Attorney Representation in Chicago, Illinois Since 1993  

Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney  

Wrongful Death

Nursing Homes · Medical Clinics · Hospitals

Missed diagnoses of fatal medical conditions are by far the largest cause of wrongful death medical malpractice personal injury cases. At Cirignani Heller & Harman LLP, we are often called on to represent family members of patients whose medical conditions were different or worse than the illness diagnosed by their physicians. In most cases the error occurs for the most basic of reasons: 1) the doctor does not ask the right questions or doesn't listen to the patient; 2) the doctor doesn't do an adequate examination; or 3) the doctor jumps to a conclusion without adequately considering all the possibilities.

Integrity · Compassion · Tenacity

As we have learned in our legal practice, routine is the enemy of good medical practice. Doctors see a patient complaining of certain symptoms that could be caused by a cold virus. They have seen numerous other patients that week with the same complaints. They make a diagnosis of upper respiratory infection and send the patient home with an admonition to take pain relievers, cough medicine, and antihistamines, drink plenty of liquids, and get some rest. They fail to do what is called a differential diagnosis.

Misdiagnoses of Fatal Medical Condition

Unfortunately, if the doctors had done a differential diagnosis, which simply means to go through every medical condition known that could reasonably cause the patient's symptoms and rule out the most serious ones first, they may have discovered a fatal malady or one that could cause severe brain injury. Approximately sixty percent of our wrongful death cases fall into this category.

Surgical Errors · Anesthesia Errors · Medicine Errors

The other major categories of medical malpractice leading to wrongful death are surgical errors, errors by the anesthesiologist, administering the wrong medicine, and errors in medication, including overdose, drug interactions. If you suspect that your loved one's doctor failed to make the proper diagnosis or in some other way committed medical malpractice, contact our firm to discuss the case with one of our physician lawyers.

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Our law offices are located at:

150 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2600
Chicago, Illinois 60606