What Is a “Never Event?”

There are many times when mistakes happen in medical care, and as such, they can almost be forgivable when medical providers take the right steps to provide restitution to those who suffer. Some events, though, are hard to imagine. It can be said that these should be occurrences that “never” occur. These are never events, and frequently result in Portland medical malpractice lawsuits.

Understanding Never Events

A never event is some type of medical error that is particularly shocking or hard to fathom how it could occur. The first use of the term was by Ken Kizer, MD, who introduced the occurrence in 2001. A solid example of this is when a person has a procedure that is not the right one for them or perhaps one in which a doctor performs surgery on the wrong location.

These types of medical events are those that leave a person with significant disability or even suffering death and, often, that are preventable incidents. The list of never events has grown over the years to expand to include many conditions that are particularly shocking medical errors, including mistakes such as the following:

• Surgery or invasive procedures on the wrong patient or body part, or when the wrong surgery is performed on that person
• A patient suffers due to the use of contaminated drugs, devices, or biologics in a healthcare setting like a hospital.
• A foreign object is left inside a patient after a procedure that should not be there
• Releasing a patient who is not able to make decisions for themselves
• Patient suicide or attempted suicide while being cared for in a medical facility
• Medication errors, including wrong doses, wrong drugs, wrong rates, or wrong administration
• Unsafe administration of blood products
• Patients suffer electric shock in the course of care
• Artificial insemination of the wrong donor sperm or egg
• A patient falls in a hospital setting
• The development of stage 3, stage 4, or an unstable level of bedsore
• Death from the presence of a metallic object during an MRI
• Abduction of a patient or resident

What to Do If You Are the Victim of a Never Event

The list here is not comprehensive, though you can learn more about what are considered never events at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Our medical malpractice attorneys can also help you if you have been the victim in a case like this. You should never simply settle your claim for these losses but instead, ensure you have a reliable attorney by your side to help you navigate what comes next. Our attorney will work together with information about what occurred and why. We will ensure that you know exactly what your right to compensation is in a case like this.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Medical Malpractice Attorney Now

Schedule a free consultation with Paulson Coletti Trial Attorneys PC now to learn more about your legal rights. Let us seek out compensation to support you as you recover or fight for the loss of your family member.