Medical malpractice can lead to devastating outcomes, including permanent injuries, overwhelming medical costs, or the heartbreaking loss of a loved one. Although no legal action can undo the harm caused by a negligent healthcare provider, pursuing compensation can provide essential support for affected families and may deter negligence, protecting future patients from similar harm.
Clifford Law Offices handles serious medical malpractice claims, including the failure to diagnose and treat common medical conditions such as heart attacks, infections and pulmonary embolisms, birth injuries and trauma, surgical errors and lack of informed consent, and delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis cases. Our medical malpractice team has an extensive track record of successful results, helping victims of negligence and their families feel secure in their futures after a catastrophic injury or a death.
If you believe that you or a loved one has been harmed due to medical malpractice, navigating the legal process can quickly become overwhelming. Proper preparation and protection in the early stages of a claim can significantly impact the overall success of your case. Continue reading to learn what to do if you suspect you or a loved one may have been a victim of medical malpractice.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
If you are experiencing complications that may be linked to medical malpractice, it’s crucial to promptly seek medical attention or continue to follow up with ongoing care to avoid further complications from delayed treatment. Obtaining a second medical opinion can sometimes prevent additional severe complications and possibly identify the root cause of your initial injury.
Gather and Preserve Documentation
The moment you suspect that you or a loved one may be a victim of malpractice, it’s essential to obtain all medical records and healthcare documents from your medical providers. These records, including symptoms, medical history, diagnostic results, prescribed medications, and treatments, are crucial in determining if you have a viable case and how your attorney should proceed. Remember to request any and all imaging (X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, etc.), monitoring (EKGs, fetal monitor strips), and pathology results.
In cases involving the death of a family member, requesting an autopsy can provide critical insight into the cause of death. If the institution or medical examiner’s office does not offer an autopsy, private autopsy services are available.
Detailed documentation provides your attorney with a full picture of the events that led to your injury and any negligence that played a role.
Basic Illinois Medical Malpractice Law
Each medical malpractice claim is unique, but understanding your rights and critical aspects of the law, including the medical malpractice statute of limitations, is important.
To prove negligence, several elements must be proven: the existence of a professional relationship, that the provider was negligent, and that the negligence was a cause of injury or death.
Choosing a law firm with proven resources and experience to successfully handle complex medical malpractice cases is key to success in litigation and delivering results.
Decades of Proven Results
Clifford Law Offices’ award-winning team of medical malpractice attorneys has obtained impressive results for the families it has represented. In 2023 alone, Clifford Law Offices’ medical malpractice attorneys secured nearly $100 million in medical malpractice cases, often involving complicated healthcare issues and numerous defendants.
Bradley M. Cosgrove, Charles R. Haskins, Keith A. Hebeisen, and Sarah F. King, partners at the firm, obtained a record $101 million result obtained by on behalf of a baby who sustained brain damage at birth at West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park. The firm also secured a $39.9 million verdict against Advocate Physician Partners for their failure to provide proper treatment during a patient’s care and a $27M settlement for the family of a newborn who sustained permanent injuries, including a skull fracture and brain hemorrhage, during an emergency C-section delivery. These are but a few examples of our commitment to obtaining substantial compensation for those injured by medical negligence
Consult a Medical Malpractice Attorney
Not all injuries result from medical malpractice, and determining whether negligence occurred can be challenging. An experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you evaluate the specifics of your case, initiate thorough investigations, and explore your legal options. Our attorneys have substantial experience in handling medical malpractice claims and have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for injured patients.
Medical malpractice cases are notoriously complex, and it’s crucial to act quickly if you believe you have been a victim. Contact Clifford Law Offices today to learn more about your case and the legal options available to you.