Chicago Personal Injury Law Blog

Many of our readers in Chicago probably know that medical malpractice cases can be among the most difficult lawsuits to prove. After all, these types of cases can involve highly technical medical terms, which can be enough to make any given person's head spin trying to make sense of it all. That is why it is so important for victims of medical malpractice to know the critical issues that will arise in their legal claim.

For example, is the victim able to exactly pinpoint what went wrong and when with their medical treatment? Is it possible to determine the right defendants to name in the lawsuit? Was more than one party responsible for the incident? Can the issue be corrected? How much compensation should be sought?

One day at the construction site you were working on, you were hit in the head by a metal pipe. Perhaps your head bled a little, you had a headache for a few weeks or months, and some blurry vision and ringing the ears. You thought you were fine. But after the injury, you had difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and trouble organizing your thoughts. You explode at your loved ones. Could you have sustained a traumatic brain injury or TBI?

By now, most of our readers in the Chicago area are familiar with the tell-tale signs of a distracted driver: sudden jerks to one side or another of a lane of traffic, seemingly for no reason; drifting out of a lane of traffic; and, of course, the ever-present ability to simply look at a driver and see that driver staring down instead of looking at the road. There is no doubt about it - distracted drivers are becoming the biggest danger on the roads in Chicago and throughout the country.

A recent article noted the three different ways a person can become distracted while behind the wheel of a vehicle. For starters, there are physical distractions, which cause drivers to take their hands off of the wheel. Physical distractions are probably the most common distractions, including such acts as using a cellphone, tuning the radio, eating or drinking or even applying make-up and looking in the rearview mirror, for example.

Many of our readers in Illinois have likely heard that malpractice lawsuits can be among the most difficult legal cases to pursue when medical errors occur. In many cases, this is accurate. Medical malpractice cases almost always involve highly-detailed medical issues and terms, which can oftentimes be difficult for people who are not doctors or nurses to understand. So, what do victims of medical malpractice need to focus on in their cases in order to attempt to obtain financial compensation?

Well, for starters, fault needs to be established. When medical malpractice occurs, it may mean that the victims have suffered an injury or illness, or perhaps a worsened condition, due to the negligent or reckless acts of a healthcare professional. However, an allegation of harm is not enough. Victims must be able to "connect the dots" between the harm they suffered and the doctor, nurse or other healthcare professional who is responsible for that harm.