$23 Million Awarded to Amputee Following Bacterial Infection

Through the years our Illinois medical malpractice attorneys have worked with victims who have suffered in the most damaging ways as a result of preventable hospital errors. Some victims of these mistakes actually die because of the problem, while other's lives are turned upside down forever because of the consequences of the errors. The stakes are high in many of these cases, and it is only reasonable that the victims of these accidents be given a chance to share their story in a courtroom and allow a jury of their peers to decide the value of their losses. The Chronicle reported this weekend on one of the more tragic losses that one can suffer because of these errors: amputation. A jury recently awarded a woman $55 million after she lost portions of both of her legs. She was being treated at her home for complications from Crohn's disease. The victim argued that a home care nurse negligently failed to notice problems with her feeding catheter. As a result, the nurse did not see that a bloodstream infection had developed. The infection was nearly fatal for the woman, because the nurse's delay in catching the problem. Fortunately, when the infection was finally noticed doctors were able to save her life. However, they were required to amputate parts of both legs. Following a trial on the issues the jury in the case awarded the woman the losses for medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. The victim explained how she hoped the award would help the hospitals which employed the nurse and monitored her work to ensure that such infections are prevented in the future. Many other victims have suffered similar problems with infections from catheters. Routine checks are often the difference between a minimal problem that is fixed immediately and a patient that is forced to go through an amputation. Illinois medical malpractice can be committed by any medical care worker in any setting. While the perception is that these lawsuits always involve doctors working at hospitals, the truth is that nurses, nurses's assistants, and aides can all commit mistakes that have life-changing consequences. Whether the problem is created while in a medical center, hospital, or even at the patient's home, the results are the same for the victim and he or she retains the legal right to seek redress in a court of law. The care that a patient receives at home is held to the same basic standard as care provided elsewhere. All local residents should understand that they do not have to go through these traumatic medical complications alone. When these types of accidents occur in our area, our Chicago medical malpractice attorneys remain available to help those who have suffered hold their wrongdoer's accountable. We have worked with victims in a wide variety of circumstances who have been injured because of poor medical care. In addition, we are able to help surviving family members of those who have been killed because of those mistakes. Please consider getting in touch with our office to learn how we might be able to help in your situation. See Our Related Blog Posts: Medical Malpractice Deaths Could Have Been Avoided if Doctors Washed Their Hands Too Much Noise in Operating Rooms Increase Surgical Errors

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