Medical Malpractice Attorneys

Latest Statistics on Medical Malpractice

Published on: July 17, 2019 | Levin & Perconti

As Malpractice Laws Changes, Patient Safety Concerns Grow

The 12^th edition of Medical Malpractice: By The Numbers is now open for review and examines the latest statistics, facts, and research concerning unsafe hospitals, preventable patient injuries, negligent clinicians, and medical errors. Authored by the Center for Justice & Democracy at New York Law School (CJ&D) researchers say the 172-page volume includes over 500 linked footnotes and sources and was released at a time when laws are making it harder for patients and their families to place accountability on wrong-doing hospitals and incompetent physicians.

Briefing book statistics are shared for topics such as:

Levin & Perconti: One of Chicago’s Top Medical Malpractice Law Firms

Published on: June 10, 2019 | Levin & Perconti

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Levin & Perconti Recognized for Work on Medical Malpractice Cases

Levin & Perconti has been selected as a finalist by The National Law Journal’s 2019 Elite Trial Lawyers Award for their work on medical malpractice cases.

NLJ’s editors and reporters reviewed more than 300 submissions from lawyers and law firms from across more than 20 categories, seeking those who demonstrated repeated success in cutting-edge work on behalf of plaintiffs over the last 18 months. The selection committee was also looking for legal services with a solid track record of client wins over the past three to five years.

Physician Misuse Of Fentanyl Was Deadly

Published on: May 13, 2019 | Levin & Perconti

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6 Wrongful Death Lawsuits Settled for Ohio Families Impacted in Deadly Pain Medication Scandal

Several news outlets from Columbus, including WBNS-10TV, are reporting two additional families representing Ohio patients who died from fentanyl overdoses at Mount Carmel West have reached separate wrongful death settlement agreements totaling $700,000.

Court records reveal one of the settlements involves patient Peggy Francies who died in October of 2017. Her family will receive $500,000 in compensation.

Illinois’ Medical Malpractice Payouts Remain High

Published on: April 9, 2019 | Levin & Perconti

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Even with High Cost of Malpractice Insurance, Preventing Medical Errors Should Remain Focus of All Doctors

On March 25, 2019 WalletHub, a consumer-finance research website, released a report which ranked Illinois as the 40th best place to practice medicine in the United States. Researchers analyzed all U.S. states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, “Opportunity & Competition” and “Medical Environment” and then evaluated those dimensions using 18 weighted metrics, graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for practicing doctors.

Those 18 metrics include:

Injured By Electronic Health Record Error

Published on: March 28, 2019 | Levin & Perconti

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Electronic Health Record Issues Serve Important Purpose in Malpractice Cases

An American Journal of Emergency Medicine study found an emergency room doctor will make approximately 4,000 computer clicks related to electronic health or medical records (EHR) over the course of one single shift. Although the evolution of a medical record turned electronic has been positioned to save money, eliminate mistakes in medicine and bring higher-quality and transparent care to patients, the painful truth and untruths of EHRs and related technologies continue to be known as physicians express angst and sometimes fear of using the systems.

Today, 96 percent of hospitals have adopted the patient and medical care tracking technology so there is no doubt room for user error sits ever-so present for billions of Americans, putting them at risk for death and serious injury. Software glitches and other flaws can also go unseen and contribute to disastrous patient safety and privacy issues.

Analysis Shows Hospitals Fail Mothers of All Races During Childbirth

Published on: March 21, 2019 | Levin & Perconti

“Safety advocates said that without access to public data, it has been too easy for hospitals to excuse poor outcomes by blaming mothers’ health problems.”

-USA Today

Hospitals Blame Mothers When Things Go Wrong

Documentary Gives Emotional and Evidence-Based Insight Into Medical Mistakes

Published on: February 5, 2019 | Levin & Perconti

“To know that this happens is our country, that’s unacceptable.”

-Sue Sheridan, patient safety advocate, in To Err Is Human

The medical malpractice attorneys of Levin & Perconti recently watched To Err Is Human, a newly released documentary showing the frequency and impact of medical errors upon American families. To see the facts relating to the frequency and severity of medical errors combined with the heart wrenching story of a family forever changed by these mistakes has left a lasting impression on all of us.

Doctors Suing Patients Over Negative Online Reviews

Published on: January 29, 2019 | Levin & Perconti

“It would be great if the regulators of hospitals and doctors were more diligent about responding to harm to patients, but they’re not, so people have turned to other people. This is what happens when your system of oversight is failing patients.”

-Lisa McGiffert, former head of Consumer Reports’ Safe Patient Project to USA TODAY

You may be one of the many who rely on online reviews to help make decisions on everything from where to eat to what vendors to choose for house projects. How about using online reviews to decide which doctor to see? With the popularity of websites such as Yelp, Facebook, and other online platforms that allow customers and patients to post their opinion on venues, goods, and services, many are turning to the internet to help them choose healthcare providers.

Most Common Medical Malpractice Errors

Published on: December 28, 2018 | Levin & Perconti

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History of Common Malpractice Errors May Be Unknown to Patients

A recent investigation led by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, USA Today and MedPage Today found that even when surrendering a medical license because of unprofessional conduct such as sexual assault, medical malpractice or prescription abuse, physicians simply leave their bad history in one state and move their practice to another while continuing to make deadly mistakes as risky medical experts. Equally disturbing is that if a physician voluntarily surrenders his license, the public may not ever be able to access or gain knowledge about why the surrender occurred. Although the National Practitioner Data Bank has more than 1.3 million records of “adverse actions” going back to 1990, files can only be accessed by hospitals, insurers, and state medical boards. Individual states can file a complaint, but only if prompted to inquire of a physician offender’s harmful patient history.

Additional investigative findings published in December 2018 from the news organizations included:

Burned By a Doctor During Surgery?

Published on: December 28, 2018 | Levin & Perconti

How An Attorney Can Help You After a Surgical Burn

Unfortunately, medical mistakes and their related injuries remain all too common for today’s everyday patient. One largely preventable mistake some may not think of is a surgical burn. These injuries are likely to occur when a person is under anesthesia for a routine operation or reconstructive surgery and can range from first to fourth degree burn injuries as a result of a medical professional’s negligence or medical equipment or device failure. Burns are most often caused from an electrical, transferred heat, laser or other surgical equipment thermal burn immediately once contact is made with the patient. Patients may wake up from a surgery focused on an internal organ and find they are also being treated for a skin burn to their lower extremity, the most common area for surgical burns. While some burns can be treated in an outpatient center many others may require ongoing therapy and painful reconstructive surgeries.

While these cases might seem simple, an attorney will be needed to help gather answers and provide careful consideration of the facts prior to taking on a surgical burn case. During this investigative stage, an experienced surgical burn attorney can determine: