Going to the doctor is often a comfort. Whether you’re seeking routine care, a check-up, or going in because of a specific ailment, most people trust their doctors to provide them with a high level of care. When this trust and expectation is violated or broken, the experience can be shocking, and in many cases, detrimental to a patient’s physical health and wellbeing. When acts of medical malpractice lead to serious harm, patients have a right to pursue medical malpractice claims.
At the Law Offices of Glenn & West, LLC, our medical malpractice lawyer in Litchfield and Nokomis, IL can advocate for you. To learn more about medical malpractice claims or your rights to bring forth a claim, contact us today.
What Is a Medical Malpractice Claim?
When an ordinary person breaches the standard of care owed to another person by doing something outside of the scope of what an ordinary person would do in the same situation, they can be found negligent and held liable for any damages that result. Similarly, when a medical professional breaches the standard of care that another medical professional of similar background and training would exercise in the same situation, they are guilty of malpractice.
When medical malpractice occurs and you or a loved one are injured as a result, you can file a medical malpractice claim to seek damages.
Types of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other medical professional breaches the medical standard of care. Examples of medical malpractice include but are not limited to:
- Surgical errors, including wrong-patient error, wrong-site errors, and leaving medical equipment within a patient
- Medication errors, including prescribing the wrong medication, administering the wrong dosage of medication, or filling the wrong medication (pharmacist)
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis errors
- Emergency room errors
- Failure to treat errors
- Birth injuries
Illinois Medical Malpractice Claims: Damages and Statute of Limitations
While Illinois statute once held that damages in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois were capped, the Illinois Supreme Court found this statute to be unconstitutional in 2010. Today, there is no cap on the amount of damages recoverable in a medical malpractice suit. If your doctor has caused you harm as a result of malpractice, you can seek compensation for the full value of medical expenses, lost wages, and noneconomic damages you’ve suffered.
In order to pursue damages, however, you must bring forth your claim within the state’s statute of limitations. The statute of limitations in Illinois for medical malpractice claims is two years from the date of the malpractice, which may be extended in some cases.
Get Legal Help Today
If you or a loved one has been harmed at the hands of a medical professional who breached the medical standard of care owed to you, you deserve to be compensated in full for your losses. Our Nokomis and Litchfield medical malpractice attorney has experience working on claims like this and recovering settlements for our clients. To learn more about how we can serve you and what steps to take when you’ve been harmed due to medical malpractice, contact us today. We are here to help you.
