Medical Error | Medical Malpractice Resources | Page 2

The way our health care system is set up, doctors are afforded a tremendous amount of responsibility and trust. When an Illinois resident goes to the doctor or hospital, he or she is often seen by one doctor who is solely responsible for conducting an examination, diagnosing any health problems, establishing a treatment plan and […]
Doctor Errors

At times throughout any professional’s career, a second set of eyes can be helpful. When proofing a colleague’s work, a co-worker may notice an error or be able to provide helpful feedback on ways to improve upon a work product. Unfortunately, doctors and other medical professionals typically do not work in settings or under conditions […]
Doctor Errors

When Chicago parents rush their ill children to the emergency room, they do so because they believe that something is seriously wrong with their children, and because they also trust emergency room workers and doctors will do what is necessary to figure out what may be causing their children’s concerning health issues. Unfortunately, when a […]
Doctor Errors

What causes medical professionals in Chicago and throughout the country to make medical errors that harm or kill thousands of patients every year? As our medical malpractice law blog has mentioned in other posts, there are many factors that may contribute to serious or fatal medical errors here in Illinois and across the country. Inexperienced […]
Doctor Errors

People in Chicago often shudder to think about the long hours doctors may be working. Hospital doctors tend to work very long shifts, and many patients and their families might wonder if such schedules could lead to fatigue and related medical errors. In 2011, an oversight board did decide to curb the length of shifts […]
Medical Error

It’s estimated that more than 100,000 Americans have been exposed to dangerous infections such as HIV and hepatitis in the past decade. This is not through any action of their own; it is due to contaminated medical devices. Among those contaminated devices used were reused needles or vials of medicine that were dipped into more […]
Medical Error

The change from paper records to electronic health records in doctors’ offices was intended to make it easier for doctors in Illinois and throughout the entire country to access patient records and to record information from patient visits. Those are the intended benefits. However, the use of EHRs shows high incidents of errors, with the […]
Doctor Errors

For some Chicago families, choosing to put a loved one or aging parent in a nursing home can be a difficult decision to make. Children of aging parents don’t want their loved ones to think that they are abandoning them, but at the same time, many families understand that they don’t have the equipment, time […]
Nursing Negligence

Although medical malpractice cases don’t make the news very often, medical malpractice is more common in Chicago and throughout the U.S. than most people realize. Medical errors happen every day in our country, and some mistakes that are made by doctors and other medical professionals are completely shocking. Recently, CNN published an online article of […]
Doctor Errors

As of Monday, there is one case of fungal meningitis in Illinois and nearly 212 across the country. Twelve people have died and we can expect this number to rise. The meningitis is not contagious, but more than 14,000 people likely received injections of the drug. The outbreak of fungal meningitis is linked to a […]
Medical Error

New information from a medical study shows that kids with chronic health conditions are more likely to suffer from serious hospital and medical errors. Statistics show that about three percent of our country’s kids who are hospitalized are affected by medical mistakes. When children are very ill, they could be more vulnerable to suffering serious […]
Hospital Negligence

Quality patient care is expected of Chicago health care providers. A correct diagnosis, precise drug prescriptions and careful attention to treatment are all part of doctors’ promised commitments to patients. A medical error in any of these duties could be construed as malpractice and cause harm to patients. Physicians are also expected to communicate effectively […]
Medical Error

An Illinois surgeon could perform an operation without any errors, a pediatrician could prescribe the correct dose of a medication for a child, and a doctor could accurately diagnose an illness after properly assessing a patient’s symptoms, but all of these incidents could still jeopardize patient safety and lead to medical malpractice. Doctors in Chicago […]
Medical Error

Anything could go wrong during surgery at any Chicago hospital. However, patients should never suffer complications or serious injuries during surgery because a doctor was too tired to perform the operation correctly and carefully. According to a new study, sleep-deprivation is common amongst surgical residents. This is concerning because lack of sleep could affect one’s […]
Medical Error

When patients die from injuries caused by medical errors, families often question what other steps could have been taken to prevent these fatal medical mistakes from happening. If a nurse had received better training, would he or she have been able to recognize that something was terribly wrong with a patient? If a hospital would […]
Doctor Errors

If your doctor makes a mistake while treating you at your Chicago clinic or if an Illinois hospital fails to properly diagnose your child at an ER visit, you probably expect to at least be told the truth about what happened. However, a new study shows an alarming trend among doctors. Many physicians lie to […]
Doctor Errors

Illinois doctors, nurses and other medical professionals are bound to make minor mistakes during their careers. But no mistake should be considered minor if the medical professional clearly deviated from the established standard of care. Doctors have a responsibility to treat each patient with the highest quality of care, and they must take that responsibility […]
Doctor Errors

Chicago parents probably know all too well how distracted their teens can be by texting. And Illinois residents have most likely witnessed a driver almost hitting a pedestrian or another vehicle while the individual was too busy talking on his or her cell phone. But are doctors just as guilty as everyone else when it […]
Doctor Errors

Patients can be at risk of suffering brain injuries in a number of ways when they are in a hospital to undergo surgery. One of the most common causes of brain injury is trauma which, unfortunately can be caused by medical malpractice, failure to ensure adequate care, or even preventable accidents, such as a fall. […]
Wrongful Death

When it was discovered that a patient at University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago had died after a series of medical errors, the hospital and the victim’s family made a promise to focus on improving the safety of patients. Since the woman’s wrongful death in 2008, efforts have been made to change policies at […]
Hospital Negligence