The rise of LASIK malpractice lawsuits
Every year over one million Americans have LASIK eye surgery. When the surgery is preformed correctly and without complications, the results can be dramatic: patients with horrible eyesight can now live free from glasses and contacts. When the surgery is performed incorrectly, however, the results can be disastrous. To deal with negative results, patients are increasingly starting LASIK malpractice lawsuits.
The first major victory for a patient in a LASIK malpractice lawsuit went to Steve Post. A pilot with United Airlines, Steve went to an eye clinic in Tuscon, Arizona to receive LASIK eye surgery. The clinic made a mistake when measuring his pupil, however. Due to the clinic’s mistake, Steve’s night vision was so poor that he was forced to stop flying. In return for being forced out of his high paying job, the court awarded Steve $4 million in damages.
More recently, Mark Schiffer received $7.25 million in damages from a LASIK malpractice lawsuit he filled against his LASIK provider. The doctors performing the surgery did not notice that Mark suffered from keratoconus, an eye condition that makes LASIK surgery unsafe. As a result of his surgery, Mark’s vision became blurry and distorted, and he was forced to give up his high-paying investment banking job.
As the number of surgeries increases, so to will the number of LASIK malpractice lawsuits. Indeed, at least 5% of all LASIK patients will experience complications; this translates into 50,000 Americans a year.
If you are one of the large number of Americans who suffered complications from LASIK eye surgery, Steve and Mark’s LASIK malpractice lawsuits will likely sound promising. However, you should be forewarned that any LASIK malpractice lawsuit will likely be difficult to win. In most cases, you would have signed a consent form before undergoing the surgery. Also, there are so many variables that could have caused your complications, it will not always be clear if your doctor is at fault. In any cases, you should always consult an attorney if you are not satisfied with your surgery to find out what your legal options are.