Joliet Medical Malpractice

Why Choose Midwest Injury Lawyers for Your Joliet Medical Malpractice Claim?

At Midwest Injury Lawyers, we handle your case like it matters – because you matter to us. Here’s why you should entrust our Joliet medical malpractice lawyers with your case:

You’re Our Number One Priority

When you choose us to handle your case, you become our primary focus. We will treat your case with the utmost respect and attention so that you feel valued and heard.

If you don’t need our services, we’ll tell you. We also welcome your input in decisions about your case, providing guidance but always respecting your final choice.

No Upfront Costs

Our contingency fee structure means you only pay us if we win your case. This approach ensures that you can access quality legal representation without worrying about upfront costs, regardless of your financial situation.

Proven Success in Personal Injury Law

As a leading personal injury law firm in Joliet, we bring assertive and effective representation to the table. Our founding partners, Chester “Chet” L. Cameron Jr. and Samuel “Sam” R. Carl, offer decades of experience in fighting for the rights of injured individuals and their families.

Commitment to Justice

We established Midwest Injury Lawyers to advocate for injury victims like you. Our Joliet medical malpractice attorneys stand against negligent medical practitioners and their insurers, striving to recover the maximum compensation possible for our clients.

Impressive Track Record

Over the years, we have secured tens of millions of dollars in compensation for our clients. Our comprehensive approach covers everything from investigation and negotiations to court representation. We will explore every avenue for getting you the compensation you deserve.

National Recognition for Excellence

Our attorneys have ranked among the top five percent of personal injury lawyers nationwide. This recognition and our many positive client testimonials reflect our commitment to professionalism and exemplary service.

Common Examples of Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice occurs when healthcare professionals fail to provide treatment that meets the standard of care that a patient rightfully deserves, leading to harm or injury.

This failure can take various forms, such as:

• Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis: This occurs when a healthcare professional fails to correctly or promptly identify a patient’s medical condition. Misdiagnosis can cause the real condition to progress without appropriate intervention. Delayed diagnosis refers to significant lags in identifying the correct medical issue, during which time a patient might receive no treatment or incorrect treatment.
• Surgical Errors: These are critical mistakes that arise during surgery. They can include operating on the wrong body part or patient, performing the wrong procedure, or leaving surgical tools inside a patient’s body. Such errors can lead to severe infections, internal damage, the need for additional surgeries, and other post-op complications.
• Medication Errors: Medication errors happen when a healthcare provider makes a mistake in prescribing or administering drugs. This can involve prescribing the wrong medication, administering an incorrect dosage, or failing to recognize harmful interactions with other drugs. Such errors can lead to adverse reactions, exacerbate existing conditions, or cause new health issues.
• Birth Injuries: These injuries occur during the prenatal, labor, or delivery phases of birth. They can result from improper handling of the baby, failure to monitor the baby’s oxygen intake during delivery, or inadequate prenatal care. Such injuries can lead to long-term disabilities, developmental issues, or even life-threatening situations for the newborn.
• Failure to Treat: This type of malpractice happens when a healthcare provider correctly diagnoses a condition but fails to follow through with appropriate treatment. It can also occur when a patient’s condition requires urgent attention, but the doctor delays treatment or does not provide the necessary level of care. This negligence can lead to the patient’s condition worsening, potentially leading to severe and preventable health issues.
• Anesthesia Errors: Errors in anesthesia can range from administering an incorrect dose (either too much or too little) to failing to check for potential allergies or monitor vital signs during surgery. These errors can lead to serious complications such as brain damage, paralysis, or even death.
• Medical Product Liability: This involves harm resulting from defective or dangerous medical devices or products. These can include faulty surgical instruments, implants, prosthetics, or pharmaceutical products. Patients can suffer serious health consequences if these products fail or cause harm due to improper design, manufacturing, or warning labels.
• Lack of Informed Consent: Healthcare providers must inform their patients about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of medical procedures or treatments. Failing to do so constitutes a lack of informed consent. This breach of duty prevents patients from making informed decisions about their care, which is a fundamental right in healthcare.

Why Does Medical Malpractice Occur

Medical malpractice occurs not just due to errors in judgment but also because of systemic issues and lapses in healthcare practices. If you know or suspect that medical malpractice has harmed you, recognizing the following common causes can help you pursue appropriate legal action.

Communication Failures

Effective communication is key in the medical field. A communication breakdown among healthcare providers can lead to serious mistakes, such as incorrect medication administration or surgical procedures.

For instance, if nursing staff do not receive important patient information, it could result in improper post-op care or prevent a patient from receiving necessary treatments.

Inadequate Skill Level or Training

Medical malpractice can occur when healthcare professionals lack the necessary skills or training to perform their duties safely. For example, if a surgeon undertakes a complex surgery beyond their expertise, they could make mistakes that result in complications or a deterioration in the patient’s condition.

Continuous education and training are essential for medical providers to stay up-to-date with medical advancements and maintain their proficiency.

Understaffing

Maintaining adequate staffing levels is necessary to provide quality patient care. This is often critical in emergency situations where timely treatment is essential.

Staff shortages, which are unfortunately common in healthcare facilities, can lead to dangerous medical errors. Overburdened staff are more likely to make mistakes, such as administering incorrect medications or not adequately monitoring patients.

Failure to Follow Protocols

Healthcare providers who do not follow established protocols and standards put their patients at heightened risk of malpractice injuries. This might include overlooking necessary tests, ignoring patient history, or failing to follow up on treatments.

For instance, not ordering appropriate diagnostic tests for a symptomatic patient could lead to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, adversely affecting the patient’s health.

Documentation Errors

Proper documentation is essential in medicine. Mistakes or omissions in medical records can lead to incorrect treatments or missed diagnoses.

For instance, if a nurse fails to record a patient’s known allergies, a doctor might inadvertently prescribe a medication that causes a dangerous reaction. Accurate documentation is a critical component of effective patient care.

Systemic Issues

Systemic problems within a healthcare facility, such as poor management, inadequate safety measures, or lack of proper equipment, can also contribute to medical malpractice.

For example, a hospital that does not maintain sterile conditions poses an increased infection risk to patients. Addressing these systemic issues requires comprehensive organizational changes to ensure patient safety.

How Much Can You Get for a Medical Malpractice Claim?

The value of your medical malpractice claim rests on several key factors, including the severity of your injury and the ways it affects your life. Current and future medical expenses are also significant factors, as they often account for the primary financial burden of the injury.

If the injury has affected them, your abilities to work and earn an income also influence the value of your claim. The emotional and psychological toll of the injury is also an essential aspect of the claim.

The nature of the malpractice and the level of negligence that the healthcare provider exhibited can further affect your claim’s value. Each case is unique, and these factors combine in different ways to shape the potential compensation in a Joliet medical malpractice claim.

Depending on the circumstances, you could demand compensation for your medical malpractice related:

• Medical expenses
• Future medical costs
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Lost income
• Loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium

Filing a Medical Malpractice Insurance Claim

Filing an insurance claim after a malpractice incident is a challenging process.

Proving medical malpractice is notoriously difficult. It requires showing that a healthcare provider deviated from the standard of care and that this deviation directly caused your injury.

This requires interpreting medical jargon and evaluating standards of care, which requires an affidavit from an expert in the relevant field. Gathering evidence, such as medical records, expert testimonies, and detailed accounts of the incident, is also a complex task.

To make matters more complex, insurance companies often employ various tactics to minimize payouts for malpractice claims. They might dispute the severity of your injury or argue that it was a result of a pre-existing condition rather than the healthcare provider’s negligence.

They might offer a quick, low settlement, hoping you’ll accept it before realizing the full extent of your injuries and the compensation you rightfully deserve.

This is where hiring a lawyer can make all the difference. A skilled lawyer understands the intricacies of medical malpractice claims. They can parse the complex legal and medical jargon to build a strong case.

They gather and analyze all the necessary evidence, consult medical experts, and effectively counter the insurance companies’ tactics.

Having a lawyer also means you have someone to negotiate on your behalf. A Joliet medical malpractice lawyer understands the true value of your claim and fights to get the compensation you need for medical bills, income losses, and more.

They can also take the case to trial if the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement, protecting your rights and advocating for maximum compensation throughout the process.

What to Do if You Suffer a Medical Malpractice Injury?

If you know or suspect you have suffered harm because of medical malpractice, your health should be the top priority. Go to a doctor or hospital different from the one where the incident occurred.

Clearly explain your symptoms and how they developed. This step is important to both your healing process and establishing the degree to which your previous care hurt you.

Next, start gathering evidence. This includes obtaining copies of your medical records and saving proof of any relevant communication you have with healthcare providers. Take photos of your injuries to show how your recovery progresses over time. You might also consider keeping a journal of your symptoms and how they affect your daily life.

Finally, contact a Joliet medical malpractice lawyer as soon as possible. They can handle the process of filing a claim, gathering and interpreting medical evidence, and laying out your options.

They will also handle negotiations with insurance companies and, if necessary, represent you in court. Medical malpractice cases are complex and time-sensitive, so getting prompt legal assistance is key to protecting your rights and interests.

Contact a Joliet Medical Malpractice Attorney Now

Still have questions about what to do next?

Contact Midwest Injury Lawyers now at (815) 714-6131 to discuss your situation with our Joliet medical malpractice attorneys. Initial consultations are free and come with no obligation.

Joliet Office

210 N Hammes Ave
Unit 205 C
Joliet, IL 60435
(815) 714-6131