If you or a loved one has been a victim of medical negligence in Chicago, an experienced Chicago medical malpractice lawyer is here to help. Our personal injury law firm has a proven track record of successfully handling medical malpractice cases and advocating for victims to recover compensation they deserve.
¿Qué es la negligencia médica?
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional provides negligent or substandard care that harms a patient. Healthcare provider and hospital negligence can involve misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes, or failure to diagnose or treat a condition. Such cases are often complex, requiring a deep understanding of both medical and legal systems.
Two primary state departments have jurisdiction over different aspects of medical malpractice and negligence. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) oversees the licensing and disciplinary actions for individual healthcare providers, and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has jurisdiction over the regulation and safety of healthcare facilities (including Chicago hospitals).
¿Qué NO es negligencia médica?
Medical malpractice isn’t merely an unfavorable treatment outcome. Proving medical malpractice requires evidence that a healthcare provider’s conduct fell below the standard of physicians and other medical personnel.
Algunos errores comunes que no se consideran negligencia médica son:
- Severe health complications during a procedure that were beyond the control of the healthcare provider
- Tratamientos o procedimientos fallidos que estaban dentro de la práctica habitual y no provocaron ningún daño significativo al paciente.
- A poor outcome from a treatment or procedure that was properly performed, within the standard of care, but worsened the patient’s medical condition
¿Necesito un abogado especializado en negligencias médicas?
A report from Johns Hopkins revealed that diagnostic errors cause serious harm to an estimated 795,000 American medical malpractice victims each year across medical facilities. Stroke misdiagnosis ranks as the #1 diagnostic error.
Si usted sospecha de negligencia, nuestros abogados de negligencia médica de Chicago pueden ayudar a probar su reclamo por:
- Establishing a duty of care: doctors and other medical professionals must give patients the standard of care expected in their field.
- Proving your medical provider breached their duty of care: medical professionals who fail to meet expected standards in diagnosing, treating, or guiding patients violate their duty to provide proper medical care and may be held accountable if this negligence causes harm.
- Proving your condition was the result of negligence: for a malpractice claim to succeed, we must demonstrate that the healthcare provider’s substandard care resulted in severe consequences.
- Showing harm: we’ll show that the harm resulted in financial, physical, or emotional damages.
¿Qué puedo esperar de un abogado de negligencia médica de Chicago?
A medical malpractice attorney will manage every aspect of your case, including investigating your claim by gathering medical records, expert witness testimony, and other evidence. They will consult with medical experts to establish the standard of care and demonstrate negligence, negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf to secure fair compensation, and represent you in court if needed.
What Is the Leading Cause of Malpractice Claims?
Data indicates that diagnostic errors—including misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis—are the leading cause of medical malpractice claims in the United States. These diagnostic failures, which can constitute up to 58% of claims in high-risk areas, have overtaken medication errors as the primary driver of litigation.
Tipos comunes de casos de negligencia médica en Chicago, IL
Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys are experienced in many types of medical negligence cases:
- Missed or incorrect diagnosis
- Delayed diagnosis or failure to diagnose
- Birth injuries, such as cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injuries, and fetal distress syndrome (NRFS)
- Surgical errors and anesthesia mistakes
- Dejar un objeto extraño en el interior de un paciente tras una intervención quirúrgica
- No controlar las constantes vitales del paciente
- Medication errors—wrong medication prescriptions
- Abuso en residencias de ancianos
- Failure to obtain informed consent
Tipos comunes de lesiones por negligencia médica en Chicago
Common injuries that can lead to a successful Illinois medical malpractice claim include:
- Brain injuries—damage to brain cells
- Parálisis: pérdida de la función muscular
- Infección causada por prácticas antihigiénicas o técnicas quirúrgicas deficientes
- Daños en órganos por errores durante procedimientos médicos
- Homicidio culposo: muerte por errores u omisiones médicos evitables.
- Chronic pain—which may arise from inappropriate medical treatment
- Desfiguración: alteración del aspecto debido a errores quirúrgicos o de tratamiento.
- Loss of limb—when amputation was caused by wrongful medical practices
- Trauma psicológico - sufrimiento mental debido a incidentes de negligencia médica
¿Qué indemnización puedo recibir por negligencia médica?
You may be eligible for damages, including medical bills and other medical expenses (both current and future), pain and suffering, lost earning potential, rehabilitation costs, mental health counseling, disfigurement and disability, lost wages and benefits, diminished quality of life, and (in cases of wrongful death) funeral and burial expenses.
¿Puedo reclamar una indemnización por negligencia si tenía una enfermedad preexistente?
Yes, you often can. Numerous medical malpractice cases involve patients with preexisting conditions. If a doctor or healthcare provider’s negligence worsened your condition, you may still be eligible to seek compensation through a malpractice claim in Chicago.
¿Cuánto vale mi caso de negligencia?
The compensation for your medical negligence claim depends on your specific situation. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can evaluate your case by looking at factors like the severity of your injury, how it affects your quality of life, and whether you need ongoing medical care.
Illinois tiene un estatuto de limitaciones para una demanda por negligencia médica
En Illinois, las demandas por negligencia médica tienen un corto plazo de prescripción. Bajo 735 ILCS §5/13-212(a), usted tiene típicamente dos años para archivar.
¿Tendré que ir a juicio por mi caso de negligencia profesional?
According to the American Bar Association (ABA), few lawsuits make it to trial. Most malpractice claims are resolved out of court through negotiations with providers and insurers in health care. If the provider is uninsured, your personal injury lawyer may need to file a medical malpractice suit.
¿Cuánto tardaré en recibir el cheque de mi liquidación?
It can take several months to a year or more to receive a settlement check from Illinois medical malpractice cases. The time frame depends on the complexity of your case, whether it goes to trial, and how quickly the involved parties are able to reach a fair settlement agreement.
Póngase en contacto con nuestro equipo de negligencia médica de Chicago
If you suffered a serious injury due to a medical mistake within a doctor-patient relationship, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys are here to help you secure the compensation you deserve.
Our medical malpractice law firm offers a free consultation to review the injuries you or a loved one has suffered and explore potential compensation from the responsible parties.
(312) 223-1700