People want to trust their doctors and medical staff. However, mistakes happen sometimes. The consequences of these errors may endanger a person’s life.
A brutal attack that happened three years ago may be considered to be an Illinois personal injury case. In Illinois, the mother of a now 29-year-old man filed a lawsuit against Silver Cross Hospital and Provena St. Joseph Medical Center. The mother alleges that the hospitals, together with two doctors, were negligent in treating her son’s injuries.
In 2009, an individual attacked the son outside a bar while he was waiting for a ride. The brutal attack resulted in brain injuries, blindness and paralysis. The attacker, who is now 23, faces charges on three counts of aggravated battery. In addition, the mother alleges that the hospitals and doctors were negligent.
According to the lawsuit, the hospitals delayed diagnosis and treatment. Reportedly, the hospitals, both of which Level II trauma centers, did not have a neurosurgeon at the time. The law requires neurosurgeons to be on call, 24 hours a day. The suit also claims that Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox failed to accurately evaluate the victim’s condition. The mother alleges that Provena St. Joseph hospital, located in Joliet, did not communicate effectively with the medical staff at Silver Cross. Additionally, the doctors from the hospitals failed to diagnose the victim’s brain injuries. For this reason, the lawsuit claims $200,000 for damages caused by the hospital’s negligence.
Hospital negligence is one type of medical malpractice claim. Additionally, medical malpractice lawsuits may also result from a failure to diagnose a condition, a delay in treatment or diagnosis or surgical or physician errors. In cases such as this, the alleged negligence may worsen a patient’s condition. Hospitals, along with medical staff doctors, may be held liable for damages.
Victims of hospital negligence may recover compensation, depending on the severity of the injury or the damages to the patient. The patient and the patient’s family may be eligible for compensation that may assist them financially with medical bills and other necessary expenses like lost wages and emotional suffering.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “Suit accuses hospitals, doctors of negligence after Mokena bar attack,” Jennifer Delgado, Oct. 30, 2012