When people who are sick or injured turn to hospitals for care, they are depending on the knowledge and resources of the professionals who work there. Unfortunately, every year, hospital negligence causes patients to suffer serious injuries and death.
At Gill Ports Hoste LLC, a Chicago personal injury law firm, we are committed to helping clients who have suffered harm due to hospital negligence secure the compensation they deserve, allowing them to heal and move forward with their lives.
Why turn to Gill Ports Hoste When You Need a Chicago Hospital Negligence Attorney?
Injury claims involving negligence in Chicago hospitals can be high-stakes claims. Many victims experience serious and sometimes life-changing complications when a doctor or care provider fails to provide an appropriate level of care.
Taking legal action in these situations requires an experienced attorney who understands the complex and technical details involved when allegations of medical negligence are made. Gill Ports Hoste is the firm to turn to in these difficult situations because:
- We have recovered more than $500 million for our clients. Our strong track record of past successes includes settlements and court verdicts involving major medical malpractice insurance companies and some of the largest hospitals in the Chicago area.
- We have a strong history of representing clients in malpractice cases. We know the legal arguments that apply, have a strong network of medical experts who can testify about what went wrong, and understand how to make complex medical information accessible to juries.
- We have decades of experience: Our firm has been representing clients for over 100 years. We have a deep knowledge of the local court system and a rock solid reputation. Insurers know we won’t back down, and we are skilled at helping you navigate the legal system, ensuring you meet deadlines and follow all court rules to move your case forward.
- We have a strong reputation as effective advocates: We have a 10.0 Avvo rating, and are members of the American Association for Justice and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Our many past five star reviews also show that we perform for our clients, helping them to achieve favorable case outcomes and feel supported along the way.
- We are skilled negotiators and have extensive courtroom experience. Some hospital negligence cases are resolved outside of court, while others require a trial. Our solid negotiating skills can maximize your chances of a favorable settlement outside of court, while we always ensure every case is trial-ready so we can go the distance to get you justice.
Throughout your claim, we will keep you updated and informed of your case progress and will always be there to answer your questions. We’re dedicated and compassionate legal representatives and our past client outcomes show that you can count on our team.
FREE CONSULTATIONS
Get Legal Help with a Medical Malpractice Claim in Chicago
Who Is Responsible for Negligence in Chicago Hospitals?
A number of different defendants could potentially be held legally liable if you or someone you love suffers harm to your health as a result of negligence in Chicago hospitals. Some of the different defendants who could be liable for your losses include:
- Doctors and surgeons: Medical care providers have a duty to provide a professional level of care. If they fall short of doing so, they can be held legally responsible when their failure is the direct cause of harm. Examples include doctors who misdiagnose patients, and surgeons who operate on the wrong patient or who leave an instrument inside of a patient.
- The hospital itself: Hospitals can be liable for negligent policies that put patients at risk, such as for failing to have proper hiring protocols in place to ensure that the staff members are trained and skilled. Vicarious liability rules also make hospitals and other healthcare facilities liable for on-the-job negligence of staff members. So if a doctor or nurse is negligent, you can often take legal action against the hospital.
- Radiologists and pathologists: If radiologists or pathologists make errors in interpreting critical diagnostic tests, this could result in a missed or delayed diagnosis or other adverse health effects. If their failures fall below the professional standard of care, they can be held liable for resulting losses.
- Pharmacists: Many hospitals have pharmacies on-site. If a pharmacy makes a medication error, it’s possible that the pharmacist could be responsible for the damage that taking the wrong drugs causes.
These are just some of the many potential defendants who could be responsible for covering your losses resulting from hospital negligence.
In many cases, you can bring a claim against multiple defendants, such as the hospital and the doctor or surgeon who made a medical error. The more defendants you can identify, the more insurance coverage there is to pay for losses.
Compensation for Chicago Hospital Negligence
When you or someone you love suffers harm as a result of negligence in a Chicago hospital, you should be “made whole.” This means that you should collect damages designed to put you back into the position you would have been in had the negligence not happened.
Often, it is impossible to restore you to the state you would have been in without the negligence. If a doctor missed a heart attack or botched your treatment, for example, the consequences to your health can be dire and can sometimes be fatal.
Still, the goal is for the monetary compensation you receive to repay you as fully as possible for the losses you endured. Some of the different kinds of compensation you should be entitled to include payment for:
- Medical bills: You should be paid for any bills paid to-date as well as for all of the future medical care that you will need as a direct result of the hospital negligence.
- Lost wages: If you missed any extra work because of the medical negligence you experienced in the hospital, you should be paid for the time off. This includes if you took paid vacation or sick leave. If you have suffered ongoing impairment, you should be paid for future lost wages as well.
- Pain and suffering: Defendants who harmed you through hospital negligence are responsible for compensating you for the physical pain that you endured.
- Emotional distress: When you experience emotional effects of medical negligence, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD, you should be compensated for emotional distress.
- Wrongful death damages: When medical negligence results in a death, compensation for surviving loved ones is available. This can include payment for loss of the deceased’s income, funeral expenses, medical expenses from before the death, and lost companionship.
Our legal team will help you to prove the extent of your damages. We’ll work with you to gather medical records, keep a pain diary, find witnesses to testify about losses, and demonstrate just how severely the medical negligence impacted your life and health.
We’ll also help you to identify when other damages may be available, such as punitive damages if the case involved more than just ordinary negligence.
Types of Hospital Negligence Claims We Handle
Hospital negligence includes a wide range of issues that involve doctors, nurses, administrators and staff falling short of the standards of conduct that their professions hold them to. At Gill Ports Hoste LLC, our Chicago attorneys for medical malpractice represent individuals with a wide range of claims involving:
- Injuries during childbirth
- Injuries suffered in the operating room or in surgery
- Injuries incurred due to medication errors
- Injuries caused by improper administration of anesthesia
- Injuries caused by errors in the emergency room
- Injuries caused by nursing negligence
With more than 100 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys have the skill, knowledge and resources to hold even the most prominent Illinois hospitals responsible for negligence, including:
- Advocate Christ Medical Center
- Advocate Lutheran General Hospital
- Loyola University Medical Center
- Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
- Advocate South Suburban Hospital
- Advocate Trinity Hospital
- Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (formerly Children’s Memorial Hospital)
- University of Chicago Medical Center
- University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital
- Rush University Medical Center
- Northwest Community Hospital
- Thorek Memorial Hospital
- Loretto Hospital
- Methodist Medical Center
Contact an Attorney at Gill Ports Hoste LLC For A Free Consultation
To schedule a free initial consultation with a Chicago attorney experienced in hospital negligence cases, call Gill Ports Hoste LLC, at (312) 372-8893 or contact us online.