If you’ve been affected by an act of medical negligence at a Chicago, Illinois hospital, don’t hesitate to call Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers. Hospitals can be held legally and financially responsible if a patient is injured because of a medical error. Our experienced Chicago hospital malpractice lawyers are ready to help you take on a powerful medical facility and demand the compensation you need and deserve.
Since 2011, Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers has been a dedicated advocate for victims of medical negligence and their families. Leaders in medical malpractice litigation, our award-winning Chicago trial attorneys have over 30 years of combined experience. Our winning legal strategies have helped clients win tens of millions of dollars in life-changing monetary awards.
Show the hospital and its insurance company that you won’t be pushed around or walk away with a penny less than your case is worth. Contact our top-rated personal injury law firm to get us in your corner. Call us at (312) 929-2884, our first consultation is free.
How Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help If You’ve Been a Victim of Hospital Malpractice in Chicago, IL
It can be intimidating to take on a hospital. They’re powerful corporations with considerable resources at their disposal. Not to mention that malpractice laws in the state of Illinois tend to favor hospitals over injured patients.
That’s why it’s important to turn to an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer for help with your fight for compensation.
At Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand that you have one opportunity to take legal action. We’re here to make things easier for you by investing our considerable experience and resources into your case.
When you turn to our hospital malpractice attorneys in Chicago for help, you can count on us to:
- Investigate the treatment you received at the hospital
- Establish that the person who was negligent works for the hospital
- Gather evidence to support your case, including your chart and other medical records, hospital employment records, hospital policies and procedures, photographs, and witness statements
- Enlist the help of independent medical experts to corroborate your claims and provide insight into the technical aspects of your case
- Aggressively seek a top-dollar settlement during negotiations with the hospital and its insurance company
- Help you understand the pros and cons of any settlement offers you receive
- Bring your hospital malpractice lawsuit to trial, if necessary
You were injured because a medical professional made a mistake. The hospital can and should be held fully accountable for your resulting costs and suffering. Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers can help make that a reality.
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t pay unless we win your hospital malpractice case.
Contact our Chicago, IL, law office to get started. Your first consultation is free.
When Can I Sue a Chicago Hospital For Malpractice?
According to the American Medical Association, nearly one out of three doctors is sued for malpractice at some point during their career.
When a doctor works for a hospital, the hospital can also be liable for the physician’s negligence. This is known as vicarious liability. A hospital can also be liable for its own negligence that contributes to a patient’s injury or death. This is known as direct negligence.
Thanks to a 2022 Illinois Supreme Court decision, you can sue a hospital for both vicarious liability and direct negligence, even if the hospital acknowledges that its doctor/staff was at fault.
Vicarious Liability
Illinois law provides that a company can be vicariously liable for an employee’s negligence. In other words, you can sue an employer for an employee’s mistake. So, if you’re injured because a doctor at a Chicago hospital fails to diagnose a medical condition, you can sue both the doctor and the hospital for damages.
When you sue a hospital for vicarious liability, you must be able to prove:
- The negligent or wrongful act was committed by a hospital employee or agent
- The hospital employee or agent was acting within the scope of their employment, and
- The hospital had the ability to control the employee or agent.
You can also sue a hospital for its own negligence that contributed to an injury or wrongful death.
Direct Negligence
Direct negligence means that a hospital’s own actions were unreasonable and harmed a patient.
Examples of hospital negligence might include negligent hiring, negligent entrustment, and negligent supervision.
When you sue a hospital for direct negligence, you’ll have to prove:
- The hospital owed you a duty of care
- The hospital breached that duty of care through some unreasonable action (or failure to act)
- The hospital’s actions (or inaction) were a direct and proximate cause of your injury or loved one’s wrongful death, and
- You’ve suffered damages.
Your injury must not have been a reasonably anticipated consequence of the treatment you received. It has to be more than just a bad outcome.
How Much is My Chicago Hospital Malpractice Case Worth?
It depends. Every plaintiff’s story will be different. Every victim’s life will be affected by hospital negligence in different ways. It’s the details of those stories that will ultimately dictate how much a related legal claim might be worth.
- What types of injuries were sustained?
- How severe are those injuries?
- Will you require long-term medical treatment?
- Can you continue to work?
- If not, how long will you be disabled?
- Has your earning capacity changed?
- How old are you?
- Has the medical error shortened your life expectancy?
- How has your quality of life changed since you were injured?
- What are your out-of-pocket costs?
- What steps did you take to mitigate your damages?
The more of a negative impact your injury has had on your life, the more you can typically expect to recover in a hospital malpractice lawsuit.
The best way to know what your case is worth is by speaking with an experienced hospital malpractice attorney near you in Chicago. Call Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers to set up a free case evaluation now.
What Damages Can a Hospital Be Forced to Pay in an Illinois Medical Malpractice Case?
As a plaintiff in an Illinois hospital malpractice lawsuit, you can pursue both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are paid to put you back in the financial position you were in before you were injured.
These should cover current and future expenses related to your injury, such as:
- Hospitalization
- Surgery
- Medication
- Transportation to another medical facility
- Rehabilitation
- Medical equipment and devices
- Lost wages and earnings
- Diminished earning capacity
- Disability
- Funeral expenses
Non-economic damages are paid to help you cope with the traumatic life changes you experience as a victim, including:
- Chronic physical pain
- Emotional distress
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Physical scarring
- Inconvenience
- Embarrassment
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
Count on our Chicago hospital malpractice attorneys to force the hospital and its insurer to engage in meaningful settlement negotiations. We’ll enlist the help of trusted experts and specialists as we build your case so that we’re prepared to leverage a top-dollar result on your behalf.
What is the Statute of Limitations for an Illinois Hospital Malpractice Lawsuit?
Illinois has a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most hospital malpractice litigation.
This gives you two years from the date of the negligent conduct to formally file a claim for damages. If your injury isn’t discovered right away, the statute of limitations can be tolled until that time.
However, you won’t have unlimited time to sue a hospital for malpractice. The state has a statute of repose that caps most medical malpractice actions at four years from the date of negligence.
Turn to Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers for assistance as soon as you discover your injury. Our hospital malpractice lawyers in Chicago can get to work on your case as soon as you ask for our help.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Chicago Hospital Malpractice Lawyer
Are you struggling with painful and debilitating injuries, a shortened life expectancy, or a family member’s tragic death because of a medical error made at a Chicago hospital? Now is the time to hold the hospital accountable, and Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers can help.
Our Chicago hospital malpractice lawyers have 30+ years of combined experience fighting for injured patients and families. We’ve forced insurance companies, hospitals, and other powerful defendants to pay our clients tens of millions in damages. Now, we’re here to fight for you.
Let us be your most passionate advocates. Contact our Chicago, IL, law office to speak with a member of our team. Your first consultation is free.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Chicago, IL
Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers
Address:
134 N La Salle St #2160
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone:
(312) 929-2884
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