collapsed lung after surgery
• Dangerous blood clots after surgery
• Accidental cuts and tears after surgery

In addition to surgical errors, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital has been in the news for failing to monitor patients appropriately, leading to dangerous and deadly injuries. One of the most prominent cases occurred in 2013 when a patient went missing at Zuckerberg Hospital. The 57-year-old patient was eventually found dead 17 days later on an unused stairwell. Three employees were fired and the hospital was fined by the California Department of Public Health for such an egregious safety violation.

At Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard L.L.P, we have the knowledge and experience needed to tackle tough medical malpractice cases at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Surgical errors and medical errors are largely preventable. That is why we work tirelessly for patients who suffered adverse effects and injury after a surgical procedure or after a nurse failed to monitor them closely.

Surgical errors known as “never events” occur at least 4,000 times a year. These events are ones that should never occur and include things like leaving sponges and objects inside of patients, operating on the wrong side of the body or performing the wrong surgery.

Never events are just one type of surgical error, but they are the most egregious. These types of errors are difficult for hospitals to defend against because they involve serious breaches of care. Often multiple mistakes and errors must have occurred before a “never event” happens. Safety protocols and procedures must have been ignored and serious omissions made. Because of this, these types of surgical errors often result in large medical malpractice awards.

Other types of surgical errors are not always so easy to recognize. Surgeons who fail to close wounds properly or medical teams that fail to monitor patients for signs of post-op sepsis are just two examples of surgical errors that could be made. Some of the most common surgical errors include:

• Nerve damage
• Wrong surgical site
• Surgery on wrong patient
• Surgical tools left in patient
• Injuries to internal organs
• Improper suturing or closing of wound
• Hemorrhaging

Surgical errors can happen for many reasons. However, the most common reasons why surgical errors occur include:

• Communication breakdown
• Improper dosage of medication
• Surgeon not prepared for surgery
• Not properly sterilized equipment
• Incompetence
• Cutting corners or ignoring safety policies
• Lack of proper supervision
• Improper post op or pre-op planning

It can be difficult to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. At Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard L.L.P, we believe in holding negligent hospitals accountable for the harm they’ve caused. That is why we work tirelessly for our injured clients from the start.

In order to win your case, we will need to establish that the surgeon or surgical team acted negligently when performing your surgery or in the days following your surgical procedure. Did they fail to monitor you? Did they perform a procedure incorrectly? These are questions we ask in order to help identify whether the surgical team is to blame for your injury and for the harm you suffered.

Not all adverse outcomes after surgery are the result of medical malpractice. That is why we must investigate each aspect of the procedure to determine where you suffered harm and why you were injured.

Surgical errors are often the result of overworked and inexperienced surgeons and medical staff. We work diligently to get to the bottom of these cases for our clients to help them secure the compensation they deserve after suffering a serious medical injury.

If you suffered an injury as a patient in Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, it is important to know that you are not alone. Call us at (408) 289-1417 or fill out our confidential contact form for more information. We offer a free consultation and review of your case. We can help you determine the best course of legal action for you at this time. Let us help! Call today.