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Recent Blog Posts
What Causes Maternal Mortality in Illinois?
Every year, between 75-100 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth injuries in Illinois alone. Even worse, the 2016-17 Illinois Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report estimated that 83% of pregnancy-related deaths could have been prevented and the problem is serious enough nationally that around 11% of medical malpractice lawsuits each year are filed against OBGYNs for medical malpractice during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
Mental health conditions, substance abuse, and pre-existing medical conditions can all significantly complicate the process of giving birth, but they should not be a death sentence. Women giving birth in Illinois are entitled to expect a standard of care that takes into account complicating factors and comorbidities, and when doctors and nurses fail to provide the appropriate standard of care, the consequences can be tragic.
Can I Sue My Provider for Medical Complications Caused During an Abortion?
Having to decide whether or not to get an abortion is one of the toughest positions in which a woman can find herself. The emotional complexities of abortion are sometimes complicated by the fact that abortions do not always go according to plan. Sometimes women suffer serious and even fatal injuries due to medical malpractice on the part of their abortion provider.
If you have been injured during an abortion, an experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney may be able to help. Seeking justice, protecting your rights, and pursuing compensation cannot undo the suffering you have experienced, but it can be a step on the road to emotional and physical recovery.
Medical Malpractice and Abortion
Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other medical professional causes a patient harm by failing to provide the appropriate standard of care. Unfortunately, sometimes women who seek abortions are the victims of negligence or incompetence from their abortion provider. Common types of abortion medical malpractice include:
Can Midwives Be Guilty of Medical Malpractice in Illinois?
The number of licensed midwives in Illinois is set to expand as the state prepares to widen the criteria for allowing midwives to apply for licensure. Currently, only midwives with nursing degrees are allowed to practice in Illinois, but some professional midwives who are trained and certified would be allowed to practice with the change in the law that Governor Pritzker is expected to sign.
Midwives are important health professionals who help women before, during, and after childbirth. Many midwives work in hospitals along with other medical staff, but some midwives help women who want to give birth at home. Unfortunately, not all midwives are properly prepared to help women safely give birth. When midwives fail to see and address potential complications during birth or attempt to handle cases where substantial medical risk is present, they place the health of the mother and child in jeopardy. In some cases, a midwife may be held responsible for birth injuries due to medical malpractice.
When Can I Sue for Medical Malpractice if My Baby Was Stillborn?
The United States is a world leader in medical research and best practices. Unfortunately, even with such an elevated level of healthcare, medical professionals sometimes fail to serve their patients with the highest standard of care, with tragic consequences.
Medical negligence can turn giving birth from one of the most memorable, intimate times in a parent’s life into a nightmare scenario. Even when they are not fatal, birth injuries can have a devastating long-term effect on a family’s emotions and finances. If you suspect you were the victim of medical malpractice during childbirth, an experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney may be able to help.
Common Types of Birth Injuries
Birth injuries can occur before, during, and after delivering an infant, and although they most commonly affect the child, the mother can suffer serious harm as well. Common birth injuries include, but are not limited to:
Is Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Medical Malpractice?
Breast cancer is a pernicious, all-too-common type of cancer that primarily affects women later in midlife. Amazing progress in medical research has made it so that, when properly detected and diagnosed in its early stages, victims of breast cancer have overwhelmingly positive odds of survival - in some instances, up to a 99 percent five-year survival rate.
But a misdiagnosis and or delayed diagnosis can seriously harm the chances of effective treatment. Left untreated, breast cancer often spreads and metastasizes, causing serious harm and even death. Failure to diagnose breast cancer can happen when a doctor does not order appropriate tests or misinterprets the results. If you have suffered as a result of a breast cancer misdiagnosis, a qualified medical malpractice attorney can help you understand your options.
How is Breast Cancer Diagnosed?
Construction Fall Accidents Caused by OSHA Non-Compliance
Construction workers face some of the most dangerous work conditions in the United States. Every year, around 20% of fatal workplace accidents happen on a construction site, and many thousands of workers sustain serious or permanent injuries.
One of the most common ways that construction workers are injured or killed is through a fall. Falling from scaffolding, unfinished balconies, and other unprotected heights can cause brain trauma, paralysis, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and even death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has instituted construction site regulations to protect workers from falling.
What are OSHA Fall Protection Standards?
Employees have the right to a safe workplace. If a construction worker or other employee is working at least six feet above the ground or a lower level, fall protection systems must be in place. Employers are required to provide these protections and are responsible for ensuring they are properly utilized. Some of the fall protection systems include:
Scaffolding Failures Pose Major Hazards to Illinois Construction Workers
Scaffolding is essential at many construction sites for building and renovation. Well-constructed scaffolding allows painters, maintenance workers, window cleaners, and construction workers to reach high places safely and do their jobs on a stable walkway. In any given year, the Department of Labor has estimated that over 2 million workers use scaffolds, an enormous number that makes proper scaffolding use extremely important.
Unfortunately, scaffolding mistakes can lead to severe injuries and even death. Scaffold use or erection errors cause thousands of injuries every year, and approximately 25 percent of fatal falls happen on scaffolding. Accidents involving scaffolds take an incalculable toll on the victims and their families. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a scaffolding construction accident, a personal injury attorney may be able to help you obtain financial compensation.
What Are Common Causes of Scaffolding Injuries?
What Happens if an Ironworker is Injured on the Job in Illinois?
Ironworkers in Illinois perform many thankless tasks as part of their everyday job responsibilities. Some of these tasks, like reading blueprints, are fairly harmless. Others, like loading and stacking iron and steel, pose moderate dangers. But there are certain responsibilities ironworkers have that can be extremely dangerous. Putting together the steel skeleton of skyscrapers, reinforcing bridges and highways with rebar, and using heavy metalworking equipment can result in serious and even fatal injuries.
To add to these difficulties, ironworkers are often exposed to hazardous weather conditions during Chicago’s infamous winters. Job sites may contain toxic chemicals or dangerous physical obstacles. Equipment is hot, heavy, and very powerful. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates ironwork to be one of the most deadly jobs in the country. If you have experienced an ironworker accident, it is important to understand your options under Illinois law and speak with a personal injury as soon as possible.
What are Common Forms of Dental Malpractice in Illinois?
Going to the dentist is an unpleasant experience for many people. The general discomfort is often compounded by legitimate concerns about a dentist’s competence and ability to fix a situation, rather than make it worse.
Unfortunately, visits to the dentist can result in treatment that does not meet an appropriate level of care. Physical pain and great financial expense can result from substandard dental treatment, to say nothing of the emotional turmoil patients experience. Sometimes, poor dental treatment can rise to the level of medical malpractice. When this happens, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you determine if you have a case for damages.
Common Types of Dental Malpractice
Dental malpractice can cause harmful consequences, especially during more complex procedures like surgeries and extractions. Common types of dental malpractice include, but are not limited to:
Can You Sue an Anesthesiologist for Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice cases are often appropriate when a medical professional causes harm to a patient by providing substandard care. A significant subset of medical malpractice cases results from anesthesiologist errors during general anesthesia (anesthesia that makes the patient completely unconscious).
Anesthesia is inherently risky and requires extensive training and expertise on the part of the anesthesiologist. Sometimes adverse effects take place that are out of the control of the anesthesiologist. However, errors are often caused by negligence by an anesthesiologist who fails to provide a proper standard of care. When this happens, the victim may have grounds to file a civil lawsuit.
What Are Common Anesthesia Errors?
Anesthesia malpractice can occur during a medical preview before the operation, during the procedure itself, or following the procedure with improper follow-up care. Some of the most common anesthesia errors include:
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