What Should You Look for in a Chicago, IL, Malpractice Attorney?

When choosing a medical malpractice law firm to represent victims in severe malpractice cases, clients will need to consider the level of support they will get from their attorneys. An experienced firm will know how to uncover evidence and understand what it shows; calculate the costs of past, current, and future medical treatment; and grasp the financial impact of both economic and non-economic damages.

How Can Janet, Janet & Suggs' Chicago, IL, Lawyers Help Victims of Medical Malpractice?

From the start, the legal/medical team at Janet, Janet & Suggs works with victims to determine the extent of their injuries and the damages incurred as a result. We calculate medical expenses, loss of wages or earning capacity, and non-economic losses in determining what constitutes fair compensation for the harm you’ve suffered.

How Long Has Janet, Janet & Suggs Been Helping Medical Malpractice Clients in Chicago, IL?

JJS has uncovered the truth behind medical malpractice in Chicago and across the country for over 40 years, holding those responsible accountable and delivering the full measure of justice our clients deserve.

What Results Has Janet, Janet & Suggs Achieved for Medical Malpractice Clients?

JJS has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients in taking on tough medical malpractice cases involving some of the nation’s largest and most prestigious organizations—and winning.

Is There a Time Period in Which I Need to Make a Claim for Medical Malpractice in Chicago, IL?

“Statute of limitations” refers to the period of time that a person has to pursue a medical practice claim. In Illinois, injured parties have two years from the time of injury to file their claim. As there are exceptions to this rule, it is in your best interest to seek legal help as soon as you suspect malpractice.

We Are Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Over 40 Years of Experience
More Than $3 Billion Won for Our Clients
Thousands of Lives Changed

Doctors are not miracle workers, but they are expected to provide quality care. Patients who suffer serious, permanent injuries as a result of their healthcare provider’s negligent or reckless care may have a right to sue for financial compensation to help them recover from the harms inflicted upon them.

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What Constitutes Medical Malpractice In Chicago?

If your client is considering filing a medical malpractice lawsuit in any city in Illinois, you should first know that these kinds of cases can be extremely complex from the beginning. Most patients realize that recovery from illness is not guaranteed, but unfortunately, the actions of healthcare providers can sometimes be a contributing factor to a patient’s poor outcome.

How Can Someone Know Whether They Have a Case for Malpractice?

While a healthcare provider's negligence may not be immediately recognizable to patients, most behaviors of malpractice fit into a few common kinds of medical errors.

Disregarding or taking incomplete patient history
Failing to order proper testing for patients
Ignoring or failing to recognize symptoms
Misreading or ignoring lab results
Failing to diagnose appropriately or quickly enough
Failure to detect or properly treat cancer
Performing unnecessary or wrong-site surgery

Leaving surgical equipment inside patient
Failing to provide follow-up or aftercare
Discharging patient from care too early
Failing to obtain informed consent
Making medication or dosing errors
Abusing patient sexually or physically

When all medical professionals involved with a case have acted with professionalism and competence by doing their best to care for the patient, even a bad outcome may not be malpractice. On the other hand, recognizing some common signs of medical malpractice is important for patients to take action.

Continued or worsening symptoms. If the symptoms have been reported to the doctor yet the patient continues to experience the same symptoms—or even gets worse —it may be worth looking into whether the doctor is providing appropriate care.
Poor communication regarding the care or diagnosis. Doctors are responsible for explaining the risks of any treatment or medications and seeking informed consent from a patient before taking any action except in certain emergency situations.
Sudden referral to a specialist or another doctor. Competent care includes knowing when to seek the input of a specialist for the good of patients. Suddenly or unexpectedly referring a patient out without much explanation may be a sign that the doctor realized too late they missed something with the care. (Although, not referring a patient to a specialist at all can also be malpractice.)
Explicit acknowledgment of fault or an apology. It’s a red flag when someone apologizes directly to a patient or their loved one for the medical actions or outcome, or even a colleague’s actions. Trust your instincts, and contact a lawyer if you think a mistake might have been made.

At the first sign that your medical care did not meet the standard of care you would reasonably expect to receive, consider contacting a medical malpractice attorney. If nothing else, a knowledgeable lawyer can educate you about your rights and help you figure out your next steps, like whether you have a case.

Call 1-877-692-3862 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form.

What Do Attorneys Look for in a Malpractice Case?

When considering whether a case is likely to meet the burden of proof for medical malpractice, lawyers ask questions that will help them determine whether the case first meets the basic requirements for medical malpractice. No matter how skilled, doctors are not able to guarantee everyone positive results. However, medical malpractice lawyers know what basic legal expectations doctors are held to, including:

Duty of care. In some cases, the number of people who have a duty to provide you care is a longer list than you may know. Your attorney will know which questions to ask you and what to look for in your records to determine who the parties named in your lawsuit will be.
Violation of the duty of care. The law says that all trained medical professionals should be able to provide a reasonable standard of care under similar circumstances. Whether their inability to provide that care was intentional or not, it still could be malpractice.
Injury to the patient. When a healthcare provider violates the standard of care, a patient must also have been injured as a result of the provider’s actions or omissions in order to have a case for malpractice. In general, a medical malpractice case only makes sense to pursue if the injury is significant (death, permanent brain damage, major organ damage, etc.).
Damages result from the injury. Lastly, patients must have suffered damages as a result of the injury. Categories of damages can include medical bills, lost wages, or pain and suffering.

You should be aware of your rights and all the kinds of damages the law allows compensation for in a malpractice claim, especially because some of the kinds of damages allowable in a medical malpractice lawsuit may not be obvious at first.

Past and future medical expenses
Rehabilitation and home care costs
Pain and suffering
Compensation for loss of enjoyment of life
Compensation for lost wages or future earnings

Lawyers will also consider the statute of limitations, or the amount of time a person has to file a lawsuit. In Illinois, the statute of limitations for a medical malpractice suit against a non-government defendant is generally two years from when the plaintiff—the person filing the lawsuit—learns of their injury. However, even determining this date is not easy, so consulting an attorney as soon as possible who understands the laws around medical malpractice claims is an important step in protecting your rights.

What Should People Look for When Considering a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Chicago?

When choosing a medical malpractice lawyer for your case, you will want to know that the law firm you select has the knowledge and resources to allow them to continue fighting as long as necessary in pursuit of the maximum amount of compensation.

Experience with medical cases. In addition to understanding the law, medical malpractice attorneys need to have the knowledge and experience to uncover the facts through the evidence presented in patients’ medical records, witness interviews, and laboratory results.
Understanding of medical care costs. Lawyers who represent clients injured by healthcare providers need to understand the scope of current and future financial needs associated with different types of injuries in order to prepare a case that fights for recovery of fair compensation.
Compassionate representation. Medical malpractice cases are especially devastating, and they can last a long time. Lawyers who represent clients injured by the healthcare providers need to genuinely care about the outcome of the case and their clients’ well-being.
Resources to stay the course. Taking on big insurance companies and healthcare organizations can be expensive, and firms without the financial resources may not be willing to call in expert witnesses, keep digging for new evidence, or push back against unfair settlement offers.

Contact Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC today.

How Can Janet, Janet & Suggs Help?

Medical malpractice lawyers can help you determine if you have a case for medical malpractice when you begin to explain your circumstances to them. When you do have a case, they can then help you work to recover financial compensation for the damages you have suffered.

Medical costs. Victims of malpractice should never have to be responsible for the cost of the injuries inflicted on them. Medication, doctor’s bills, and hospital fees are just some of the expenses that can be incurred due to negligent care.
Lost wages. When you’re ill or injured, you often cannot work. Patients can seek compensation for their lost wages while they recover from their injuries or for wages they had the potential to earn in a future career had they not been a victim of malpractice.
Non-economic losses. Putting a price on your pain and suffering is never easy, but experienced lawyers know how to evaluate the many different aspects of your unique case to seek fair compensation for your pain and suffering.

Meet the Janet, Janet & Suggs’ Medical Malpractice Team

Howard Janet is one of the nation’s top plaintiffs’ medical malpractice attorneys, uncovering medical mistakes other lawyers have missed and recovering record-breaking results for clients throughout much of the country. He is the author of multiple books, including Navigating a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit, Representing Plaintiffs in Medical Malpractice Cases as lead author and Patients’ Rights and Doctors’ Wrongs—Secrets to a Safer Pregnancy and Childbirth, which he co-authored with Dr. Giles Manley.

Ken Suggs served as president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the leading national plaintiff’s bar association now known as American Association for Justice. He has been a relentless advocate for his clients for over 40 years.

Dr. Giles Manley, a board-certified physician, practiced medicine for 20 years before turning to a career as a medical malpractice attorney. He has won a number of seven-figure verdicts on behalf of his clients, but the value his medical knowledge and experience brings to his clients’ cases is priceless.

Gerald Jowers represents patients harmed by medical malpractice, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. His work as a plaintiff’s lawyer in medical malpractice cases has produced extraordinary results for clients and their families, both at the settlement table and in the courtroom

View our verdicts and settlements

Locations We Serve

At Janet, Janet & Suggs, we care for our clients as we would our own families during their time of need. We’re proud to offer representation for families across the country, including in Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. JJS has also been granted the ability to represent clients on a case-by-case basis in courtrooms in other states.

Why Choose Janet, Janet & Suggs for Your Chicago Malpractice Case?

JJS is a nationally recognized malpractice law firm that understands the physical, emotional, and financial burden you have been dealt after being harmed at the hands of doctors or other healthcare providers. While we can’t take away your physical pain and we understand money is only one part of your recovery from medical malpractice, our proven track record of record-breaking verdicts and settlements is one sign of our willingness to fight all the way for our clients.

We take our cases seriously, and we fight to help our clients get the care and justice they are looking for. JJS has the knowledge and resources a law firm needs to investigate—and litigate—your case. We work to help our clients get straight answers and just compensation for their injuries, and we do this without charging any upfront costs to represent our clients. You will not pay us anything unless we obtain compensation for you. Contact the medical malpractice lawyers at JJS today for a free, no-obligation meeting.