Illinois OB-GYN Malpractice Attorney
Obstetric and gynecology doctors devote their professional careers to women’s health matters, with a focus on childbirth issues. They typically have additional education, training, and experience in these areas. Therefore, the duty of care, which is outlined below, is normally even higher in such instances. The level of responsibility does not change during the entire PLDR (prenatal, labor, delivery, and recovery) process. The first prenatal appointment is every bit as important as reviewing discharge orders with families.
Lack of OB-GYN communication, at some level, often leads to negligent birth injuries. Sometimes, the problem is communication with staff members. Breakdowns often occur in routine matters, such as the failure to huddle with a surgical team prior to a C-section or a failure to thoroughly review test results with a patient care technician. Patient communication is often an issue as well. On average, doctors only listen to patients for about eleven seconds before they redirect or interrupt them. Additionally, some doctors are very fluent in Medspeak, but their English skills are limited.
In contrast, the diligent Illinois OB-GYN malpractice attorneys at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman never overlook the details of your case. Instead, we use these details to carefully craft your claim for damages. In our experience, that’s the best way to obtain maximum compensation for your serious injuries. At the same time, we never lose sight of the big picture. Overall concepts, like justice and fairness, are very important to us. That’s why we do what we do.
Duty of Care
All doctors have a very high duty of care in Illinois. The skills gap between doctor and patient is immense. Patients usually have little or no input into decisions that affect their health and safety. The gulf is even wider if the doctor is an OB-GYN specialist. As mentioned, these physicians have additional training, experience, and education. They have a legal duty to bring all of these things to bear when they care for patients.
Duty of care is not a vague or nebulous concept. It’s a concrete idea based on the standard of care in a particular case. For example, if Jill breaks her leg, her doctor must follow established procedures. Her doctor cannot take shortcuts and rely on instinct.
The higher duty of care makes it easier for an Chicago OB-GYN malpractice attorney to establish negligence, or a lack of care. If a doctor was negligent, the available compensation is usually substantial.
Evidence in Medical Negligence Claims
Medical records, direct eyewitness testimony, and indirect eyewitness testimony usually provide the proof in a birth injury claim.
Usually, medical records include doctor bills and patient chart records. This evidence establishes the care the patient received, which is usually much different from the care the industry standard dictates. Subsequent medical examinations are usually part of this evidence as well.
Direct eyewitnesses usually include family members who were present when the negligence occurred, as well as medical professionals and other persons who were present at the time. Often, these individuals give depositions during a lawsuit’s discovery phase. These depositions preserve their testimony for trial.
Friends and family members who were not present during the PLDR process cannot testify about a doctor’s negligence. But they can testify about how that negligence affects the family on an everyday basis.
Count on an Experienced Chicago Cook County Attorney
Injury victims are usually entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced OB-GYN malpractice attorney in Chicago, contact Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman by going online or calling 410-567-0800. We have recovered tens of millions of dollars for families just like yours.
