Healthcare Never Events in Chicago

In healthcare, there is a small margin for error and an enormous potential for harm. Any mistake by a doctor, surgeon, or other medical professional could have significant or fatal consequences for the patient. The gravity of this issue is why so many healthcare professionals strive towards perfection in their work.

However, no doctor is perfect, and even the most skilled healthcare providers are capable of causing harm by making a medical error. That said, some events are so shocking and egregious that they should never occur. They’re so severe that the healthcare industry designates them “Never Events.”

If you or a loved one was the victim of a never event, speak with a medical malpractice lawyer from Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. as soon as possible. You may be entitled to compensation for the harm that the error has caused you.

Get directions to our Chicago Medical Malpractice Law Firm

What are Never Events?

Coined in 2001 by Ken Kizer, never events are wholly preventable medical errors. The National Quality Forum (NQF) defines never events in healthcare as serious reportable events that are preventable through adherence to evidence-based guidelines. The mere occurrence of a never event indicates a complete disregard for established standard procedures for care.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) provides access to a comprehensive and well-maintained list of Serious Reportable Events in Healthcare. Although the majority of these events would still be considered a never event, it’s important to recognize key differences in categorizing these events. In AHRQ’s list of Serious Reportable Events in Healthcare, errors are broken into the following six specific categories:

• Surgical Events: This category encompasses a range of surgical errors, such as performing a procedure on the wrong body part (wrong-site surgery), operating on the wrong patient, or leaving a foreign object, like a sponge or surgical instrument, inside a patient after surgery. As a result, these errors can lead to infection, internal bleeding, and organ damage.
• Product or Device Events: Never events in this category involve using contaminated drugs, devices, or biologics, potentially exposing patients to infections or other harmful consequences. Product and device events include expired medications or devices that have been recalled due to safety concerns.
• Patient Protection Events: These events compromise patient safety and well-being, including infant abduction or discharge to the wrong person, patient suicide or attempted suicide while in a healthcare setting, and patient elopement (disappearance) from a healthcare facility.
• Care Management Events: This category focuses on errors related to medication administration, such as administering the wrong medication, giving an incorrect dosage, or using the wrong route of administration. It also includes events like unsafe administration of blood products, which can lead to severe transfusion reactions, and patient falls, which can result in fractures, head injuries, and other serious complications.
• Environmental Events: Never events in this category involve hazards within the healthcare environment, such as patient death or serious injury associated with using restraints or bedrails. It also includes injuries resulting from burns, falls, or electric shock while on hospital property.
• Criminal Events: Criminal acts committed within the healthcare setting are particularly heinous. This category includes criminal acts such as impersonating a physician, committing acts of sexual or physical abuse against patients, or stealing medications from patients.

Never Event Statistics

The Patient Safety Network (PSN), a division of the AHRQ, estimates that around 4,000 surgical never events – just one of the six types of never events recognized by the NQF – occur in U.S. hospitals annually. Worse, the consequences of these hospital never events are often severe. The PSN cites an additional study that found that 71 percent of such errors over a twelve-year span were fatal to the patient. The serious consequences of a never event can include:

• Permanent injury or disability – Never events can lead to lifelong physical impairments, neurological damage, or loss of function.
• Increased healthcare costs – Patients who survive never events often require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term care, resulting in significant financial burdens.
• Emotional distress – Never events can cause immense emotional trauma for patients and their families, leading to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Death – Given their extreme danger to patients’ health, many never events can result in death.

How Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. Can Help You in a Never Event Case

If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to a never event, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries, pain, suffering, and other losses. The experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. deeply understand the complexities of never event cases and can pursue your case on your behalf. If you choose us to represent you, we can:

• Thoroughly investigate the incident to determine liability
• Gather evidence to support your claim, including medical records, expert testimony, and witness statements
• File your claim in a timely manner and adhere to the rigorous rules concerning medical malpractice suits
• Negotiate with insurance companies with the goal of securing a fair settlement
• Represent you aggressively in court if necessary to protect your rights

Our Illinois Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help You

Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has the experience and resources to handle complex medical malpractice cases, including those involving never events. Our firm obtained the highest compensatory verdict for an individual plaintiff in Illinois history and has secured over 350 verdicts and settlements of $1 million or more. Cumulatively, we have recovered more than $2.5 billion on behalf of our clients.

Our diverse team of more than 20 skilled litigators and 35 dedicated support staff members is committed to providing compassionate and effective legal representation. We understand the devastating impact that medical malpractice can have on individuals and families, and we are ready to fight for justice on your behalf. 

Medical malpractice cases can be complex because of the technical nature of the claims and the many laws regulating them. We have the knowledge, legal skills, and compassion to represent you and seek the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation with a medical malpractice attorney, and let us start work on your claim right away.