Illinois Hospital Infection Attorney
People go to hospitals to recover from serious illnesses or injuries. Unfortunately, many hospital patients get sicker than they were before. Common hospital infections include Clostridium difficile (C.diff), or colitis, urinary tract infections, sepsis, necrotizing fasciitis (the dreaded “flesh-eating bacteria”), pneumonia, and SSIs (surgical site infections). These infections are especially serious if the victim has a pre-existing condition. As mentioned, most people are in hospitals because of pre-existing injuries or illnesses.
Occasionally, defective or dangerous products cause hospital infections. The Bair Hugger Warming Blanket is a good example. A vacuum sucks hair from the floor, heats it, and uses it to warm the blanket. Air near the floor is dirty with bacteria, and the heater makes it even dirtier. Generally, however, medical negligence causes hospital infections. After a surgical or other procedure, many medical care teams naturally let their guards down. But the duty of care in a medical negligence claim leaves no room for such letdowns.
The compassionate Illinois hospital infection attorneys at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman understand the highs and lows these victims feel. These individuals are looking forward to better days ahead, and instead, their physical conditions sink lower than they ever imagined possible. Because we understand your situation, we work extra hard to obtain the compensation you need and deserve. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages are often available in medical negligence cases as well.
Physician Duty of Care
Everyone has a duty of care under Illinois law. The extent of that duty varies, mostly depending on the amount of experience and training a person has. The disparity is important as well. Vulnerable people deserve more legal protections than less-vulnerable people.
These signs point to a very high duty of care for physicians. Doctors have extensive education, training, and experience. Furthermore, almost all patients are vulnerable in this area. Most people know little or nothing about the medical and legal implications of birth injuries. As a result, doctors have a fiduciary duty. They must disregard all other priorities, like work-life balance and profitability, and do what is best for their patients, no matter how long it takes or how much money they earn.
Other professionals, like financial professionals and Chicago hospital infection attorneys, have a similar duty of care.
Evidence in Medical Negligence Claims
The victim/plaintiff must establish negligence by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not. Proof in a medical negligence claim usually includes the standard of care in the case, as well as the level of care in a case.
Usually, an independent and highly-qualified doctor testifies in court to establish the standard of care. For example, if Tony breaks his arm, according to the standard of care, the doctor must usually examine Tony, run at least one diagnostic test, probably an X-ray, and then treat Tony based on the results of that test.
The jury then compares this evidence with the care the patient actually received. Medical records, like bills and medical charts, usually establish the care received. If it fell short of the standard of care, the aforementioned compensation is available.
Rely on a Compassionate Chicago Cook County Attorney
Injury victims are usually entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced hospital infection attorney in Chicago, contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman by going online or calling 410-567-0800. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.
