Surgeon preparing for surgery

Surgical Errors Lawyer

Surgical errors and other types of malpractice can turn routine surgeries into tragic events with life-changing, permanent consequences. 

If a medical professional's negligence resulted in injury, disfigurement, or disability, our law firm can fight for financial justice.

After a surgical error, Younker Hyde Macfarlane in Utah can help ensure your legal rights are protected. 

Common Surgical Errors That Can Result in Medical Malpractice Cases

All surgeries carry risk, but through due diligence and experience, surgical errors should be prevented. When surgical errors do occur, it may indicate a medical malpractice claim against the involved parties.

Operating room with team of medical professionals

Wrong Operation

Sometimes malpractice is committed when a surgical procedure is performed on the wrong part of the body. Common examples include surgical procedures on the wrong limb, kidney, hernia side, or organ. 

Gloved hands exchanging a scalpel

Perforation

Another avoidable case of malpractice occurs when a surgeon pierces or clips eardrums, bowels, intestines, or organs. When a body part is cut that should have remained untouched, it may indicate medical malpractice. 

Anesthesia mask being placed over patient's face

Egregious Oversight

Medical professionals can commit medical malpractice through carelessness. For example, they might leave a foreign object inside the body, send a patient home too early, make anesthesia errors, or fail to detect bleeding or infection.

Seeking Compensation for Damages Our Surgical Error Attorneys Fight for Your Financial Recovery

The emotional, physical, and financial costs of surgical errors can be overwhelming. For this reason, our Salt Lake City team of medical malpractice attorneys will work diligently to recover the maximum amount of compensation possible for you and your family.

In cases involving surgical errors, damages are usually awarded for:

Subsequent surgeries necessitated by the original error

Future related medical costs for aftercare, complications, and continuing treatment

Lifetime care costs, should the surgical error leave the victim dependent on others

Loss of past wages due to hospital stays, operations, and physical harm

Loss of future wages due to diminished earning capacity or an inability to work

Intangibles such as emotional and physical pain and suffering

It may also be possible to file for punitive damages, which are awarded to punish the liable parties for their recklessness.

Holding Medical Professionals Accountable for Surgical Errors

We trust medical professionals with our lives—even a "small" mistake made during surgery can have deep and lasting consequences for the victim. If you or a loved one were injured, you need a medical malpractice lawyer in your corner as soon as possible if you want the best shot at recovering damages for your injuries. The attorneys at Younker Hyde Macfarlane in Salt Lake City can bring clients success in this complex area of the law.

Talk to Our Surgical Error Attorneys Today With a Free Consultation

Our attorneys handle surgical case errors in Salt Lake City and all throughout Utah. Our team has a background in both defending and prosecuting malpractice, which means we understand what kind of defense the opposition will make and how to zealously prove your case. 


Our team is willing and able to handle complex cases. In fact, nearly three-quarters of our clients are referred by other law firms, oftentimes because they believe we are Utah's best choice for especially complex cases. We show no fear in pursuing cases to their fullest extent, while also understanding when a settlement is the right choice. 


Help is at hand. Call or contact our surgical error attorneys today to schedule your free consultation with our Salt Lake City firm. 

801-335-6467

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Our attorneys can fight to attain the financial compensation you deserve after a surgical error, so you can focus on healing.

Utah Turns to Us For Medical Malpractice Claims

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Cathy Kelly

Salt Lake City, UT

2023

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Our experience with Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC was easy & stress-free. We filed a Wrongful Death suit in late 2020 & was settled out of court in late 2022. The people we worked with, Brittney Bohne, McKay Corbett, & John MacFarlane were very professional & explained everything from start to finish. This team did an outstanding job of representing our interests. I would not hesitate to recommend this law firm to handle any legal problems, questions, lawsuits, etc. John MacFarlane was very good at obtaining a fair & equitable settlement on our behalf.

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Gilbert Cisneros

Salt Lake City, UT

2023

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Younker Hyde Macfarlane made it easier to navigate a difficult time in my life. They were professional and attentive to any questions that I had. McKay Corbett was the attorney that I primarily worked with. He explained things in a way that I could easily understand and was very personable. Younker Hyde Macfarlane made me feel like family and that I was being taken care of.

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How We Work to Prove Your Case

We take action in a variety of ways to prove medical malpractice occurred in your case. To prove your personal injury and other claims, our medical malpractice lawyers will:
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Draw on Past Cases

Our medical malpractice attorneys have successfully handled a great number of surgical error cases in the past. Each case we take receives personalized care and attention to detail. Your case may have similarities to our past victories, and we can utilize our experience to help you win. 

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Work With Experts

At Younker Hyde Macfarlane, our personal injury lawyers don't work alone. We often retain experts renowned throughout Utah, and can even consult with a national network of medical experts.

Many of our trusted expert witnesses teach at colleges and hospitals and have published textbooks and training manuals. With their expert help, we can definitively determine if a standard of care was breached. Their advanced knowledge of health care can provide the judge and jury with an objective appraisal of your case. 

Doctor with head in hands

Conduct a Thorough Evaluation

In any medical malpractice case, a successful resolution is dependent on showing that the defendant failed to perform a duty owed and did not abide by a reasonable standard of care.

We conduct a thorough evaluation of all available facts in your case. By reviewing all aspects, we can determine who is at fault and why. This allows us to create an optimal legal strategy so you can receive the best possible results. 

Our Attorneys Work on Contingency

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The medical malpractice attorneys at Younker Hyde Macfarlane represent their Utah clients on a contingency basis. This means that the only way our firm gets paid is if we win. Therefore, our number-one motivation is collecting the most compensation possible on your behalf. 

We Are Here to Represent You

Our medical malpractice attorneys have repeatedly proven our ability to secure significant amounts of compensation for our Utah clients. We have achieved several arbitration awards and settlements that exceed $1 million in surgical errors cases. Call 801-335-6467 or write to our team to discuss your case.

More Reviews of Our Salt Lake City Firm

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Alexa Leal

Salt Lake City, UT

2023

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Can't recommend these guys enough! They were so professional and made my family feel taken care of.

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Sonya Ravitch

Salt Lake City, UT

2023

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John Mcfarlane believes in fighting for what is right. I can’t thank this firm enough for the amazing work they’ve done, standing by my side... Amazing, warm and professional team that I highly recommend!

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What If You Are Partially to Blame?

Utah is a modified comparative negligence state. This means that a plaintiff can receive compensation for their injury even if they are partially to blame for causing it, as long as the defendant is responsible for 50% or more of the injury. 


Surgical error cases are a practice area that is usually complex. In many cases, a surgeon and their legal team present evidence suggesting that you are responsible for the complications suffered. For example, they may say that you failed to disclose key medical information that would have made the surgeon act differently. However, our surgical error lawyers could argue that the surgeon failed to seek out this information, and in doing so, was more responsible for your injury than you are. In short, even if it can be legitimately argued that you were partially at fault for your own losses, we will still do everything in our power to make sure the surgeon is held responsible for their negligence in the operating room.

Don't Let Time Run Out Surgical Error Cases Have Just Two Years to File

There are two key terms to understand for your surgical error case: liability and statute of limitations.

Liability

A medical professional has liability in a surgical error case if their actions make them responsible for medical malpractice. A doctor or nurse's negligence can interject an unnecessary and preventable element of danger into the surgical process that can end in disastrous results. If a doctor or nurse's actions directly resulted in injury, illness, disfigurement, or disability, they can be held legally liable through medical malpractice litigation. 

Statute of Limitations

Statute of limitations laws create deadlines for when a lawsuit must be filed by. In Utah, the statute for a medical malpractice case is two years from when an injury reasonably should have been discovered. There is also a maximum deadline of four years from the date of injury, even if the injury was not discovered until long after it was sustained. Wrongful death cases similarly have a two-year deadline from the date of your loved one’s death. 

If your case revolves around a foreign object being left in your body during a surgical procedure, you have one year from the time the object was found or should reasonably have been found. If you were prevented from discovering surgical misconduct due to fraud by the health care provider, you have one year from the time this fraud was or should have been discovered. Through a free consultation, our Salt Lake City-based medical malpractice lawyers can let you know if your claim is timely. 

801-335-6467

Utah Turns to Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers When Surgical Errors Threaten Their Livelihood

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Pete P

Salt Lake City, UT

2022

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Great compassion and professionalism from John Macfarlane and everyone at YHM, in taking care of us with the medical malpractice claim... we chose the right team and the result was what we all needed.

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1

Matt Cook

Salt Lake City, UT

2022

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My family had the pleasure of working with this firm following a tragic event. The firm was very good about answering our questions and explaining the process. Attorneys John Macfarlane and Mckay Corbett were empathetic and fought hard for our case. The paralegal Jill Bedford was also a true joy to work with. I recommend this firm to anyone who needs attorneys who will fight for your case like it’s their own family.

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Are There Limits on Compensation?

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In Utah personal injury lawsuits, there is no limit on economic damages like compensation for lost wages and medical expenses. Wrongful death cases have no cap whatsoever on non-economic damages. Non-economic damages such as emotional pain and suffering are capped at $450,000. You can trust that our attorneys are focused on collecting the absolute maximum in restitution for you and your family.

When Surgical Errors Result in Wrongful Death

Has an anesthesia error or surgical error resulted in the loss of someone you love? While no amount of money can truly make up for a loved one’s death, grieving family members deserve compensation for their loss. In Utah, wrongful death lawsuits can be filed by the deceased’s spouse, children, adopted children, parents, or adopted parents. 

Stepchildren may file wrongful death lawsuits if they were under 18 years old at the time of death and either received financial support from the deceased or lived with them at least part-time. If none of the previously mentioned parties have survived the decedent and you are a blood relative, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. During a free case review, our attorneys can determine if you have grounds to file a case. If you have the right to take legal action following the loss of a loved one, our lawyers can begin collecting evidence to support your case right away.

funeral tombstone

Damages for Wrongful Death

a man and woman paying their bills

When our medical malpractice lawyers take on a wrongful death case, we seek compensatory damages for losses including:

  • Funeral and burial costs
  • Loss of potential inheritance
  • Medical expenses from the fatal surgical procedure
  • Lost wages, future wages, and benefits the deceased would have earned
  • Pain and suffering the deceased endured between their injury and death
  • The loss of affection, advice, and relationship the deceased would have provided

Talk to Our Wrongful Death Attorneys

When surgical errors are fatal, our firm believes surviving family members deserve maximum restitution. Our team has handled many cases involving wrongful death due to medical malpractice. The attorneys of Younker Hyde Macfarlane are here to seek justice for grieving families. Call 801-335-6467 or write to us to book your free consultation.

Our Team Is Proud to Seek Justice for Victims in Utah

1

Teresa Jordan

2021

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I am so grateful for this law firm!! They worked hard and got justice for my son’s wrongful death!! They were quick and swift in bringing closure to me and my family. Ashton Hyde was awesome!! I believe he did everything he could for us!! I can’t thank them enough for all they have done for me!!

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Bret Christenson

2022

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As our family struggled through the process of dealing with our mothers death, they were busy taking care of things for us on a legal basis as though they were part of the family. To anyone reading this review in search for a good Law Firm to represent you. You will not find a Law Firm of better people and Lawyers than this Firm.

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Our Team Is Multilingual

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We are proud to be able to serve a diverse clientele thanks to our multilingual team. Mr. Macfarlane is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Mr. Corbett is fluent in Spanish and French, and has some proficiency in Portuguese. 

Utah Appreciates Us

1

Heather Christiansen

2022

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Ashton Hyde, thank you for your time. I appreciate everything you told me today and how this works. Very kind person and understanding. I can tell you are there to facilitate and help people.

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Laura Gray

2021

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I worked with John Macfarlane and his team in regards to my claim. My year old son was injured at daycare and there was an incident at the hospital where he received care as well. It was tough but once I contacted Younker Hyde Macfarlane, they all worked together to make this an easy process. What a relief! They were all great at responding back to my emails, phone calls, and answered any questions I had with complete transparency.

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Our Proven Attorneys
Handle a Vast Array of Medical Malpractice Cases

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We have won many verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 million for victims of medical malpractice. In addition to surgical errors, we are known for effectively taking care of cases revolving around: 

Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC

Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC

At Younker Hyde Macfarlane, PLLC, our attorneys have decades of combined experience in complex cases. We represent clients in all types of personal injury cases, with a special focus on medical malpractice claims. Our firm is associated with the following professional organizations:

  • Utah Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Salt Lake County Bar Association
  • American Trial Lawyers Association

To schedule an appointment, please contact us online or call (801) 335-6467.

Free Consultation Today

"They were extremely knowledgeable, extremely helpful experts. The team helped me with all aspects of my case, including medical and financial, and understood that it affected more than me but also my family."

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