Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice happens when a healthcare professional or institution provides treatment that falls below the accepted standard of care, resulting in harm to a patient. It can occur through mistakes in diagnosis, treatment, aftercare, or health management. To qualify as malpractice, the error must involve negligence that directly causes injury or damages. These cases often require thorough investigation and expert testimony to prove responsibility.
Types of Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice can take many forms, including surgical mistakes, misdiagnoses, medication errors, and negligent hospital practices. No matter the type, these errors can cause serious harm, and victims of medical malpractice deserve justice and accountability. Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C. is here to help you pursue justice and secure the compensation you deserve.
Diagnostic Errors
Diagnostic errors happen when doctors fail to correctly identify a medical condition, delay making a diagnosis, or misinterpret test results. These mistakes often lead to patients receiving the wrong treatment or no treatment at all. In some cases, conditions such as cancer, stroke, or infections are overlooked until they become much harder to treat. The result is unnecessary suffering, worsened health outcomes, and in severe cases, preventable death.
Medication Errors
Medication errors occur when a patient receives the wrong drug, the wrong dosage, or a dangerous combination of medications. These mistakes can happen at any stage of care, from prescribing to dispensing to administration. Some errors cause mild complications, while others lead to severe injury, permanent damage, or death. Defective or contaminated drugs also fall into this category, as they expose patients to risks outside of proper medical care.
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Surgical Errors
Surgical errors are preventable mistakes that happen in the operating room or during medical procedures. Common examples include wrong-site surgeries, leaving surgical tools inside the patient, or damaging surrounding organs and tissue. Anesthesia mistakes and failures in post-surgical care can also cause lifelong complications. These errors often require additional surgeries, prolonged recovery, and can result in permanent disability or death.
Birth-Related
Accidents
Birth-related errors occur when mistakes during pregnancy, labor, or delivery cause harm to a newborn or mother. Examples include failing to monitor fetal distress, delays in performing a necessary C-section, or misuse of delivery instruments. These errors can lead to lifelong conditions such as cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injuries, or developmental delays. Families often face overwhelming emotional, financial, and medical challenges after a preventable birth injury.
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The Birth Injury Resources offer families clear, accessible resources to better understand and respond to birth injuries.
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Downloadable tools, including checklists, ebooks, and caregiver guides
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A milestone tracker to monitor your child’s growth and health after an injury
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Guidance on emotional and financial support through a comprehensive ebook
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Video testimonials from families who pursued justice after medical negligence
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Blog articles on birth injury causes, warning signs, and conditions such as preeclampsia
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Step-by-step direction on medical care options and legal action
Emergency Care Errors
Emergency care errors happen in urgent situations where timely and accurate treatment is critical. These mistakes include misdiagnosing conditions such as heart attacks or strokes, providing improper medication, or discharging patients too early. Because emergencies demand fast action, even small lapses in judgment can lead to devastating outcomes. Patients depend on ERs to provide immediate and safe care, making these errors especially dangerous.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death occurs when a patient’s life is lost due to medical negligence or unsafe care. It may stem from a diagnostic failure, surgical error, medication mistake, or institutional negligence. Families are left grieving while also facing financial burdens such as medical bills, funeral expenses, and lost income. Legal action in wrongful death cases seeks accountability, justice, and compensation for the profound loss caused by preventable mistakes.
Our Expertise On Medical Malpractice
At Hurley McKenna & Mertz, P.C.
We focus on the most complex and high-stakes medical malpractice cases, including catastrophic injuries, hospital negligence, and wrongful death. Our attorneys have decades of experience investigating medical errors, working with leading experts, and building strong cases that stand up in court.
We approach every case with a personalized strategy, ensuring that your unique circumstances, needs, and goals are at the center of our work. Above all, our mission is to fight for accountability, secure the compensation you deserve, and provide compassionate guidance through every step of the process.
Top Medical Malpractice Case Results
Our firm has secured record-setting verdicts and settlements in medical malpractice cases, including multimillion-dollar recoveries for families affected by catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. These results reflect not only our legal skill, but also our commitment to standing with clients through some of the most difficult times in their lives.
$41 Million
Record-setting 2024 jury verdict against OSF HealthCare System for failing to monitor a 72-year-old man’s AFib treatment, INR levels and Coumading Therapy, resulting in a catastrophic stroke.
$31 Million
2023 settlement for a child who suffered cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia after a Chicago hospital failed to properly treat the mother’s preeclampsia and delayed delivery, causing severe oxygen loss at birth.
$15 Million
Settlement during trial for a woman paralyzed during spine surgery when her neurosurgeon failed to diagnose and treat OPLL at an Illinois hospital.
$14 Million
Verdict for a 14-year-old boy who suffered brain damage at birth after an obstetrician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital failed to perform a timely C-section.
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