Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) — MRSA, C. difficile, CLABSI, CAUTI, and surgical site infections — are largely preventable under established infection control protocols. When an Illinois hospital or provider fails to follow those protocols and a patient is harmed, a malpractice claim may follow.
Swimming pool drowning and near-drowning cases in Illinois involve hotel pools, condominium associations, park district facilities, and private homeowners. The duty of care depends on who owns the pool and who was injured. Illinois premises liability, the Tort Immunity Act for public pools, and federal drain safety law all apply.
Punitive damages in Illinois require more than negligence — the defendant’s conduct must be willful and wanton. They are available in car accident and premises cases but are expressly barred in medical malpractice under Illinois statute. Here is when they apply and when they do not.
Medication errors — wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong patient, or dangerous drug interactions — are a leading cause of preventable hospital harm in Illinois. When a prescribing physician, nurse, or pharmacist deviates from the standard of care, the injured patient has a malpractice claim under Illinois law.
Stairway falls in Chicago apartment buildings, offices, and commercial properties are among the most severe premises liability cases. Proving liability requires showing the property owner knew or should have known about the defect and failed to fix it.
Loss of consortium is a separate damages claim available to the spouse of a seriously injured person in Illinois. It compensates for loss of companionship, affection, and sexual relations. Here is how it works and what it is worth.
Emergency room errors cause serious harm because patients are vulnerable and decisions are made fast. In Illinois, ER malpractice claims require proving the provider deviated from the standard of care under emergency conditions. Here is what those claims look like.
In Illinois, wrongful death proceeds go to the deceased's spouse and next of kin, proportioned to their pecuniary losses. The distribution is not governed by the will or by intestacy rules - it follows the Wrongful Death Act. Here is how the money gets divided.
Most Illinois personal injury settlement proceeds are not taxable income under federal or Illinois law. But punitive damages, emotional distress unconnected to physical injury, and lost wage portions may be taxable. Here is what to know before you accept a settlement.
A birth injury results from medical negligence during labor and delivery. A birth defect is a congenital condition that developed before birth. The distinction determines whether a family has a malpractice claim in Illinois. Here is how courts and attorneys draw the line.