There is little room for carelessness in a medical setting. When the lives and health of patients are at stake, it is critical to use a high level of professional care at all times. A single negligent error by a medical professional can result in severe and lasting harm to a patient who relied on the care provider. Missed or delayed diagnoses are very common and can result in the unchecked progression of a disease such as cancer to a point at which it can no longer be treated as easily or effectively. Prescription drug errors might fail to treat the underlying health issue, and they can lead to all manner of harmful reactions to an unneeded or errantly prescribed drug. Surgical errors frequently require repeat surgery to correct and can leave a patient hospitalized and in pain for a prolonged period, even if the damage can be reversed.

Medical malpractice can be incredibly dangerous for the patient. If you believe that you have suffered harm as a result of medical malpractice, it is advisable to speak with an attorney upon your first suspicion. 

What Must be Proven in a Medical Malpractice Claim?

Two of the most critical facts that must be proven are that your healthcare provider was negligent in treating you, and that you suffered harm as a result. It is not necessary to prove any sort of malicious intent on the part of the doctor. Even a well-meaning care provider can make a mistake that would not generally be made by a reasonable person in their profession. If said unreasonable mistake ultimately results in avoidable harm to you, it is likely that you have a valid claim for medical malpractice. 

When you are riding a bicycle or walking down the street, you have nothing but perhaps a helmet to protect you from the impact of a car accident. Negligent drivers present a grave danger to bicycle riders and pedestrians, as their bodies will bear the full force of the collision. These accidents can result in catastrophic injuries that may permanently alter the course of your life. Harms such as traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, neck and spinal cord injuries, or internal damage may necessitate prolonged hospital or rehabilitation stays. Few are able to return to work promptly, rendering lost income an additional concern. The expenses associated with these accidents may be insurmountable without recovering adequate compensation, particularly in cases in which the victim requires ongoing medical care or cannot return to their chosen career. If you have been hit by a car while walking or riding a bicycle, an attorney may be able to recover compensation on your behalf. 

How Negligent Drivers Endanger Bicycle Riders and Pedestrians

There are a number of careless behaviors drivers may engage in that can endanger those who are walking or on a bicycle. To recover compensation, it is critical that proof of this negligent behavior be obtained by your attorney. A skilled attorney-led investigation may suffice, or severe accidents may require the involvement of a dedicated accident reconstruction specialist. Common iterations of driver negligence that lead to accidents of this nature include: 

• Distraction - Particularly when cyclists are riding on the edge of the roadway, a driver need only look away for a matter of seconds to drift unintentionally into a person riding a bike. Pedestrians may be at a high degree of risk while crossing intersections, as distracted drivers may fail to notice that a pedestrian has entered a crosswalk. 

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Getting attacked by an aggressive dog is terrifying. Humans do not have the natural weapons that dogs do. It can be incredibly difficult to stop a dog attack as well. Once a dog begins an attack, it is not likely to let up voluntarily. These attacks can happen unpredictably. A dog that seemed friendly yesterday could do a complete 180 and cause serious harm to a person today. If you have been attacked by a dog, it is very important to seek prompt medical attention. While bite mark lacerations are present in the vast majority of dog attacks, there are other types of injuries that a dog can inflict. Children are most vulnerable to dog attacks, although adults can be attacked and seriously harmed as well. If you have survived a dog attack, you may be entitled to recover compensation from the dog’s owner. 

Types of Injuries Dogs Can Cause

Dog bites should always be checked by a doctor right away. Right after an attack, your adrenaline is probably running very high. Adrenaline can block pain signals, which can be advantageous when you need to keep fighting back, but it can also prevent you from noticing an injury until it wears off. Common injuries inflicted by dogs include: 

• Lacerations - When dogs bite and do not let go, but begin shaking their heads, flesh can tear. These wounds may be very difficult to close and typically leave an ugly scar. 

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Some personal injury claims are relatively simple. You were stopped completely at a stop sign when a drunk or speeding driver rear-ended you. There is video footage of a grocery store employee spilling a drink and then walking away a few minutes before you slipped and fell. Your injuries are fairly minor and you will be able to return to work within a few weeks. These cases are more likely to result in a settlement and a fair payout that covers medical expenses, lost wages, and maybe the cost of a totaled vehicle. Other cases are much more complex. You have sustained a life-altering injury and will always need a home health aide. There is a disagreement over whether what your doctor did caused harm to you. The truck driver who hit you claims that you caused the crash. In these cases, one tool your attorney may use is the expert witness. 

What is the Role of an Expert Witness?

An expert witness is someone who can provide credible testimony about what they believe is true in your case. They step in when there is a factual, rather than a legal, dispute that the parties cannot agree on. There is no specific certification that an expert witness must hold, but they must be regarded as an expert in the topic matter they are going to testify about. In Illinois, an expert witness must be qualified by their “knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education.”

An expert witness will look at the evidence itself and apply their particular set of professional skills to the investigation. For example, if the fact in dispute is whether your tire blew because it was defective or because you installed it wrong, you would look for a tire expert. This person should be well-versed in accident reconstruction and tire design–ideally they should hold an advanced degree in this field. The expert witness can perform a skilled analysis of the accident and draw a conclusion about what most likely happened. 

People tend to trust their doctors completely. We are taught from a young age that the doctor knows best and is doing everything they can to help us. Unfortunately, doctors are not always right, and they are not always careful. If you have ever had a serious concern brushed off, or found that a prescription drug caused more harm than it prevented, you are not alone - and you may have been affected by medical malpractice. Some types of malpractice have an immediate effect, so you know right away that something has gone wrong. Other forms are more insidious, sometimes taking years to become apparent. If you have been harmed by a doctor’s mistake or failure, then you may be able to recover compensation. Our attorneys can assess your case to determine whether you have grounds for a lawsuit. 

Shockingly Common Forms of Malpractice by Medical Professionals

Medical malpractice cases usually fall into one of a few categories. These common types of malpractice include: 

• Prescribing errors - Doctors should verify that the drug they are about to give their patients is safe for them. This means that they should check to see whether any of your medical conditions or current medications are contraindications for the new medication they are considering. For example, prescribing Toradol as a pain medicine to someone with a history of kidney disease can seriously harm a patient. 

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