Healthcare providers such as hospitals, doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, dentists, chiropractors and podiatrists are legally required to conduct themselves in accordance with the appropriate standard of care to prevent their patients from suffering injuries or death. In Illinois, the standard of care that applies to all professionals is “same degree of knowledge, skill and ability as an ordinarily careful professional would exercise under similar circumstances.” When healthcare providers breach this standard of care by failing to use the appropriate degree of care, the patients who are harmed can suffer significant injuries or death, and this can give rise to a potential medical malpractice lawsuit.
Because medical malpractice cases require judging a medical professional’s actions against those of another highly-trained professional, these cases are often significantly more complicated than an “average” case involving bodily injury. As a result, it is important that anyone who suspects that they or their family members have been injured or wrongfully killed by the negligence of a medical professional retain legal counsel as soon as possible.
To schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers, please contact one of the Chicago medical malpractice lawyers of Salvato, O’Toole & Froylan today at (312) 583-9500.
Common Examples Of Medical Malpractice
In a modern medical setting, medical malpractice can occur in a myriad of ways. Some of the more common forms of medical malpractice are listed below.
Medication errors – Medication errors are a particularly dangerous form of medical malpractice, as they can result in a patient not receiving the treatment they need, harmful interactions, or even serious overdoses. They can occur when a patient is not administered the medication needed, is given the wrong medication, or administered the wrong dosage of the correct medication. This can occur due to simple mix-ups or carelessness on the part of a medical professional – in either instance, victims are often entitled to compensation for their injuries.
Missed or delayed diagnoses – A misdiagnosis, incorrect diagnosis, or a delayed diagnosis can significantly delay proper treatment of a patient or prevent a patient from receiving the proper treatment at all. In many cases, medical conditions such as certain diseases and cancers are treatable when properly diagnosed at an early stage. Failing to timely and correctly diagnose or treat a disease or medical condition can often cause further injury or death.
Surgical errors – Surgical errors can involve a variety of mistakes, including operating on the wrong body part, performing the wrong procedure, operating on the wrong patient, failing to utilize the proper and correct surgical technique, leaving surgical instruments inside of a patient’s body, or failing to use sterile procedures during an operation. When these and other errors occur, the injuries that patients sustain can often be devastating and may affect them for the rest of their lives or can lead to death.
Birth injuries – When birth injuries occur, newborns can develop serious medical conditions that can have a profound impact on their development and quality of life. Common examples of the kinds of medical negligence that can result in birth injuries include failure to perform a necessary cesarean section in a timely manner, improper use of instruments, failing to diagnose a medical condition in the mother, or failing to diagnose a medical condition in the newborn. These kinds of mistakes can result in conditions ranging from brachial plexus injury to brain damage and cerebral palsy. As a result, all instances of birth injuries and medical conditions in newborns should be reviewed by a Chicago medical malpractice law firm.
Contact Our Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyers Today To Schedule A Free Case Evaluation
Thousands of people are injured each year in Chicago hospitals and clinics because of the negligence of medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, surgeons, and administrators. In some cases, people injured by medical malpractice may not even be aware of the fact that they have been victimized at all. For this reason, it is important that anyone who has experienced an adverse outcome after seeking medical treatment talk to one of our experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorneys. To schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers, please call our office today at (312) 583-9500.
People who are injured by the negligence of others are often legally entitled to compensation for their losses. Among the types of damages available in many Illinois personal injury cases are those for medical expenses, lost income, loss of future earning potential, property damage, and loss of enjoyment of life, among others. The Chicago personal injury attorneys of Salvato, O’Toole & Froylan have been helping victims of preventable accidents recover for their injuries since 2010 and have recovered multiple settlements in excess of one million dollars on behalf of their clients. We use a contingency fee arrangement in our representation of all of our personal injury clients, meaning that we do not collect any legal fees unless we successfully recover on your behalf. To schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys, please call our office today.
