Champaign Medical Malpractice Lawyer

How Often Does Medical Negligence Occur in Illinois?

According to the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), an affiliate of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, there were 1,495 Adverse Action Reports (AARs) filed in Illinois in 2023. That means almost 1,500 reported instances of healthcare practitioners making a mistake resulted in a patient suffering injuries that year.

Examples of Errors Made by Healthcare Providers

The preventable mistakes doctors and other medical professionals make are quite varied and often include:

• Giving a patient a wrongful diagnosis, which may lead to them receiving an incorrect treatment, or failing to diagnose a patient altogether, which may result in delayed treatment
• Surgical errors, including anesthesia errors and wrong patient or site incidents
• Birth injuries, either to mom or baby
• Hospital-acquired infections, which may be caused by inferior cleaning protocols
• Medication errors, including the wrong drug or too little or too large of a dosage issues

Of course, the examples of medical malpractice described above are far from exhaustive. So, whether one of the above instances happened to you or a close family member or something else, be sure to reach out to us at Prince Law Firm to discuss if you may have a pursuable medical malpractice claim.

How a Champaign Medical Malpractice Lawyer Proves Negligence

You or your attorney must prove the following elements to have a valid claim malpractice claim in Illinois:

• That a doctor-patient relationship existed or that some other healthcare provider owed you a standard of care
• That a medical provider breached the standard of care they owed you
• Your healthcare practitioner’s negligent actions caused you harm (to develop an illness or injury)
• You sustained damages because your medical provider engaged in negligence
• You incurred losses because of the negligent actions that the healthcare practitioner made

Establishing the elements of negligence necessary to pursue a claim or lawsuit against a healthcare provider can be challenging, which is why it can be helpful to have a Champaign medical malpractice lawyer to assist you in building your case. At Prince Law Firm, we offer free consultations to individuals like you. If you want to confirm whether you have a valid claim and what your legal options are, contact us for help today.

Potential Healthcare Providers You Can Hold Liable for Negligence

Since our firm’s inception, we have named the following parties as defendants in medical malpractice lawsuits we’ve filed in Champaign County Courts:

• Doctors, including emergency room physicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists
• Nurses
• Hospitals and other medical centers
• Pharmacists
• Chiropractors
• Mental health counselors, psychologists, or psychiatrists
• Dentists

While this list is brief, hopefully, it gives you a better idea of how no medical practitioner is immune from being held liable if their actions or lack thereof cause you harm. So, no matter who negatively impacted your health, be sure to reach out to us for a free case evaluation to see if you have a viable case.

Compensation You Can Pursue for Medical Negligence

Any financial recovery you make by filing a claim with a healthcare provider’s medical malpractice or insurer or by filing a civil lawsuit can go to paying any losses you’ve incurred because negligence occurred, including:

• Medical costs
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Also, if the medical negligence resulted in a loved one’s wrongful death, you may be eligible to recover compensation for funeral and burial costs as well as additional damages.

The Statute of Limitations That Applies to Medical Negligence Cases

There’s a 2-year filing timeline that generally applies to medical malpractice cases in Illinois.

As you’re likely aware, adverse outcomes such as injuries or a person’s deteriorating health caused by a healthcare provider’s negligence aren’t always immediately apparent. Instead, a patient like yourself or a loved one may only begin to manifest outward symptoms of distress at some later point in time.

Know that the 2-year statute of limitations applicable in your case only begins counting down once the onset of the injury or illness occurs or you discover there’s an issue.

Additional exceptions may also apply that impact whether you’re able to file beyond that 2-year window, which is why you owe it to yourself to consult with one of our medical malpractice attorneys to verify whether you’re still within the statutory timeline to file your case.

Explore Your Legal Options After Suffering Medical Malpractice in Champaign, IL

You’ve already suffered enough; don’t wait any longer to fight for justice. Reach out to our office today for a free consultation and see how a Champaign medical malpractice lawyer can help you. Our team is ready to advise you of the legal options available for you to pursue and assist you in claiming the financial compensation you need to take back your health and life. We look forward to your call or email.