Jefferson County Jury Verdict Awards Multi-million Dollars in Malpractice Suite

It is reported that, at $3.7 million, this verdict may be the largest medical malpractice jury award for a wrongful death ever given by a Jefferson County jury, according to a Bellevue News Democrat report. If you or someone you know thinks they have been a victim of medical malpractice, contact an experienced and aggressive Rockford wrongful death attorney right away.

In the report, a woman named Marie Clayton’s husband, Robert, underwent a laser treatment for an enlarged prostate performed by urologist Manoj Desai, M.D. in 2009. Approximately one month after the surgery, Mr. Clayton found blood in his urine and was told by Dr. Desai to seek treatment at Good Samaritan Hospital’s ER. Two days after Mr. Clayton was admitted to the hospital, he died while being moved from his bed to a stretcher in preparation for surgery as a result of suffering a massive pulmonary embolism.

Unfortunately, medical malpractice is a growing issue across our nation. In fact, medical malpractice ranks as the third leading cause of death in the U.S. just behind heart disease and cancer. Regrettably, it is difficult to assess how often medical malpractice occurs because more often than not it goes unreported or even unnoticed. According to a report authored by the Journal of the American Medical Association, as many as 250,000 people die annually from medical malpractice.

Malpractice Deaths By the Numbers

Medical malpractice is defined as a care provider’s failure to meet the appropriate standard of care that a reasonably competent and skilled medical professional would have provided under the same situation. This may occur in many different circumstances and, sadly, often results in wrongful death. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, the most common wrongful deaths resulting from medical malpractice include:

• Unnecessary surgery (12,000 deaths);
• Erroneous administration of medication (7,000 deaths);
• Miscellaneous hospital-related mistakes (20,000 deaths);
• Infections (80,000 deaths); and
• Adverse effects of properly administered medications (106,000 deaths).

You are your best medical advocate when it comes to your health and medical care. For this reason, below are some signs that may show you or someone you know has been the victim of medical malpractice:

• No signs of improvement. If a healthcare professional misdiagnoses you, this may lead to improper or inadequate treatment that can result in no improvement in your condition;
• Delayed diagnosis. This can have fatal results and often occurs because a healthcare professional has missed signs of the disease, conducted late testing;
• Failure to follow up by your doctor. It is important to remember that every treatment, surgery, or major care event should include a follow-up with the provider as well as provide information to ensure proper self-care; and
• No response from your healthcare provider. Every person has the right to know about treatment options, have access to your medical records, as well as other vital information regarding your health care.

Legal Help for Medical Malpractice in Illinois

You should hire an Illinois personal injury lawyer who is well respected and knowledgeable in this specific area of the law. Despite falling under personal injury law, medical malpractice cases can be very complex, particularly if a wrongful death is involved. If you or someone you know has been injured due to the negligence of another, contact an experienced Rockford personal injury attorney today who can discuss your case. The legal professionals at Brassfield & Krueger, Ltd. can inform you of your legal rights under the law, including whether or not you are eligible for compensation. Contact the firm for your initial consultation by visiting them on the web or calling  (864) 225-4000 today.