Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Chicago Medical Malpractice Guide

Our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys help victims recover damages from injuries, complications, and disability claims that resulted from medical malpractice due to negligence or any other medical procedure or medical treatment that deviated from the applicable standard of care required from healthcare professionals.

Did you suffer an injury due to medical malpractice? Are you now dealing with extensive pain and suffering and astronomical medical bills that have completely changed your life?

If you are going through this devastating experience because of a health care professional's wrongful or negligent actions, just know that you may have legal options available that will allow you to take on these wrongful parties and go after the financial damages and justice you deserve.

When you work with an experienced and knowledgeable Chicago medical malpractice lawyer at the Zayed Law Offices, you will not have to fight for this money alone. Instead, our lawyers help patients recover money for their injuries, complications, and disabilities resulting from medical procedures gone wrong, treatments that deviated from the appropriate standard of care, and other types of medical negligence.

About Our Firm

The Zayed Law Offices is a trial law firm that handles the most complex and catastrophic injury cases in Illinois. However, our legal team does not take on these serious cases to profit from those who have suffered extensive harm in an accident. Instead, we take them on to help these individuals recover the compensation they deserve for their injuries and losses.

To get these results, we demand that the wrongful parties and insurance companies make our clients as whole as possible and remedy the wrong committed. And over the years, we have done just that, as we have been able to help countless individuals and recover millions of dollars on their behalf.

While no guarantee of success, some of our most recent judgments have included:

• $1,250,000 for a medical malpractice case
• $950,000 for a negligently performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy
• $485,000 for medical malpractice injuries, including reconstruction and numerous invasive procedures
• $ 475,000 for failure to diagnose prostate cancer

If you believe you have a medical malpractice case and want to discuss it with our team, contact us today for a free case consultation. We can meet with you virtually or at one of our offices, including our Chicago location, off of North Clark Street, near the Goodman Theater.

What Is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice refers to a legal cause of action that happens when a health care professional, through omission or negligent act, moves away from the standards in their profession and causes an injury to the patient.

Fortunately, with the medical malpractice laws in place today, if you suffered harm because of this omission or negligent act, you may be entitled to financial recovery for everything you want through. However, before you can collect these monetary damages, there are numerous elements that first need to be met:

The Adequate Standard of Care was Not Provided

According to medical malpractice laws, a healthcare professional is required to follow certain standards of care. If they do not, they can face accusations of negligence.

An Injury Occurred Because of the Health Care Professional's Negligence

It is not enough to show that you suffered an injury during a medical procedure to have a valid legal claim. Rather, to have a successful medical malpractice claim, you will also need to show that the health care worker's negligence caused this injury and that the harm would not have resulted in the absence of the negligence. This means that even if the medical worker was negligent, but you suffered no harm because of it, you likely will not have a viable medical malpractice claim that you can pursue.

You Suffered Substantial Financial Damages

Medical malpractice claims are expensive to litigate. As a result, if you are planning to take legal action following this incident, you will want to show that the injuries and losses you endured resulted in significant financial damages. If the damages are too minor, the cost of pursuing legal action can ultimately outweigh the potential economic recovery.

Not All Medical Mistakes Constitute Malpractice

Unfortunately, as the above factors show, not every type of medical mistake will lead to a medical malpractice legal claim. For instance, if the actions of the health care professional were reasonable or did not directly cause any of your injuries, you likely will not have a successful medical malpractice claim. Instead, to pursue a lawsuit for medical malpractice, you would have to show that the medical professional's actions or omissions were unacceptable in a way that directly harmed you.

Top Causes of Medical Malpractice Lawsuits in Chicago

Although many things can give rise to medical malpractice, some of the more common causes of these incidents in Chicago include:

• A health care professional did not correctly diagnose a patient or misdiagnosed them
• A health care professional did not take into account the medical history of the patient
• A health care professional did not prescribe the correct medication or the proper dosage to a patient
• A health care professional left things in the patient's body while performing surgery or performed other surgical mistakes, such as unnecessary surgeries or incorrect surgeries
• A health care professional prematurely discharged the patient or did not follow up with them after their treatment
• A health care professional did not ask for the correct labs or medical tests or ignored the results
• Birthing injuries
• Hospital-acquired infections

Yet, although not every medical mistake will result in a viable medical malpractice claim, if you believe you suffered an injury because of a doctor's wrongful actions, make sure you reach out to an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney from the Zayed Law Offices, as soon as possible. These lawyers can review your case and determine whether it meets the legal standards of medical malpractice, figure out the legal options you have, and assist you as you go after the monetary recovery and justice you deserve.

The Types of Monetary Damages You Can Fight for Following a Medical Malpractice Incident in Chicago

If you can prove you were harmed because of medical malpractice, you may recover compensation for:

• Fees resulting from hospitalizations, prescription medications, doctor visits, surgeries, assistive medical devices, and other medical treatments
• Reduced earning capacity, as well as lost wages, if the medical injuries prevent the individual from being able to work
• Replacement domestic services
• Occupational and physical therapy
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of normal life
• Physical disfigurement
• Disability

Yet, because these damages include losses ranging from easily verifiable to hard-to-prove losses, reach out to an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney as soon as you can.

At Zayed Law Offices, our team can review your case, determine which damages you can pursue, and go after the money you need.

How Much Money Can You Obtain in a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?

Even though you may be able to pursue certain types of damages following your medical malpractice incident, determining how much money you can actually get is not that straightforward, as it will often depend on:

• The type of harm you suffered and the extent of these injuries
• The medical treatments you will now require
• Whether you sustained a permanent disability
• The pain and suffering you endured
• The number of wrongful parties involved
• The defendant's liability
• The evidence presented and its credibility
• Whether you need replacement services

In most cases, the more severe the injuries, the more significant the payout will be. However, to get a better idea of the amount of money you can be looking at, you should speak with an experienced Chicago medical malpractice lawyer. These attorneys can review these factors,  prepare the most convincing legal arguments in response to them, and go after maximum compensation on your behalf.

The Time It Takes for a Medical Malpractice Case to Resolve in Chicago

As each medical malpractice case is unique, with its own set of facts and circumstances, nobody can tell how long it will take a medical malpractice case to resolve.

This disparity is often because of the issues and elements that can impact this timeline, including:

• The time it will take the patient to reach maximum medical improvement
• The legal issues involved with the case
• The severity of the medical injuries
• The medical treatments required
• The number of wrongful parties involved

Because of these factors, discussing your specific case with an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney at Zayed Law Offices may be a good idea. These legal professionals will often have a better idea of how to handle these issues while making sure your case is taken care of as quickly as possible.

Who Is Responsible for Medical Malpractice in Chicago?

When it comes to medical malpractice, there can be several parties responsible, including:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Nurse practitioners
• Hospitals
• Psychologists
• Pharmacists and pharmacies
• Clinics and Urgent Cares
• Laboratories
• Surgeons
• Physical therapists
• Anesthesiologists
• Chiropractors
• Radiologists

Your lawyer can help you figure out which parties can be held accountable for your specific harm and losses and pursue a lawsuit against them to go after the money you are owed for the damages you suffered. They can even determine if your case should be a part of a class action lawsuit or a multi-district litigation case.

The Local Issues Impacting Medical Malpractice Cases in Chicago

If you suffered because of medical malpractice in Chicago, one issue you should keep track of is the time limitations involved in your case. These limitations would apply no matter if the incident happened at a large hospital such as Holy Cross Hospital or your local clinic.

According to the statute of limitations, which is a regulation that indicates how much time you have to file a legal claim following an alleged offense, in Chicago, you will only have two years from the date of discovery to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Or rather, you will have two years from the date you discovered or should have discovered that your injuries resulted from medical malpractice. If you do not file your claim within this time period, you can be stopped from going after the compensation you are entitled to.

However, as with other laws, there are some exceptions that apply to the medical malpractice statute of limitations. For instance, if the injured party is a minor or incapacitated, this statutory period can be extended, giving the patient more time to file their case.

For these reasons, it is usually best to discuss your medical malpractice incident with a knowledgeable Chicago medical malpractice attorney from Zayed Law Offices as soon as possible. These attorneys can not only help you figure out the maximum amount of time you have to file your lawsuit, but they can also make sure that the required documents, files, and motions are assembled and submitted before this time runs out.

Dealing With the Insurance Company After a Chicago Medical Malpractice Incident

Typically, following a Chicago medical malpractice incident, you will be dealing with the insurance company instead of the actual at-fault medical care worker. Yet, this does not mean you will have a better chance of securing the money you need. In truth, the insurance company and its adjusters will try to do everything in their power to deny your claim or get you less money than you deserve.

You need to remember that the insurance company is a business at its core, and like other businesses, it wants to make money. Therefore, the less they offer you when you file a claim for medical malpractice, the larger their profits will be. That is why it is common for these insurance companies to try to do anything they can to get you to say or do something that can hurt your case.

Consequently, it may be best not to talk to these insurers until you first speak with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer. These attorneys can not only help you understand the tricks these companies may try, but they can even take on these conversations for you, making sure you do not say something that can impact your case.

Helping Your Legal Claim Following a Chicago Medical Malpractice Incident

If you or a loved one suffered injuries due to a health care professional's negligent acts or omissions, you are already dealing with enough. The last thing you probably want to do in these situations is take specific steps to help protect your legal rights. However, if you want to have the best chance of success with your legal claim, doing the following after a medical malpractice incident can be very helpful:

Get Another Doctor to Examine You

Following a medical malpractice incident, your health needs to be your priority. However, while getting your medical issues checked out should be the first thing you do, it may not be best to have the doctor or health care professional that hurt you do this examination. Not only will you have a hard time trusting this doctor again, but if these doctors know that you are seeking legal action, they may also try to intervene in certain types of treatments or medical records that can end up hurting your legal claim.

That is why, if you can, seek a second opinion from a new doctor as soon as possible. Your attorney can also use this second opinion to help figure out the extent of your harm and losses and the type of care and medical treatments you will need in the future.

Get All of Your Medical Records

Another thing you should do quickly is obtain all of your medical records. Waiting too long to retrieve this documentation can result in it getting misplaced or destroyed, or there is even a possibility the doctor or their office may try to make changes to these records to hurt your case.

Do Not Discuss Your Malpractice With Anyone Else

Although it may feel gratifying to complain about your incident to someone else or post about the situation online, it is often best to keep the details of the medical malpractice to yourself. By putting stuff on the internet, not only are you creating easily accessible evidence that the other side can quickly find and use against you, but the statements you make can also be utilized to impact the amount of money you may be able to receive.

Talk to Your Attorney After the Accident

Once you get the medical treatment you need, you should review the incident with a knowledgeable Chicago medical malpractice lawyer and provide them with all the evidence you have, including:

• Medical reports
• Fees and expenses related to your harm
• Insurance information

Your attorney can review all of this documentation and use it to prepare the most powerful legal case on your behalf and go after the financial recovery you deserve.

Get Help From Zayed Law Offices and Fight for the Justice You Deserve After a Chicago Medical Malpractice Incident

If you or a family member were a victim of medical malpractice, do not deal with the tragic repercussions by yourself. Instead, work with an experienced Chicago medical malpractice lawyer, like those from Zayed Law Offices, and get legal support to take on these complex legal claims and fight for the outcome and compensation you need.

After you hire these lawyers, they can review the facts of your medical malpractice incident, figure out if you have a viable legal case that you can pursue, and determine what legal options may be best for your circumstances.

These attorneys can also:

• Go over your concerns and questions and provide you with the answers you need during this challenging time in your life.
• Hire experts to corroborate your legal case.
• Investigate and analyze the factors in your case and obtain the evidence needed to show what happened, who was responsible, and the full severity of your injuries.
• Negotiate on your behalf and go after the fair settlement amount you need.
• Proceed with litigation if the other side is not willing to negotiate fairly and go after maximum compensation.

Do not wait to get legal help after your Chicago medical malpractice incident. Instead, contact Zayed Law Offices today for a free, no-risk case consultation or call us at (312) 726-1616 and learn how our lawyers can help you.