Effective medical treatment relies on a prompt, accurate diagnosis. Medical imaging tests are among the most effective diagnostic tools physicians use to diagnose injuries, illnesses, and other medical conditions. Unfortunately, an accurate diagnosis depends on clear, correctly performed imaging tests, a radiologist’s correct interpretations, and a precise diagnosis.
When a radiologist makes an error or an oversight, it can result in a missed diagnosis, a misdiagnosis, or a delayed diagnosis. Although no legal process erases the harm of medical malpractice, a radiologist error attorney in Chicago can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
The Chicago personal injury lawyers at Smith LaCien LLP have a long history of success, obtaining over $3.5 billion in settlements and court awards for clients, including in medical malpractice claims such as radiology error cases. With Smith LaCien on your side, your case has the following advantages:
We do not charge upfront fees to injury victims. Instead, we offer a free consultation and use a contingency-based payment system, so you pay nothing for our services until after we’ve recovered compensation for you.
The American College of Radiology describes a radiologist as follows:
“Radiologists specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases using medical imaging and procedures…As medical doctors, radiologists complete at least 13 years of training, including medical school, a one-year internship, and a four-year residency.”
A radiologist’s job is to produce clear, professionally executed medical images through diagnostic technologies to determine what is happening inside the patient’s body. Most radiologists have subspecialties in different body regions, such as musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, breast, cardiovascular, or neuro. Some radiologists specialize in pediatric radiology.
Skilled, experienced radiologists are key aspects of life-saving medical care in Chicago and elsewhere.
If you've been injured due to medical malpractice in Chicago
Smith LaCien Can Help You
According to a medical study journal of radiology errors, a radiologist’s job is to analyze images from medical technologies such as X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, PET scans, and CT scans. Studies indicate the following common causes of radiology errors:
Accurately interpreting radiological tests requires capturing clear images, meticulous scrutiny, accurate interpretation, and thorough communication between medical professionals.
All medical providers, including radiologists, owe a legal duty of care to their patients. The burden of evidence in malpractice cases is on the injury victim. Proving a radiologist’s medical malpractice requires compelling evidence demonstrating each of the following legal standards of medical malpractice liability:
A radiologist’s malpractice can cause serious or even deadly harm to a patient due to delayed diagnosis, worsened medical outcome, or wrongful death.
A misdiagnosis or the delay of an accurate diagnosis can cause serious harm to a patient, including more advanced disease, requiring more aggressive treatment, shortened life expectancy, or wrongful death. A successful medical malpractice claim doesn’t erase the injury, but it can recover compensation, financial accountability, and a sense of justice for the victim or their surviving family. Common damages recovered in claims include the following:
If a radiologist’s error causes a patient’s wrongful death, the decedent’s personal representative can file a wrongful death claim on behalf of the family to recover compensation for the family’s grief and anguish and their economic damages, such as funeral and burial costs, and the loss of a provider’s income, benefits, and household services.
Evidence in a medical malpractice claim must be clear, concise, and compelling. A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer from Smith LaCien LLP has access to renowned medical experts to provide crucial supporting evidence. Your attorney will conduct an independent investigation into all aspects of your case, examine all medical records, including radiology tests, and consult with medical experts to document evidence of the radiologist’s negligence, error, or oversight. Then, we carefully calculate your total economic and non-economic damages to maximize the compensation available to you.
Medical malpractice claims are complex, requiring substantial evidence and careful adherence to deadlines and filing requirements. The timing of your claim is critical. There is a two-year statute of limitations on filing medical malpractice claims in Illinois. Typically, this is two years from the date the malpractice occurred, but the state may extend the time limit to begin on the date of discovery if there is a significant delay in discovering the malpractice.
A medical malpractice claim requires careful handling by an attorney and staff with access to medical experts to interpret data. Contact the Chicago medical malpractice lawyers of Smith laCien LLP to speak with an attorney. We are ready to help you through every step of your case and maximize the compensation available to you in your claim.