Serving Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, and all surrounding counties of DuPage, Will & Lake.
Serving Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, and all surrounding counties of DuPage, Will & Lake.
When you trust a doctor, nurse, hospital, or other healthcare provider, you expect careful treatment and sound medical judgment. When that trust is broken by a serious mistake, the consequences can affect your health, finances, work, and family. Medical malpractice claims help injured patients and grieving families seek accountability when medical negligence causes harm.
These cases are often complex because they involve both legal and medical questions. Sklare Law Group helps people in Chicago, IL, understand whether they may have a medical malpractice claim and what steps may come next. Our experienced personal injury attorneys handle serious injury cases with preparation, clear communication, and a strong commitment to pursuing fair compensation.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Medical malpractice may occur when a healthcare provider fails to meet the accepted standard of care, and that failure causes injury, illness, a worsened condition, or death. A poor outcome is not always malpractice. Medicine can be difficult, and complications can occur even when providers act properly.
A claim may exist when a reasonable medical professional would have handled the situation differently under similar circumstances. This could involve a mistake in diagnosis, treatment, surgery, medication, monitoring, or follow-up care.
Why Medical Malpractice Happens
Medical malpractice is often tied to negligence. In healthcare, negligence can have life-changing results because medical providers make decisions that affect a patient’s body, safety, and survival.
Examples of medical malpractice may include:
- Birth injuries
- Surgical errors
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis
- Medication errors
- Leaving surgical tools inside a patient
- Damaging nearby tissue during a procedure
- Failure to diagnose cancer or another serious illness
- Failure to monitor a patient
- Anesthesia mistakes
Not every serious injury means a provider did something wrong. Sklare Law Group reviews the facts carefully to determine whether the evidence may support a claim.
The 4 Elements of a Medical Malpractice Case
A medical malpractice claim generally requires proof of four key points. These elements help show that the provider’s negligence caused real harm.
The four elements are:
- A professional duty of care was owed to the patient
- The provider breached that duty
- The breach caused injury, illness, or death
- The injury led to damages, such as medical bills, disability, pain, or lost income
Medical providers, hospitals, and insurance companies often have strong defense teams. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can gather records, review medical details, consult with qualified professionals when needed, and build a case based on evidence.
Injuries Caused by Medical Negligence
Medical malpractice can lead to many kinds of serious harm. Some patients require additional medical treatment to repair the damage. Others live with permanent disability, chronic pain, or a worsened condition.
Common injuries may include:
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Nerve damage
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Cerebral palsy
- Erb’s palsy
- Brachial plexus injury
- Unnecessary amputation
- Severed artery
- Heart attack
- Cancer progression due to delayed diagnosis
- Death
These injuries may lead to medical bills, therapy costs, home changes, nursing care, lost income, job retraining, and ongoing treatment needs. A claim may also seek compensation for pain, suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Who Can Be Held Responsible?
Medical malpractice claims may involve one provider or several parties. The liable party depends on who caused the harm and how the mistake happened.
Potentially responsible parties may include:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Dentists
- Anesthesiologists
- Surgeons
- Pharmacists
- Radiologists
- Oncologists
- Hospitals
- Urgent care centers
- Health clinics
- Nursing homes
Sklare Law Group reviews medical records, timelines, provider actions, and injury details to identify who may be responsible.
How Long Do You Have to Sue for Medical Malpractice in Illinois?
Illinois medical malpractice claims have strict filing deadlines. In many cases, a claim must be filed within two years from when the claimant knew or reasonably should have known of the injury or death, with a general four-year limit from the act or omission that caused the harm. Different rules may apply to minors and certain exceptions.
Because deadlines can be complicated, it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. Waiting too long may affect your ability to pursue compensation.
Why Choose Sklare Law Group for a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Chicago, IL?
At Sklare Law Group, we understand how devastating medical malpractice can be for patients and families. When a trusted healthcare provider’s mistake causes serious harm, our Chicago personal injury attorneys are ready to help you pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.
Our firm handles complex personal injury claims, including medical malpractice, with the care, preparation, and determination each case requires. As a family-founded law firm, we believe in open communication, strong client contact, and treating clients with the respect we would want for our own families. We also offer free consultations, home or hospital visits, and contingency-based representation, so you pay no attorney fee unless we win your case.
Speak With a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Chicago
Medical malpractice cases require careful review, medical evidence, and a legal team that understands serious injury claims. Sklare Law Group can listen to your story, review what happened, and explain whether you may have a claim.
Call Sklare Law Group at 312-759-1616 for a free consultation. We serve clients in Chicago, IL, surrounding suburbs, and communities throughout Northern Illinois.
