Bridgeview Medical Malpractice Lawyer Helps Victims Recover Compensation

Attorney hold health care professionals liable for harm to patients

When any of us go to the doctor or hospital for treatment, we do not expect them to make our ailments worse. When that happens, you need a medical malpractice attorney to line up the expert testimony and other evidence required and to present your case effectively in settlement negotiations and before a jury. At Skinner Law Firm, P.C. in Bridgeview, we will provide careful preparation and aggressive representation in helping you pursue the money damages you deserve.

What are the types of medical malpractice?

Whenever a medical professional fails to adhere to the accepted standard of care and an injury results, the victim has a cause of action for medical malpractice. This can occur in the form of:

• Misdiagnosis — Failing to recognize the cause of an illness can lead to use of the wrong drug or treatment. This includes misdiagnosis of breast, prostate or other types of cancer or failure to diagnose conditions in a timely manner.
• Surgical errors — These include failing to warn patients of the risks of an operation, performing the wrong procedures, causing massive bleeding, failing to suture properly and leaving surgical tools inside the body.
• Anesthesia errors — These include overuse of anesthesia, use of an inappropriate anesthetic and failure to monitor the effect of anesthesia, mistakes that can lead to unnecessary pain or even death.
• Prescription errors — Serious and sometimes life-altering or fatal side effects can result from prescribing the wrong medication or the right medicine in the wrong dosages, failing to heed or advise patients of drug warnings, failing to give prescribed medications or dispensing medications that were not prescribed.
• Birth injuries — A variety of medical errors can cause birth defects, miscarriages and other birth-related injuries.

Medical malpractice may be committed by:

• Physicians — Doctors are may be responsible for misdiagnosis, surgical errors and prescribing the wrong medicine or dosages.
• Nurses — Among the errors that can be committed by nurses are failing to monitor patients, neglecting patient needs, giving patients the wrong medications and failing to alert doctors of medical emergencies.
• Hospitals — Negligent hiring, training or supervision of staff, use of faulty equipment and failure to maintain adequate medical supplies are all types of hospital errors that can be grounds for a lawsuit.

As your counsel, our first steps in a medical malpractice case are to investigate and determine the type of malpractice involved and to identify the potentially liable parties.

What is the process in a medical malpractice lawsuit?

A medical malpractice suit must be filed within two years of the date when the patient knows or reasonably should know of an injury that was caused by a health care professional’s negligence and within four years of the medical malpractice itself. If the patient was a minor, these time periods are tolled until he or she reaches the age of majority.

A medical malpractice suit must be accompanied by a report from an appropriate medical professional, stating that there is a reasonable and meritorious cause of action. We take charge of lining up the necessary expert and obtaining the report.

During the lawsuit, the parties exchange information about the facts of the case and our respective expert witnesses’ opinions. You will need to answer questions from the opposing counsel and the defendants will need to answer our questions as well. Attorney Steven E. Skinner II is effective at winning compensation through negotiation and settlement, but will not hesitate to go to trial if necessary to achieve a just result.

Contact a trustworthy medical malpractice attorney for a free initial consultation

If you are the victim of medical malpractice of any kind, turn to Skinner Law Firm, P.C. for sound advice and effective representation. We have been providing trusted legal services throughout the Cook County area for nearly 20 years. Please call 312-635-6459 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation at our Bridgeview, Illinois office.