Medical malpractice lawyers in Chicago can determine whether someone has a good case against a physician, medical facility or other entity. Many troublesome situations happen that do not actually constitute malpractice. For example, a person may be justifiably disturbed at finding out that his or her doctor made an error in diagnosis or that a pharmacist provided the wrong medication. However, if no harm occurred because of those mistakes, the person does not have a case.
This may seem unjust. Consider someone who intends to pick up the usual prescription of blood pressure medication, but upon arriving home, notices that the pills in the bottle are different from previous prescriptions. This customer brings the pills back to the store, and it’s discovered that a different blood pressure medicine was put in the bottle and mislabeled. That is indeed a troubling incident, and the store should investigate what happened. However, the customer cannot sue or collect compensation based on something that might have occurred but did not. Switching pharmacies at this point is probably a smart idea.
A very complicated surgery may pose risks that are disclosed to the patient, and the patient must sign documents absolving the medical staff of any blame if something goes wrong. The person may sign the forms, hoping for it to work out right, but then feel a sense of betrayal if the surgery does not go well. This usually does not qualify as malpractice either since the individual was fully informed of the potential hazards.
A misdiagnosis does not always qualify as malpractice either. Medical malpractice lawyers in Chicago will generally evaluate the information in a free consultation. If this misdiagnosis led to worsening of the patient’s condition that required a hospital stay or other expensive care, a malpractice claim can be made. The same is true if the erroneous diagnosis makes it less likely that the patient will fully recover because too much time has passed. However, if no actual harm occurred, the patient does not have a case against the physician or other practitioner who makes medical diagnoses. To schedule a free consultation, contact Shea Law Group.
