Staph infections, botched surgeries, improper medication dosage, and other forms of negligence occur more frequently than most assume. If you or a loved one have been wronged by a hospital or other medical care facility in Illinois, our Chicago medical malpractice attorney can help.
Here’s a quick look at what to do after a hospital injury.
Obtain Medical Care Right Away
Your health takes top priority. Meet with a doctor who is not affiliated with the negligent hospital. A doctor will treat your injury or illness to help you return to work in a timely manner.
Meeting with a doctor soon after your hospital injury also presents an opportunity to detail the injury or illness in the form of a professional medical report. A comprehensive medical evaluation including formal documentation in the form of a report strengthens your negligence case all the more.
The faster you receive treatment and a medical evaluation, the easier it is to establish a causal relationship between the hospital’s negligence and your injury or illness.
Document Your Losses
Establishing a connection between hospital negligence and your losses paves a path toward financial compensation. Aside from medical care receipts, you can strengthen your case by collecting other documents related to the cost of negligent care.
Examples of documents related to the cost of negligent hospital care include:
- Employment records
- Tax returns
- Pay stubs
- Healthcare insurance paperwork
- Missed days of work
Present the financial information related to hospital negligence to your attorney for review. Your attorney will calculate the cost of hospital negligence including the impact on your personal finances.
The calculation of damages includes lost wages and diminished earning capacity. Your attorney will then negotiate on your behalf to obtain a fair settlement value.
Meet With a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney
Your attorney will collect evidence on your behalf to prove hospital negligence. Examples of evidence that proves medical negligence include:
- Surgical tools/sponges found within a body cavity post-surgery
- Hospital medical records and reports
- Video evidence of the surgeon or doctor who performed a surgery/procedure
- Hospital regulations and/or policies
- Eyewitness testimony
- Lab or imaging test results
- Incorrect prescriptions
- Treatment notes that indicate a faulty diagnosis
Collecting, analyzing, and presenting such evidence takes time, effort, and legal acumen. Let your Chicago medical malpractice attorney handle the legal challenges on your behalf and you’ll be liberated to focus on recuperating your health.
Recognize That Time Is of the Essence
Illinois has a statute of limitations within which one must file a hospital negligence lawsuit. The standard frame of time for filing an Illinois medical malpractice claim is two years from the injury’s date.
If the injury suffered in a hospital causes death, the statute of limitations is two years from the date of death. If you haven’t started compiling the paper trail of medical receipts, reports, communication, and more, do so now.
Learn More During a Consultation With Our Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Have you been injured in a hospital? Our Chicago medical malpractice attorney can help. We’ll help you prove hospital negligence in Illinois. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation.