Even with all the remarkable advances in maternal healthcare, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery still pose serious risks to pregnant mothers in Illinois. One of the riskiest conditions that a pregnant mother can be diagnosed with is preeclampsia. Maternal healthcare providers should be carefully trained to recognize early symptoms of preeclampsia because this condition can escalate quickly into serious complications and may even be fatal for both mother and child. 

Failure to diagnose preeclampsia is among the most serious and consequential types of medical malpractice, and doctors, nurses, and hospitals who fail to provide pregnant patients with the highest standard of care should be held accountable for their actions. If you or a loved one had preeclampsia and your team of healthcare providers did not diagnose you in a timely fashion, you may want to take legal action to recover compensation for any damages you suffered. 

What is Preeclampsia?

Understanding preeclampsia is essential for understanding why it is so important to catch and treat early. For reasons that are not yet entirely clear, some pregnant women develop certain symptoms that indicate preeclampsia. These include, but are not limited to: 

Visiting the hospital is never a pleasant experience, but at the very least, the hospital patient can expect a treatment that improves his or her medical condition. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Some patients suffer worsened conditions, new illnesses or injuries, or even wrongful death because of the negligent medical care they received in a hospital. A medical malpractice claim is often the best way to hold a hospital or medical professional accountable for negligent care. A malpractice claim may also allow for the recovery of monetary damages.

Types of Compensatory Damages in a Hospital Malpractice Case

If you or a loved one has been seriously harmed by medical negligence, you may be wondering what types of damages you can recover in a hospital malpractice case. The amount of compensation that a person can recover will depend on the specific facts and circumstances of their case. However, there are certain types of damages that are commonly awarded in hospital malpractice cases, including:

• Medical expenses - This may include the cost of all future medical care related to the negligent injury, such as long-term care or rehabilitative therapy.

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While most doctors are committed to the careful practice of medicine according to the highest standard of care, doctors are human and can make mistakes. Sometimes these are genuine mistakes of fact, while other errors are the result of careless mistakes, incorrect hospital records-keeping, or practicing under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

One of the most serious kinds of medical malpractice happens when a surgeon removes the wrong organ or limb, or mistakenly removes an organ or limb that should not have been removed. It can be difficult to believe that such a thing could happen, but such surgical mistakes are not infrequent. Cases like this can result in severe life-long injuries and changes to patient quality of life, including the need for ongoing medical care or job loss. If you believe that a surgeon wrongfully operated on you, it is important to take action right away by consulting with an experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney. 

How Long Do I Have to File a Case? 

Illinois medical malpractice cases have certain restrictions that make it crucial to take quick action following a medical incident. The statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits is two years from the date you knew or should have known about the malpractice; for patients of wrongful amputation or organ removal, that is likely two years from the date of the surgery. However, even if you did not discover the wrongful surgery right away, you will usually only have a maximum of four years from the date of the surgery to file a medical malpractice suit. 

Our bodies are made up of complex, multifaceted parts. All of our bones, nerves, organs, and muscles work together to play an essential role in our mobility, health, and life enjoyment. When doctors who are supposed to treat their patients according to the highest standard of medical care fail to do so, patients can suffer serious injuries. One of these injuries is Erb's palsy. If your child has been diagnosed with Erb’s palsy, it is important to understand how the injury occurred, whether a negligent health practitioner was responsible, and whether you can recover compensation to help you pay for your child’s medical treatment. 

What is Erb’s Palsy? 

Erb’s palsy is a nerve condition that is most commonly seen in infants shortly after childbirth. It is characterized as muscle weakness, loss of function, or loss of movement in a victim’s arm or shoulder, caused by damage to a bundle of nerves called the “brachial plexus.” The brachial plexus nerves are located in the neck and shoulders and are essential for helping the brain communicate to the arms and hands. Damage to these nerves can cause lifelong partial disability. 

What Causes Erb’s Palsy?

Brachial plexus nerves are usually damaged either by compression or traction. Either of these types of injuries are called neuropraxia. Compression neuropraxia injuries can be caused by an unusual head rotation, while traction neuropraxia injuries are caused by a pulling motion that separates the head and neck from the shoulders. The brachial plexus nerve can suffer from a forceful enough stretch that causes a partial or complete rupture. 

It is heartbreaking for parents to hear that their child has a permanent medical condition that could have been prevented. Prolonged childbirth can often lead to cerebral palsy and other health risks for your baby. If this happened to your newborn, your child is now facing a future of limited independence and long-term treatment that can vary depending on the severity of the disorder. If you suspect malpractice during your pregnancy, labor, delivery, and neonatal care we can help you and your family.

Negligent Medical Team  

Cerebral palsy is caused by damage that occurs to the immature brain, most often during childbirth or shortly afterward. It affects your child’s ability to move and maintain balance. This condition will dramatically affect your child’s quality of life forever.

The most common causes of cerebral palsy due to birth injury are deprivation of oxygen to the brain and head trauma before, during, or shortly after birth. Some frequent medical errors and conditions related to oxygen deprivation include: