Surgical errors in Scranton can shatter lives in a matter of hours, leaving patients to cope with unexpected pain, disability, and financial strain. When a preventable mistake occurs in an operating room, families deserve answers and accountability. Munley Law’s Scranton medical malpractice attorneys stand beside injured patients across Lackawanna County and fight to hold negligent providers responsible.
When a surgeon, anesthesiologist, or hospital fails to meet the accepted standard of care, the consequences can be permanent. We work with nationally respected medical experts to investigate what went wrong, determine who is responsible, and pursue full compensation. If you or someone you love was harmed during surgery, we are ready to guide you forward.
Contact Munley Law today for a free consultation about your surgical error case. Let us use our experience to help you during this difficult time.
Contact a Medical Malpractice Lawyer at Munley Law
Call Us At 844-686-5397 What are the Most Common Types of Surgical Errors in Scranton, PA?
Although modern surgical safety protocols have reduced risks, preventable errors still occur. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), serious, preventable surgical “never events” – such as wrong-site surgery or retained foreign objects – continue to be reported nationwide each year.
The AHRQ and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also track surgical complications and healthcare-associated infections, which affect hundreds of thousands of patients annually.
Surgical errors encompass a range of preventable mistakes that can occur before, during, or after a procedure. While most surgeries are performed without incident, understanding the most common types of surgical errors can help patients recognize when they may have been victims of medical negligence. These errors often result from communication breakdowns, inadequate preparation, fatigue, or failure to follow established protocols.
Wrong Site Surgery
This occurs when the surgeon performs the procedure on the wrong body part. Despite standard protocols like marking
the correct site, mistakes still happen. For example, a doctor may operate on the left knee instead of the right or even remove the wrong organ. Wrong-site surgeries can lead to unnecessary pain and can even require additional surgeries to correct the mistake.
Permanent Nerve Damage/Paralysis
During surgery, a small wrong move with a scalpel or improper technique can cause permanent nerve damage, leading to partial or full paralysis. This is especially common in spinal surgeries or procedures involving areas with many nerves. The damage may result in chronic pain, loss of sensation, or an inability to move certain body parts.
Instruments Left Behind
Leaving surgical instruments, gauze, or sponges happens with alarming frequency. These retained objects can cause severe complications, including infections, internal injuries, or even death if not discovered promptly. Correcting this error typically requires another surgery to remove the foreign object.
Anesthesia Errors
Anesthesia errors can involve dispensing too much or too little anesthesia, and both mistakes have serious consequences.
Giving too much anesthesia can lead to brain damage or death. At the same time, too little anesthesia can cause anesthesia awareness, in which the patient remains conscious during surgery but is unable to move or communicate.
Anesthesia errors can also include a failure to monitor the patient’s vital signs by the anesthesiologist or other healthcare professionals, or intubating the patient improperly, which can result in respiratory failure.
“Honoring those who came before us, Munley Law proudly continues our family tradition of innovation, caring, and integrity.”
Caroline Munley
Why Do I Need a Scranton Medical Error Lawyer to Protect My Rights?
While medical malpractice can take many forms, surgical errors can be among the most serious. In the United States, more than 4,000 preventable surgical mistakes happen each year, causing harm to those patients and their loved ones. Around 60% of these errors result in temporary injuries, while 33% cause permanent damage. Tragically, nearly 7% of these cases lead to the death of the patient.
If you’ve experienced a surgical error in Scranton, your medical malpractice attorney from Munley Law is ready to fight for you. A personal injury attorney who specializes in malpractice law is essential to helping you by:
Proving Liability
One of the toughest parts of a medical malpractice case is demonstrating that the healthcare provider’s medical negligence directly caused your injury. Your lawyer will provide the best legal representation by:
- Gathering Medical Records: We will review your medical history and consult with experts to assess whether the standard of care was breached during your surgery.
- Working with Medical Experts: Munley Law works with a team of experienced medical professionals who can testify about the surgical error and why it deviated from accepted medical care practices.
- Proving Causation: Your attorney will demonstrate clear evidence showing that harm to the patient’s body could have been avoided if your medical team had followed the proper standard of care.
Don’t rely on friends or the internet for legal advice. If you are considering a medical malpractice lawsuit, finding the right attorney-client relationship with a legal expert is essential. Talk to a personal injury attorney at Munley Law’s Scranton Law offices today. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, positioning our clients for stronger settlement negotiations or courtroom success.
Maximizing Compensation
Once liability is established, our focus shifts to securing the maximum compensation for your injuries by:
- Calculating All Damages: We account for all your damages, including medical costs, pain and suffering, lost income, and future expenses related to your injury.
- Negotiating Settlements: Many malpractice cases are settled by negotiation. We know how to fight for your maximum compensation.
- Trial Representation: If a fair settlement can’t be reached, we go to court and fight for your rights.
Munley Law has achieved substantial multi-million-dollar recoveries for seriously injured clients across Pennsylvania. Insurance companies know we are prepared to litigate aggressively if they refuse a fair settlement.
Why Should I Choose Munley Law’s Scranton Medical Malpractice Lawyers for a Surgical Error Claim?
If a surgical error in Scranton has injured you, you want the experienced medical malpractice lawyers at Munley Law on your side. For almost 70 years, our family-owned firm has represented victims of medical malpractice and catastrophic injury throughout Pennsylvania. We are experts in all types of medical malpractice. Our attorneys have been recognized by organizations such as Super Lawyers and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and senior partner Marion Munley is the Vice President of the American Association for Justice. 
Your surgeon and the medical center’s insurance company will have their lawyers working hard to protect their interests. Make sure you are protected, and your rights are preserved.
Some of our major medical malpractice and surgical error lawsuit results include:
- $5 million settlement for medical malpractice
- $4.35 million settlement for medical malpractice
- $2.1 million for a botched surgery that resulted in the client’s death
- $2 million for a client who suffered a fatal heart attack after surgery
- $1.6 million jury verdict for the family of a patient who died because of malpractice
- $1.5 million award for death due to medical negligence
- $1.3 million settlement for a hospital infection case
Contact the Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Munley Law
If you or a loved one is the victim of medical malpractice, call your Scranton medical malpractice lawyer at Munley Law today for your free consultation.
Don’t let the two-year statute of limitations run out on your medical malpractice claim; call us today about your medical mistake injury case.
Caroline Munley
Caroline Munley is a board-certified workers’ compensation specialist. Since 2018, she’s been listed in Best Lawyers in America (Personal Injury Plaintiffs; Workers’ Compensation Claimants, Northeastern PA), Lawdragon, and has been a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer since 2022. A member of the International Society of Barristers, Caroline has won millions of dollars for car accident, commercial truck crash, and workplace injury victims.
Reviewed by Bernadine Munley, Esq., Personal Injury Attorney at Munley Law, on March 5, 2026.
