Brain injuries are often associated with accidents such as motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents or slip-and-fall accidents, but Joliet doctors may also be responsible for causing these serious and disabling injuries when they make medical errors. Some types of medical errors that may lead to brain injuries include: surgical mistakes, anesthesia-related errors, nursing negligence, diagnosis mistakes and errors during labor and birth.
In a lawsuit that was recently filed in Illinois on behalf of a medical malpractice victim, a hospital and two of its doctors are accused of improperly treating a patient. The poor care ultimately caused the patient to suffer a disabling brain injury. The lawsuit claims that doctors failed to diagnose the man’s condition, and as a result, the patient did not receive enough blood supply to his brain.
According to the lawsuit, the patient’s condition was improperly diagnosed by doctors, which prevented the patient from receiving the medical care he needed. The man had suffered a cerebral vascular injury, which makes it difficult for blood vessels to supply the brain with enough blood. The man suffered permanent damage as a result of the missed diagnosis. He now has a mental disability, his earning capacity has been affected, and he incurred medical costs. The lawsuit seeks at least $150,000 in damages for the victim.
When medical malpractice causes a patient to suffer a brain injury, the patient’s life and his or her family’s life may never be the same. This means victims and families may need to recover compensation for more than just their medical bills. Victims and families may need to recover compensation for lost wages and pain and suffering, especially when the victim is someone who was responsible for financially supporting a family.
Victims of medical malpractice and families of victims should not hesitate to reach out to an attorney. Medical malpractice may cause victims to live with pain and disabling injuries for the rest of their lives, but victims should not be forced to deal with the life-long financial consequences of a negligent doctor’s mistake or failure to diagnose a serious medical condition.
Source: The Madison-St. Clair Record, “St. Elizabeth’s and doctors blamed for alleged misdiagnosis,” Kelly Holleran, Jan. 31, 2012
