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When people go to their doctor, they expect to get the diagnosis and treatment that they need to make them feel better. Sometimes, however, doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners make serious mistakes that can have devastating health consequences.

If you or a loved one suffered injuries due to a medical error, you might be entitled to recover compensation for your injuries from your medical practitioner in a personal injury lawsuit. A skilled Hazel Crest medical malpractice lawyer could see if they can help you recover damages to relieve some of the financial pressures that you are facing due to your injuries.

What is Medical Malpractice?

Although medical errors can cause severe harm, not every mistake is due to malpractice. Unfortunately, not all mistakes are preventable. Medical professionals must offer their patients the same level of care that a reasonable person with the same experience and training would provide under similar conditions.

For example, if a cardiac surgeon makes a mistake during a 14-hour complex surgery, then that might not be deemed malpractice because another reasonable cardiac surgeon might have made a similar mistake under those difficult conditions. However, if an orthopedic surgeon mistakenly amputates the wrong leg of a patient, then that mistake would be malpractice because another surgeon would not have reasonably made the same mistake. Skilled Hazel Crest attorneys could work with medical experts who would review the evidence to see if the medical provider in question met the standard of care.

Types of Malpractice

Any mistake where a medical professional did not meet their standard of care could be considered malpractice. Some of the most common instances of malpractice are the following:

  • Failure to diagnose, or misdiagnosis
  • Failure to treat a diagnosed medical condition within a reasonable period of time
  • Infections or injuries from unclean or unsafe hospitals
  • Birth injuries and other delivery complications
  • Surgical mistakes
  • Pharmacy mistakes
  • Paramedic mistakes

A Hazel Crest medical malpractice attorney could investigate the cause of the injured claimant’s injuries and help them hold the reckless party accountable for their damages.

Where Does Malpractice Occur?

Medical malpractice can happen anywhere a person receives medical treatment. It can occur in any of the following settings:

  • An inpatient hospital setting
  • A delivery room
  • A doctor’s office
  • A nursing home
  • An assisted living facility
  • An ambulance

Compassionate medical malpractice can sit down with potential clients to review their situation and see if they have a viable case.

Potential Recoverable Damages in Hazel Crest

In a malpractice case, claimants can pursue recovery of all of their economic losses, which may include medical fees, physical or mental therapy, and lost wages. They can also pursue recovery of their non-economic damages, which are losses that a court cannot quantify in an exact dollar amount. Some examples of non-economic damages would be loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.

Fortunately, Illinois no longer limits the amount of non-economic damages that a court may award. However, the state does bar the recovery of punitive damages in medical malpractice cases.

Get in Touch with a Hazel Crest Medical Malpractice Attorney Today

Recovering from a medical mistake can be difficult. You may be facing physical, emotional, and financial challenges. A financial settlement could help you manage those challenges. You should work with a law firm that could aggressively fight for your rights to the best possible resolution to your case. A Hazel Crest medical malpractice lawyer who has extensive experience handling these types of cases could be your advocate in and out court. Call today to schedule a consultation.