Chicago Personal Injury Law Blog

It seems like common sense that a doctor or other medical professional in Illinois would have to ask for your permission before medically treating you. However, the issue of consent in the world of medicine is rarely that simple. Sometimes complications arise regarding whether the doctor obtained the patient's informed consent before performing a procedure or administering treatment.

Informed consent generally requires a lot more than just asking for permission to treat. In order to get informed consent, the physician must first determine whether the patient is able to understand all the necessary medical information to make an informed decision. If the doctor finds that the patient incompetent and cannot decide on their own, the doctor must obtain consent from the patient's guardian. Legally, minors are generally always presumed to be incompetent, and therefore, doctors must get informed consent from the minor's parent or guardian.

When you go to your Illinois doctor, you probably assume that you will receive quality medical care. You think the doctor will provide you with the right diagnosis and set you up with the appropriate care plan. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. Sometimes, doctors make mistakes, and patients end up suffering physical, emotional and financial harm. 

If you suffered an injury after going to the doctor, you could be the victim of medical malpractice. Many malpractice incidents are the result of the mistakes that are entirely preventable with better safety practices and other steps. If you believe you are a victim, you may find it beneficial to take quick action to find out what legal options may be available to you.

It is the hope of every family member that their loved one will be well cared for in a nursing home facility. Unfortunately, that is not always true and families should know what to do about it. Nursing home residents are sometimes abused physically and psychologically by caregivers which may create liability for nursing home staff and the nursing homes they work for.

Certain circumstances can lead to nursing home abuse. Inadequately trained staff; too few staff to properly care for residents; staff that have a history of violence but are negligently hired and kept around anyway; isolation of residents; and the reluctance or fear of nursing home residents to report nursing home abuse can all lead to situations when nursing home abuse takes place. One option to help victims and families of nursing home abuse is a personal injury claim for damages.

Victims of a dangerous or defective product may wonder who is liable for the damages and harm they have suffered. The answer is that the legal process holds a number of parties accountable for the harm caused by a dangerous or defective product to ensure that consumers are protected from harm.

Products liability law protects victims of dangerous or defective products by providing a legal remedy that may allow them to recover compensation for their physical, financial and emotional damages. Victims of a dangerous of defective product may be able to recover compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering damages if they have been injured or otherwise harmed by a dangerous or defective product.