Category: blog

When you undergo surgery in Chicago, you may feel nervous because every surgery comes with a risk of complications. Your doctor will warn you of potential risks before you go into surgery. You may even have to sign documentation to protect the doctor from liability. But, this documentation doesn’t protect the doctor from liability if you suffer complications caused by negligence.

If you believe you suffered surgical complications because your Chicago doctor was negligent, then you can file a medical malpractice claim. At Lane Brown, LLC, we have an in-depth understanding of Illinois’ medical malpractice laws. A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer from our team can support you through the personal injury claims process. 

Surgery Complications You May Suffer in Chicago

There are various surgical complications you may suffer in Chicago that can be caused by negligence. For example, a doctor may perform the wrong surgery on you; a doctor may perform the right surgery on the wrong body part; a doctor may leave a surgical tool inside you; or, the surgical site may not be sterile when surgery is performed. It’s also possible that your anesthesia wasn’t properly administered.

Understanding Medical Malpractice in Illinois

Medical malpractice in Illinois occurs when a medical professional fails to provide a patient with the standard of care they should have provided to a patient in a similar situation. By failing to provide due standard of care, the medical professional harms the patient.

To prove medical malpractice has occurred, a patient must have another medical professional in a similar field testify and claim that the treating physician violated the standard of care. 

How to File a Chicago Medical Malpractice Claim

If you believe your surgical complication in Chicago resulted from medical malpractice, then you can discuss your case with an attorney and begin the filing process. You must file an affidavit of merit with your Illinois medical malpractice claim, which explains that you’ve consulted with a healthcare professional in a similar field about the situation.

Your affidavit must include a written testimony from the healthcare professional stating that there’s probable cause for medical malpractice. Once your claim is received, the legal process begins.

Contact a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

Medical malpractice claims can be more complex than other personal injury claims in Illinois. The statute of limitations provides two years from the surgical complication to file a claim. 

At Lane Brown, LLC, we work hard to win injured victims the maximum settlement. It can be traumatic to experience an injury or illness after a surgery. Compensation can ensure your recovery isn’t accompanied by unnecessary financial strain.

If you’d like to speak with a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer from Lane Brown, LLC about your situation and discuss your case in greater detail, schedule a free consultation. To speak with a member of our team, call 312-332-1400 or fill out the contact form below.

Members of the clergy are trusted by adults and children alike. A clergy member’s job is to serve God, and with that occupation, they’re afforded ample power and respect. Unfortunately, in the last few decades, many Illinois clergy members have abused their power and sexually abused their constituents.

Many victims of sexual abuse have trouble coming forward and admitting what’s happened to them, especially when their abuser was someone they admired. If you experienced sexual abuse by a member of the Illinois clergy, speaking up about your experience can release you from the trauma. 

By holding your abuser accountable, you can seek justice for your suffering and prevent further abuse from occurring. A Chicago sexual abuse lawyer from Lane Brown, LLC can help you file a claim and get the settlement you deserve. 

Identifying Who’s Liable

When coming forward with your sexual abuse experience, you’ll likely have to take civil action against the church where the priest works or worked. If you want to file criminal charges, you can do so against the priest personally.

Your sexual abuse lawyer in Chicago can guide you through the legal process and help you take the proper steps to file your claim. The church will have to defend itself and their clergy member against the accusations. The judge and jury in your case will determine whom to believe. 

Damages You Can Recover

If you can successfully prove that sexual abuse has occurred, you can recover damages for your pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and emotional distress. If your sexual abuse was recent, you may recover damages for medical expenses associated with your injuries and lost income from time you’ve taken away from work.

Accounting for all your losses is the key to maximizing your claim and holding your abuser fully responsible.  

Is It Too Late to File My Claim?

The statute of limitations regarding sexual abuse in Illinois is complex. If you were over the age of eighteen when the sexual abuse occurred, then you’ll have two years to file your claim and recover compensation. If you wait more than two years to file your claim, the court likely won’t hear your case or award your a settlement. 

If you were under the age of eighteen when the abuse occurred, then you’ll have twenty years to file a claim and recover compensation. The twenty-year time limit begins on your eighteenth birthday or on the day you discover you were abused.

Contact a Chicago Sexual Abuse Attorney

Sexual abuse lawsuits can be difficult to navigate, and they can become even more complicated when the clergy is involved. Clergy members have powerful organizations protecting them, so it’s essential to have an experienced attorney on your side when fighting for what you deserve. 

If you’re ready to discuss your case in greater detail with a Chicago sexual abuse lawyer from Lane Brown, LLC, fill out the contact form below or call 312-332-1400 to schedule a free consultation.

Keeping your child safe from physical and emotional harm is a parent’s top priority. It can be terrifying to suspect that a child is suffering from sexual abuse, whether at school, church, or in some other setting. Your child may not speak up about abuse willingly, which is why it’s essential to be aware of common signs of sexual abuse. As parents, it’s important to always remain vigilant. 

At Lane Brown, LLC, our attorneys have experience handling sexual abuse cases and we can investigate your family’s situation to determine whether abuse is taking place. A sexual abuse lawyer in Chicago will support you through the legal process and pinpoint the assailant to ensure that, if abuse is occurring, the abuser is properly punished and no future abuse can occurs. 

Physical Signs of Child Sexual Abuse

The hard part about spotting sexual abuse in children is that the assailant is likely to be someone you know. Perpetrators of sexual abuse find it easier to abuse children when they’ve built up trust with the child, which is why you may have a hard time identifying the abuser. You’ll need to look out for both physical and behavioral signs from your child. Physical signs of child sexual abuse can include:

• Swelling or bruising in the genital area
• Urinary infections or yeast infections
• Difficulty walking or sitting
• Bloody or torn undergarments
• Itching or burning in the genital area

Your child should be seen by a doctor immediately if you notice any of these physical signs. Although your child may remain silent about the abuse, taking the lead in the conversation can be the step they need to open up. 

Behavioral Signs of Sexual Abuse in Children

Behavioral signs of sexual abuse in children can vary widely and depends on the age of the child and the severity of the abuse. If you notice changes to your child’s hygiene, development of nightmares, signs of depression or post-traumatic stress disorder, or any other significant change in personality, these could all be indicators that something’s wrong in your child’s personal life. 

You may need to delve deeper into what’s going on with your child before being able to determine that sexual abuse is the underlying cause of your child’s changed behavior. However, even the slightest change in behavior should spark a reason to investigate. It’s better to question the behavior than to leave it alone and possibly allow sexual abuse to continue.  

Who Can Be Sued in a Child Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?

The sexual abuser will be the main defendant in any lawsuit. If the abuse happened at a school, church, or other organization, it’s possible to sue the organization, as well. For example, if a teacher was sexually abusing a child, then the school had a responsibility to keep the child safe from the employer. Not only can the teacher be sued, but the school can be held liable for damages. 

Contact a Sexual Abuse Attorney in Chicago

No child should have to suffer from sexual abuse and, as a parent, you could obtain compensation on your child’s behalf by filing a sexual abuse lawsuit. At Lane Brown, LLC, we’ll identify all liable parties in your case and hold them accountable. To speak with a Chicago sexual abuse lawyer, fill out the contact form below or call 312-332-1400 for a no-obligation consultation.

It’s not surprising to most of us that vehicle accidents can cause serious injuries. One of the most serious injuries you can receive is a head injury. Injuries to the head can change your life forever, causing extensive damages, lengthy recovery times, and pricey medical bills.

Some potential damages your head injury could cause include medical care costs, lost time from work, permanent injury, expensive cognitive treatments, and physical pain.

If you’ve struck your head in a car wreck, and you believe you might have suffered brain damage, you should visit a hospital or health care provider immediately. Early treatment can make a huge difference when it comes to serious head injuries.

What Is a Brain Injury?

A brain injury is when your brain is damaged by extreme trauma. The trauma can be caused by great external force coming into contact with your skull. This can lead to swelling, bleeding in the brain, and brain damage.

Brain injuries can be mild, moderate, or severe. Some brain injuries will go away in time, and you will go back to the normal state of mental health you had before the injury. Other brain injuries can result in lingering issues or brain damage that can last a lifetime.

Signs and Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

There are many signs and symptoms that you’ve sustained a head injury in your vehicle collision. If your head struck a hard surface during your collision, you should visit a doctor or hospital and get checked out. Often, people think they’re fine, but come to find out later that they have suffered a head injury.

The following is a list of some signs and symptoms that you are suffering from a brain injury:

• Dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Irritability and depression
• Ringing in the ears
• Difficulty with focus or attention
• Blurred vision
• Headache
• Difficulty waking from sleep
• General sleepiness
• Balance and coordination issues
• Speech issues

In addition to the above symptoms, you might also notice issues with memory and cognition. You could experience mood and personality changes. You could also find that you have difficulty with activities you once performed with ease.

Every brain injury is different and every brain injury affects people differently. It all depends on which part of your brain was impacted, as well as how severe the damage is.

What Can You Do if You’ve Sustained a Brain Injury in an Accident?

If someone else caused the accident that gave you a brain injury, you can file an personal injury claim against them. They can be made to pay for the suffering and losses you’ve faced because of this injury. Many people need the money from a settlement to pay for their medical care costs, lost wages, and treatment expenses.

To increase the chances of receiving a fair settlement, work with a brain injury lawyer at Lane Brown, LLC. Call for a free case assessment at 312-332-1400 or send over the case assessment form at the bottom of this webpage.

Scott Lane, partner at Lane Brown, LLC, coordinates and teaches Fred Lane’s ISBA Trial Technique Institute. This program covers civil and criminal trial work at all phases from the point of view of both the defendant and the plaintiff or prosecutor.

Under Mr. Lane’s direction, course participants practice new trial techniques. Sessions are recorded via audio and video so participants can see and track their progress.

Although Mr. Lane teaches the course, this program also features outstanding defense lawyers, plaintiffs, and former and current judges as guest faculty members.

Fred Lane’s Trial Technique Institute is made up of two semesters of four months each. The fall semester runs from September to January, and the spring semester runs from February to June. Participants can start the course in either semester. The program qualifies for fifty-four total hours of MCLE credit.

Some class topics include introducing exhibits of various types, evidence, objections, jury selection, opening statements, closing arguments, and arguments to the jury in personal injury, criminal, and contracts cases, among others.

Classes are taught Tuesday evenings at the Illinois State Bar Association – Chicago Regional Office, 20 South Clark Street, Suite 900, from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m.

As always, we’ve been busy helping our clients seek compensation for the harms they’ve suffered. In an exciting recent case, Lane Brown, LLC partner Mark A. Brown and associate Olivia A. Sarmas secured a medical malpractice trial victory in Lake County.

This case was tried in late February and early March and ended with a total recovery of $1,625,000 for our client. Read on for more details.

Background

In April of 2010, our client was admitted to Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital for numbness, weakness, pain, and blueness in her right hand. Her symptoms had worsened over a period of four days before she was admitted. She was subsequently diagnosed with blood clots in her radial, brachial, and ulnar arteries.

Dr. Susanne Woloson was her vascular surgeon and decided to treat her condition with thrombolytics rather than perform surgery due to the risk of microclots forming in the hands. These microclots would not have been treatable with a thromboembolectomy.

A Turn for the Worse

Despite being treated with thrombolytics, the plaintiff eventually developed compartment syndrome in her right forearm. A nurse called Dr. Woloson to advise her of the situation. Dr. Woloson ordered a consult with an orthopedic surgeon, who requested that Dr. Woloson complete an assessment of the plaintiff to rule out vascular issues before they decided to treat her with surgery.

Dr. Woloson did not come in to assess the plaintiff, leaving her without treatment for approximately eight hours. By that time, the plaintiff’s compartment syndrome needed to be treated with a thromboembolectomy and a fasciotomy. She now suffers permanent neurological deficits in her right hand due to the prolonged lack of treatment.

On behalf of our client and after a review of the evidence, we brought claims against Dr. Woloson and Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital. Our pretrial demand was for $1,300,000 between all defendants.

Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital Settlement

Three days prior to the start of the trial, our client settled with Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital for $250,000. Prior to this date, there had been no attempts by the defense to settle the case on the hospital’s behalf.

The Defense of Woloson

The defense attorneys for Dr. Woloson argued that the doctor made the right choice when choosing to treat our client with thrombolytics because of the duration of the symptoms and because surgery wouldn’t have helped any microclots that might have formed. Microclots could have led to gangrene and required amputation, they said.

They also argued that Dr. Woloson was not obligated to go in and examine the plaintiff that evening because she had ordered a consult with the orthopedic surgeon.

Additionally, the defense argued that our client might have developed nerve deficits even if surgery had occurred immediately and compartment syndrome hadn’t developed.

The Verdict

Because no offer was made to settle, we proceeded to court, where the Hon. Mitchell Hoffman presided over the case.

After all evidence had been presented, both parties entered into a high/low agreement of $500,000 to $1,850,000, meaning the defense agreed to pay a minimum of $500,000 to the plaintiff and the plaintiff agreed to accept a maximum of $1,850,000, regardless of the verdict.

The settlement we reached with Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital was not taken into account upon entering the high/low agreement.

After deliberating for six and a half hours over a span of two days, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff for $1,375,000. This brought our client’s total recovery to $1,625,000.

Our Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorneys Can Help You, Too

Had Dr. Woloson checked on our client after ordering the surgical consult, and if the hospital staff had notified Dr. Woloson that the surgeon wouldn’t be coming in, our client could have been spared permanent damage. We believe medical negligence should never go unpunished, and all victims deserve justice.

The qualified medical malpractice attorneys at Lane Brown, LLC are dedicated to fighting for our clients’ right to compensation when negligent actions by medical professionals leave them injured.

If you or someone you love has been a victim of medical negligence and you need representation to recover your losses, reach out to us today by completing the contact form below or giving our office a call at 312-332-1400.