Every day, people turn to their doctors and trust them with their lives. This is certainly reasonable, as healthcare professionals have a sworn duty to provide accurate, safe and ethical medical treatment. Unfortunately, this does not always happen, and the result is medical malpractice. It is estimated that up to 250,000 people in the United States are the victims of medical malpractice every year. Up to 100,000 die every year as a result of avoidable medical mistakes. Yet, fewer than one-half of 1% of the nation’s doctors face any serious state sanctions each year.
What is Medical Malpractice?
Medical Malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient. Negligence is the root of most types of medical malpractice, but not every unfortunate result in a hospital or doctor’s office is a medical malpractice case.
This is a very complex area of law, and it’s important to consult with an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible so you can understand if you have a claim. Cases of medical malpractice do not just involve doctors, as the person who was negligent may have been any medical care provider, such as a therapist, nurse or dentist. Common examples of medical malpractice cases include:
- Surgical errors, such as wrong-site surgery, where the doctor operates on the wrong body part, as well as using unsanitary tools or closing a wound with a medical device still inside the body.
- Birth injuries. These are some of the most tragic medical malpractice cases because they involve newborns. Negligence can stem from a doctor or nurse failing to notice signs of distress and acting in a timely fashion. Brain injuries, nerve damage, and cerebral palsy are the most common birth injuries that can leave a child with life-long health problems.
- Medication errors, which may occur if the doctor prescribes the wrong medication or dosage or neglects to read a patient’s history and misses a serious drug allergy. Pharmacists may also be negligent if they incorrectly fill a prescription with the wrong medication.
- Medical malpractice in a nursing home setting, including cases of falls, sexual or physical abuse, malnutrition, medication errors, sepsis, bedsores, and clogged breathing tubes.
- Failure to diagnose, which occurs when a doctor takes an incomplete medical history or ignores symptoms of a serious health condition, such as cancer.
- Delayed or misdiagnosis, which can be just as bad as failure to diagnose for thousands of patients who have suffered as a result of misdiagnosis of strokes, cancer or other serious conditions. Delayed or misdiagnosis can harm a patient by allowing the problem to get worse, or if the prescribed treatment causes harm.
- Lack of informed consent, as every patient has the right to understand their options before giving consent to receive non-emergency treatment.
Few medical errors ever result in malpractice claims. In fact. only one malpractice claim is made for every 7.6 hospital injuries, according to a Harvard study. However, the cost to society in terms of disability and health care costs, lost income, lost household production, and the personal costs of care, as a result, is medical errors are estimated to be between $17 billion and $29 billion.
How Our Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help
It is vital that you speak with an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible after you have been hurt. Many people do not realize they have a potential claim and lose the chance to pursue justice and receive compensation to cover lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering and more.
844 See Mike, understands just how difficult it is for victims and family members to recover from medical malpractice. We will use our experience to evaluate your case, investigate the incident, determine fault, arrange expert medical testimony, and deal with insurance companies. If necessary, we will craft a compelling case for the courtroom and fight on your behalf to secure you the compensation you both need and deserve.
If you have been injured due to the negligence of a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other health care provider, contact 844 See Mike, for a free consultation.
We are a Chicago injury law firm representing individuals and families who have suffered from the negligence of a healthcare provider. 844 See Mike, will handle your case quickly, will advise you every step of the way, and will not hesitate to go to trial for you.
Lastly, 844 See Mike, does not get paid attorney’s fees unless we win your case. Our no-¬fee promise is that simple. Therefore, you have nothing to risk when you hire us–just the opportunity to seek justice.
