Cook County Wrongful Death Law Blog

Most medical patients never even know the name of the radiologist who interprets the results of x-rays, CAT scans, MRIs or other imaging. They rely on a doctor to pass along the results to them, and determine the best treatment or surgical plan. Most often, it never crosses a patient's mind that a doctor may have been provided with incorrect information. However, what happens if the radiologist gets it wrong?

Consider this hypothetical scenario. A patient goes to see a doctor complaining of back pain. The doctor orders a magnetic resonance imaging scan of the spine, also known as an MRI. Upon completion of the test, the case is assigned to a radiologist whose job it is to interpret the results and provide the doctor with a report and recommendation for treatment. In this case, the radiologist reviews the images and determines that the patient has severely deteriorated lumbar discs at the L4-L5 level, and will likely need a surgical fusion. Part of the duties of the radiologist are to digitally mark the area on the image where a problem exists. These markings are especially important in cases where surgery is needed. After reviewing these results with the patient, the doctor then refers the patient to a surgeon and the back surgery is scheduled.

With advances in technology, the public has seen videos of disturbing acts, rather than just hearing about them. Since videos recording devices are cheap and easy to place and access, many are recording what is happening to them and around them. One video taken in a South Holland nursing home appears to show nursing home staff abusing an elderly patient. The video has sparked a personal injury lawsuit against the nursing home and several of the employees seen in the video.

The victim and the victim's family have decided to remain anonymous, after the video was released showing the 76-year-old stroke and dementia patient being berated by the group of workers. The video is graphic and shows the six nursing home staff surrounding the man and ordering him to pull his pants down in what is alleged as nursing home abuse. The daughter of the victim claims that her father endured taunting, mockery and abuse. The family is seeking damages in Cook County court.

If you or a loved one is about to have a medical procedure or surgery, there are only a few ways of being rendered unconscious for the procedure. While the doctor may explain the details of the surgery or procedure, they may not go in depth about the anesthesia process. The truth is, anesthesia carries risks for medical injury too, as does the medical procedure one is being put under for. Anesthesia error, rather than actual surgical error, could happen to a patient and cause unnecessary injury.

There are doctors and medical professionals trained specifically in the administration of anesthesia. The process of providing anesthesia involves rendering a person unconscious. However, there are many intricacies that the medical professional must adhere to during this process, otherwise it could quickly result in anesthesia error. Error, in medical respects, can quickly result in patient injury.

When you or a loved one needs medical care, you want to know that you can be cared for in a way that will be beneficial or at least stabilizing to your own or a loved one's health. Doctors and hospital staff often do the very best they can and can perform what some would characterize as miracles.' Other people do not have this experience and instead have a negative experience with their healthcare. These experience can result in a worsened medical condition or in a worst case scenario, death.

This was sadly the situation for one family who's loved one was cared for in a Cook county medical facility and later suffered a brain injury due to the care received. While at Stroger Hospital in 2013, the woman received a procedure bedside called a pericardiocentesis. She suffered a brain injury due to the way in which the procedure was administered, according to the complaint. This medical procedure that removes fluid from the sac around the heart is typically done in a cardiac catherization laboratory, not bedside, as hers was administered.