If you or a family member were a victim of medical negligence in Wheaton, IL, Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys is here to help you understand your legal options. You may be entitled to significant compensation for medical bills, lost income, pain, suffering, and more. You’re much more likely to recover a fair settlement with an experienced Wheaton medical malpractice lawyer in your corner.
Our lawyers have decades of combined experience fighting for clients like you. We’ve already recovered over $100 million to help injured clients get back on their feet again.
You can count on us to fight for every dollar you deserve. Contact us online or call our law offices serving Wheaton, Illinois, at (630) 690-1919 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help Victims of Medical Malpractice in Wheaton Recover Fair Compensation
As a victim of medical negligence, fighting for financial compensation is often the only way to get justice. You do have rights. However, medical malpractice laws tend to favor doctors and hospitals. After all, doctors who provide quality care should be protected for everyone’s benefit.
To hold the negligent medical provider accountable, you’ll need an experienced Wheaton personal injury lawyer by your side. At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we’ve been recognized by Super Lawyers and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum for our quality legal services.
Hiring us means you’ll have a skilled advocate to:
- Collect evidence to prove you were a victim of malpractice
- Document the specific losses you have suffered
- Consult leading experts and obtain the required expert affidavit to support your claim
- Calculate your case value
- Negotiate with the medical malpractice insurance companies
- Fight for you in court if necessary
Your future is too important to trust just any medical malpractice law firm. To learn more about how our experienced Wheaton personal injury attorneys can help you fight for fair compensation, call for a free consultation today.
How Common Are Medical Errors?
Medical mistakes are unfortunately common. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), it’s estimated that about one in every three medical professionals will be sued for malpractice at least once in their career.
However, it can be tough to know exactly how common medical malpractice is. Not all mistakes amount to malpractice–and not all patients decide to sue for damages. Some patients may not even be aware that their losses are caused by medical malpractice.
That said, some studies have found that medical malpractice is the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. In those studies, it’s been found that somewhere between 250,000 and 440,000 patients die due to malpractice each year.
What Counts as Medical Malpractice in Wheaton?
As noted, not every mistake gives the patient the right to sue for damages. Doctors can’t promise perfect outcomes in every case. After all, they’re only human.
Still, doctors and other healthcare providers receive extensive training for a reason. They’re expected to use their medical knowledge to provide a certain level of care. Doctors can only be held financially responsible when they deviate from the standard of care.
The key question to ask is: would a reasonable, trained doctor have provided the same level of care that you received, given the circumstances? If the answer is no, you probably have a valid case.
At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, we handle all types of medical negligence cases, including those involving:
- Emergency room errors
- Surgical errors
- Anesthesia errors
- OB-GYN malpractice and birth injuries
- Nursing negligence
- Radiology errors
- Hospital negligence
- Pharmacy errors
- Dialysis errors
- Chemotherapy errors
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Medication errors
- Hospital-acquired infections
It can be difficult to know whether you have a valid medical malpractice case. We offer free case reviews so you can learn about your legal rights without risk. Contact our law group today to schedule your free case review with our experienced Wheaton medical malpractice attorneys.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Medical Negligence in Wheaton, IL?
All medical professionals have a legal duty to provide competent care. Any healthcare provider who fails to live up to their duty can be held liable.
That includes:
- General practitioners and family doctors
- Specialists, including cancer specialists, OBGYNs, dermatologists, and more
- Physician Assistants (PAs)
- Surgeons
- Emergency room doctors
- Nurses
- Nurse practitioners
- Anesthesiologists
- Pharmacists
Ultimately, the hospital or medical facility itself may be liable for your damages. As employers, they can be held liable for the negligent acts of employees.
What Is My Wheaton Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Worth?
All medical errors are different. The consequences to the patient are also unique. That means there’s no standard settlement amount. Instead, your lawyer will weigh many different factors when assessing your case value.
The most important of those factors include:
- The nature of the medical error
- The nature of the harm you’ve suffered
- Whether the mistake can be corrected or cause permanent damage
- The cost of your medical treatment
- Damage to your emotional well-being and quality of life
- Whether you will require ongoing medical care, rehabilitation, or assistance
- How your ability to work and earn a living was affected
It’s important to have a lawyer evaluate the unique facts and circumstances of the doctor’s error and your injuries. Otherwise, you risk accepting less than you deserve.
Our team at Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys will work closely with you, your doctors, and your family. We’ll also bring in experts who can testify about various losses you’ve suffered–and their financial value.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Medical Malpractice in Illinois?
Like any car accident victim, medical malpractice victims can seek compensation for their financial (economic) damages and their non-financial losses (non-economic damages).
The types of damages you may recover include:
- Past and future medical expenses, including the cost of corrective surgeries
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Medications
- Medical devices
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Depression
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement or scarring
- Loss of consortium
There are no damage caps in Illinois medical malpractice cases. If your case is successful, you can pursue fair compensation for all of your economic and non-economic losses.
Victims of Medical Malpractice Often Struggle With Severe Long-Term Consequences
When doctors make mistakes, patients are the ones left struggling with the consequences.
Examples of those consequences include:
- A worsened underlying condition
- The need for more extensive medical care and unnecessary procedures
- Medication dependency
- Reduced life expectancy
- Loss of enjoyment of life and depression
- Infections
- Blood clots and stroke
- Brain damage
- Bed sores
- Sepsis and shock
- Coma
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
If you’re struggling with painful losses after your doctor made a mistake, contact our experienced medical malpractice lawyers in Wheaton today. We’ll help you fight to recover the full compensation you need and deserve.
What Causes Most Cases of Medical Malpractice in Wheaton, IL?
Some of the most common causes of medical malpractice include:
- Failure to order the correct diagnostic tests
- Failure to diagnose cancer
- Delayed diagnosis
- Misdiagnosis
- Misinterpreting lab results
- Failure to monitor the patient before, during, and after a procedure
- Failure to recognize a patient’s symptoms and refer to a specialist if necessary
- Failure to take a full patient history
- Communication and charting errors
- Mistaken patient identity
- Inexperienced healthcare providers
- Failure to monitor a patient
- Failure to provide proper pre-and post-operative instructions
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Failure to obtain informed consent
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals nationwide are facing a physician shortage. Many medical facilities are understaffed–and healthcare providers are overworked and exhausted. While unfortunate, that’s no excuse for providing substandard medical care.
What Do I Have To Prove To Win a Medical Malpractice Claim in Wheaton, Illinois?
The elements of a medical negligence claim are more specific than those involved in most personal injury claims.
To recover compensation, you must establish:
- The defendant had a legal duty of care (generally, meaning that you were their patient)
- The medical standard of care that applied in your case
- A deviation from the standard of care
- The substandard care caused you to suffer some type of harm
- The specific damages that you suffered
Under Illinois medical malpractice laws, you must submit expert testimony when filing a medical malpractice claim for compensation. The medical expert will provide critical information about both the medical error and the standard of care that you should have received.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After a Medical Mistake in Illinois?
The statute of limitations in medical malpractice cases is two years.
The two-year clock starts to run on the earlier of:
- The date the mistake happened
- When you discover, or reasonably should have discovered, that you were a victim of a medical error
Illinois law also has a statute of repose. Regardless of when you discover the error, you cannot sue for damages more than four years after the mistake occurred.
Determining the statute of limitations for a medical malpractice case can be complex. It is best to contact a qualified attorney as soon as you can to protect your legal rights and interests.
Contact a Wheaton Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Are you struggling with the consequences of a doctor’s mistake? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys for legal advice. An experienced Wheaton medical malpractice lawyer can help you fight to hold the negligent healthcare professional accountable.
