Lake County Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Helping Clients Get Compensation in Lake County Medical Malpractice Claims
Lake County patients rely on healthcare professionals for proper medical care for their illnesses and injuries. When doctors, nurses, and others in the medical field commit avoidable errors due to negligence or carelessness, patients can suffer serious consequences. A single medical mistake has the potential to injure a patient and impact their family in countless ways. If you were harmed due to negligent medical care, a Lake County medical malpractice lawyer can help.
Briskman Briskman & Greenberg has experience representing clients across Lake County, Illinois, in all types of medical malpractice claims. Our experienced and compassionate Lake County medical malpractice lawyers are dedicated to pursuing compensation for your medical costs, lost wages, and other hardships. We encourage you to discuss your legal options with us so that you are equipped to make the best decision for yourself and your loved ones.
What is Medical Malpractice?
A widely cited Johns Hopkins study identified medical malpractice as the third leading cause of death in the United States. More than 250,000 patients die each year due to medical mistakes, according to researchers. While the accuracy of the study’s findings has been challenged since first being published in 2016, the fact remains that medical errors are a serious threat to patients and their well-being.
Doctors undergo years of training and take an oath to provide patients with the best possible care. Medical malpractice occurs when a medical professional such as a physician, surgeon, nurse or pharmacist breaches their duty of care, causing harm to a patient.
What makes medical errors so upsetting is that they are avoidable. Medical professionals at all levels can make preventable mistakes, whether it is an experienced surgeon who operates on the incorrect site or a newly qualified physician assistant who misreads a test.
According to the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center, 30,753 primary care patients received medical treatment in the county in 2021. Hospitals in Lake County include Vista Medical Center East, Vista Medical Center West, Lake Forest Hospital, Condell Memorial Hospital, and VA Medical Center. Medical malpractice, however, is not just limited to hospitals. Medical errors can occur in other healthcare settings as well, such as pharmacies and private clinics.
If you believe you were harmed due to a medical error, Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is here to help you hold the negligent medical professional accountable. Our Lake County medical malpractice lawyers are ready to take on even large healthcare providers in the pursuit of just compensation for your injuries.
Types of Medical Errors
Medical malpractice can occur in a variety of ways, and it happens far more often than people may realize. A 2018 Stanford University School of Medicine survey of U.S. physicians found that 55 percent reported experiencing signs of burnout, while 10 percent admitted to making at least one major medical mistake during the prior three months.
Common medical errors include prescribing drugs that result in harmful interactions, causing a birth injury during delivery, misreading an X-ray, failing to treat a patient in a timely manner, or not ordering a necessary test. While these are just a few examples of the countless ways in which medical mistakes occur, Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is equipped to handle all types of Lake County medical malpractice cases, including:
- Surgical errors
- Diagnosis mistakes
- Medication errors
- Birth injuries
The consequences for victims of medical negligence include health problems or complications. Medical errors can even be fatal in some cases. If you have suffered injuries due to medical malpractice, our Lake County medical malpractice lawyers can advise you of your rights. You may be entitled to compensation from the negligent healthcare professional or entity that caused you harm.
A Closer Look at Common Types of Medical Errors:
Birth Injuries
Mothers-to-be entrust healthcare providers with their well-being and the healthy birth of their baby during the pregnancy, labor, and delivery process. Negligence in the delivery room can result in preventable birth injuries like Erb’s palsy and cerebral palsy. For example, a doctor may fail to order an emergency C-section. In 2020, just over 30 percent of births in Lake County required a C-section, while almost 9 percent were preterm.
Inadequate prenatal care that causes harm to the mother or infant can also constitute medical malpractice. In 2019, Lake County had an infant mortality rate of five, with 35 deaths. In 2020, the top three causes of infant mortality in Illinois were disorders linked to short gestation and low birth weight with 157 deaths, maternal complications with 50 deaths, and accidents or unintentional injuries with 45 deaths.
Diagnostic Errors
Diagnostic errors can lead to adverse health outcomes for patients of all ages. Misdiagnosis and delayed diagnoses are among the most common ways in which medical malpractice occurs. Doctors are responsible for identifying health conditions correctly and catching them early enough for effective treatment. Misdiagnosing a heart attack or failing to diagnose cancer, for example, can cause detrimental harm to patients.
Surgical Mistakes
Surgeons are highly skilled professionals entrusted to perform high-stakes procedures. Nonetheless, even the most qualified surgeons can make mistakes that lead to complications or even death. Some of the most common forms of surgical negligence include errors with administrating anesthesia, operating on the wrong part of the body, making incorrect incisions, delaying surgery, and failing to guard against preventable infections.
Prescription Errors
When patients receive incorrect medication or the wrong dosage, they can suffer serious, even life-threatening, injuries. Pharmacists and other medical professionals have a legal duty to administer drugs properly. Prescription errors can occur due to a wide range of reasons, including a doctor’s poor handwriting, mixing up medications with similar names, labeling drugs incorrectly, being distracted while dispensing medication, or negligently prescribing drugs without checking for harmful interactions.
Filing a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
A medical malpractice lawsuit allows you to obtain damages when you are injured because of the negligence of a Lake County healthcare professional or facility. Proving a medical malpractice claim involves establishing these key factors:
- The hospital or health care provider who caused your injury owed you a duty of care.
- The health care provider breached the duty of care by committing an error or acting in a way that falls outside the accepted standard of care. A similarly qualified medical professional would not have made that mistake under the same or similar circumstances.
- You were injured or harmed because of the medical professional’s negligence or medical mistake.
- You incurred economic damages and non-economic damage because of the injury.
Given the complexities involved with pursuing a medical malpractice claim, choosing an experienced Lake County medical malpractice lawyer to handle your case is vital. With an attorney representing your interests, you can significantly increase your chances of receiving maximum compensation.
Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is committed to helping Lake County residents hold negligent medical professionals and facilities accountable when they fail to provide adequate care. We understand the legal nuances of such cases and know how to navigate them skillfully to obtain the best possible outcome for our clients. Our Lake County medical malpractice lawyers will thoroughly investigate what happened and, when necessary, enlist experts who can provide evidence to support your medical malpractice claim.
Damages Available in a Medical Malpractice Claim
Medical malpractice can cause devastating injuries that can change how you go about your daily life. The compensation you receive should take into account the full extent of the harm you have suffered because of a medical error.
A Lake County medical malpractice attorney can help you recover the following types of economic and non-economic damages:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost earnings
- Loss of earning capacity
- Disability accommodations
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Disfigurement
- Loss of life enjoyment
Under Illinois law, there is no cap on the amount of non-economic damages that can be recovered in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The Lake County medical malpractice attorneys at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg will strive to ensure you receive maximum damages in your case.
Time Limit for Filing a Lake County Medical Malpractice Claim
Under Illinois law, medical malpractice claims must be brought within a certain amount of time, known as the statute of limitations. The statute of limitations for a Lake County medical malpractice lawsuit is typically two years. The two years start from the date you found out about your injury or learned that you received negligent medical care from a provider.
There are some exceptions to the standard statute of limitations, such as for cases that involve harm to children or wrongful death. Additionally, a different time limit may apply if you continued to receive treatment from the allegedly negligent medical professional. Because every case is different, it is beneficial to contact a Lake County medical malpractice lawyer as soon as you suspect you have suffered harm because of medical negligence.
Contact Briskman Briskman & Greenberg
If you have been injured or experienced health complications due to a medical error, do not delay speaking to a qualified Lake County medical malpractice lawyer. Briskman Briskman & Greenberg will listen to what happened and advise you on the possibility of pursuing compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Our experienced and compassionate Lake County medical malpractice lawyers have a reputation for success in helping clients hold doctors, nurses, hospitals, and other healthcare providers accountable for their negligence. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.