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877-374-1417

Rockford Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Chicago river running through Rockford, IL

When you or a loved one has suffered harm because of a doctor’s mistake or a hospital’s negligence, the impact can feel overwhelming. Patients in Rockford and throughout Winnebago County trust their health care providers to offer safe, competent care. When that trust is broken, the results can be physically, emotionally, and financially devastating.

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Levin & Perconti is a nationally recognized team with decades of experience helping victims of medical negligence seek justice. Our medical malpractice lawyers are committed to standing up for patients in Rockford and across Illinois, holding negligent providers accountable, and pursuing the compensation you need to move forward. If you suspect medical malpractice caused your injury, it’s important to act quickly. Contact Levin & Perconti today at (312) 332-2872 for a free consultation to learn about your legal options.

Why Choose Levin & Perconti as Your Rockford Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Choosing the right attorney can make the difference between a successful medical malpractice lawsuit and a denied claim. Levin & Perconti has been representing victims of medical negligence for over 30 years, recovering over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients across Illinois and earning national recognition as one of the leading firms in medical malpractice litigation.

Some of our notable medical malpractice lawsuit verdicts and settlements include:

Our reputation has led to frequent referrals from other attorneys who trust us with their most complex cases. Our attorneys are committed to helping individuals and families throughout Rockford and Northern Illinois hold negligent doctors, nurses, and hospitals accountable.

Past Client Testimonials

Dear Susan and Steven, We just wanted to thank you for your hard work over the past nine years. We are grateful for the settlement and the possibilities it will provide to [our sons] and hopefully someday to their children. Although they were so young when [their brother] died, their lives will be affected forever. It is our hope that they will keep their memories of [their brother] close and appreciate the opportunities that this settlement will provide. Thank you again for your perseverance and making these legal proceedings as easy on us as possible.
B.F. and S.F.
B.F. and S.F.
Susan’s representation was outstanding in every category. While she consistently provided world class professionalism throughout our case, it was her compassion that exceeded our expectations. We felt she genuinely cared about us as a client and shared in our pain. We are grateful to her for that. We would highly recommend Susan to anyone looking for top tier representation.
D.O.
D.O.
After months of struggling with my mom’s health, we contacted Levin & Perconti and they quickly became a big part of our lives. He worked for two years collecting all the information needed to make a solid case against the doctor who altered my mother’s life and our lives forever. From beginning to the end, they were always professional yet compassionate with us. He was never bothered by any questions we had, was extremely patient with my elderly mother and always showed a sincere passion toward helping us so my mother would be awarded enough money to live her life as comfortably as she could for the remainder of her life…The awarded money will not make my mother walk again but it will allow her to live the rest of her life as comfortably as possible. For that we are forever grateful to the team of Levin & Perconti.
Family of A​
Family of A​

What are the Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice Claims We Handle?

Medical negligence can happen in many forms and settings, often leading to serious injury or death for patients who trusted their healthcare providers. At Levin & Perconti, we handle a wide range of medical malpractice cases where healthcare providers fail to meet the expected standard of care, causing harm. We represent clients in various medical malpractice scenarios across Illinois.

Below are some of the most common types of medical malpractice claims we handle:

Anesthesiologist Error

Errors made during the administration of anesthesia can have severe consequences. These mistakes may include miscalculating the dosage of anesthesia, making intubation errors, or improperly monitoring a patient’s vital signs. Such errors can potentially lead to respiratory distress, brain damage, allergic reactions, or even death.

Misdiagnosis occurs when a doctor incorrectly identifies a patient’s medical condition. It can result from inadequate medical histories, ignoring symptoms of serious conditions, or failing to order necessary tests. Misdiagnosis can lead to a lack of treatment, inappropriate or unnecessary treatments, and delayed intervention, potentially causing severe health complications. An estimated 12 million Americans experience a diagnostic error in primary care each year, and clinical misjudgment accounts for a significant percentage of these errors.

Cancer misdiagnosis is a specific and often devastating type of misdiagnosis. It represents a large portion of wrong diagnosis claims. Cases involve failure to properly read tests like Pap smears, leading to missed cervical cancer, or failure to biopsy tumors, delaying diagnosis and treatment.

Diagnosing heart attacks can be complex due to varied symptoms. Heart attack misdiagnosis can happen if symptoms are misinterpreted as less severe conditions like indigestion or anxiety, or if necessary tests like EKGs or blood tests are not conducted or are misread. Overlooking atypical symptoms in certain patient populations or failing to recognize silent heart attacks also contributes to these errors.

Delayed diagnosis involves a medical professional taking too long to identify a patient’s medical condition. The excessive delay in diagnosis can result in postponed treatment, reducing treatment options, and potentially leading to more severe health complications for the patient. Examples include delays in diagnosing conditions like lung cancer or postpartum issues based on ignored symptoms or test results.

A failure to diagnose occurs when a healthcare provider overlooks or misses a medical condition entirely. This lack of diagnosis means the patient does not receive the necessary treatment, which can have severe or fatal consequences. This can be caused by incomplete patient histories, neglecting symptoms, or failing to order appropriate diagnostic tests.

Healthcare providers are required to adequately inform patients about the potential benefits, risks, and alternatives of a medical procedure or treatment before proceeding. A lack of informed consent claim arises when a provider fails in this duty, and the patient suffers harm as a result of a procedure they did not fully understand or agree to.

Birth injury cases involve harm sustained by either the mother or the child during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or shortly after birth due to trauma or medical errors. Birth injuries can result from various mistakes, such as the improper use of birthing tools, failure to detect fetal distress, or delays in performing a necessary C-section. Common outcomes include brain injuries like cerebral palsy or brachial plexus injuries.

Healthcare provider errors broad category encompasses mistakes made by any medical professional, including doctors, nurses, technicians, and hospital staff, who fail to meet the standard of care. These errors can manifest in numerous ways, such as misdiagnoses, incorrect medication dosages, surgical mistakes, or failures in communication or charting. Overworked staff, inadequate training, or poor hospital protocols can contribute to these errors.

Errors in interpreting diagnostic imaging and test results are a significant cause of medical malpractice. A radiologist misreading an X-ray, a pathologist misinterpreting lab slides, or a technician misreading an ultrasound can lead to a missed or incorrect diagnosis of serious conditions like cancer or tumors, delaying critical treatment.

Defective medical device claims involve injuries or death caused by medical products. Defects can stem from the device’s design, manufacturing process, or marketing information. When commonly used devices like pacemakers or hip replacements malfunction, patients can suffer severe complications, leading to product liability claims against manufacturers or hospitals.

Healthcare Management Organizations (HMOs) or their affiliated doctors can be held liable for misconduct that leads to patient harm. This can include instances where an HMO doctor fails to diagnose a condition or disregards patient complaints, resulting in delayed or improper care and subsequent injury or death.

Pharmaceutical negligence includes preventable errors that occur when healthcare professionals fail to follow best practices in prescribing, dispensing, or administering medications. Mistakes can include giving the wrong medication or dosage, administering it incorrectly, or overlooking dangerous drug interactions. Such errors can cause severe harm, including hospitalization, permanent injury, or death.

Medical negligence can result in severe and permanent spinal cord injuries. Cases may involve surgeons causing damage during procedures, or healthcare providers failing to recognize worsening neurological symptoms and delaying necessary intervention to relieve spinal cord compression. These injuries often lead to permanent disability or paralysis.

Residents in nursing homes can suffer harm due to the negligence or intentional acts of staff. This can include medication mismanagement, falls, neglect leading to infections like MRSA, or other failures to provide appropriate care based on the standard of care for vulnerable residents.

Mistakes made during surgery are preventable errors that can cause significant patient injury or death. These errors range from operating on the wrong site or patient to damaging nerves or organs, performing the incorrect procedure, or leaving foreign objects inside the body cavity.

Patients can acquire serious infections, such as Staph infections (like MRSA), while in a hospital or healthcare facility. If these infections are contracted or worsen due to negligent care, such as poor sanitation or failure to properly treat an existing infection, the hospital or staff may be liable for the resulting complications and harm.

Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) malpractice involves negligence in care related to women’s health, including pregnancy, labor, delivery, and gynecological procedures. Errors can range from mismanaging labor and delivery, leading to birth injuries, to failing to diagnose critical conditions during pregnancy or performing unnecessary surgical procedures.

How Common Is Medical Malpractice in Rockford?

Illinois medical malpractice statistics show that medical malpractice is a significant concern for Rockford and Northern Illinois. In 2023, there were 473 medical malpractice payment reports statewide, and $318.86 million was paid to resolve these claims. Allegations often involve surgical errors and misdiagnosis. 

Rockford Hospitals Involved in Medical Malpractice & Patient Safety Claims

Below are local medical centers that have been involved in medical malpractice lawsuits, patient safety investigations, or documented allegations.

  • OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center: $1.1 million verdict in a malpractice lawsuit for the family of a man who died after a medical procedure.
  • UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital: Agreed to pay $100,000 for allegedly failing to provide appropriate medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment under EMTALA.

These examples highlight how quickly a hospital case can become complex and why it is crucial to have a knowledgeable medical malpractice lawyer by your side.

Rockford Medical Malpractice Compensation

Victims of medical negligence may be entitled to several types of compensation. The exact value of a case depends on the details of the situation, severity of injury, long-term impact, and available evidence. Our attorneys fight to recover damages such as:

  • Medical expenses
  • Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering
  • Disability and disfigurement
  • Wrongful death damages

Average Medical Malpractice Settlement Amounts

In 2024, the average settlement for a medical malpractice lawsuit was $646,921, although the value of a case can vary from tens of thousands to millions of dollars. Every case is unique, and factors like the type of medical error, available insurance coverage, and the impact on the patient’s life all play a role.

Pursuing a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Rockford, IL

Pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit takes extensive evidence-gathering and time before anything is settled, but working with a Rockford medical malpractice attorney at Levin & Perconti provides consistent support and guidance through every step of the process.

  1. Consultation and case evaluation: Medical malpractice cases involve convoluted medical and legal issues that can be challenging to navigate alone. Levin & Perconti offers free case evaluations to determine whether you have a case and how to proceed to recover the maximum compensation for your situation.
  2. Investigation and expert opinions: Building a strong case begins with gathering evidence of medical negligence and consulting with medical experts to demonstrate that the health care provider’s negligence caused you harm.
  3. Filing the lawsuit: Your medical malpractice attorney will help you prepare your claim, outline your allegations against the health care provider, and initiate the lawsuit.
  4. Discovery and negotiations: Both parties exchange relevant information and evidence, attempting to settle through negotiation.
  5. Settlement or trial: A settlement can save time and money, but if the offer does not compensate you for the full extent of your damages, the case proceeds to trial.

Statute of Limitations for Illinois Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

The medical malpractice statute of limitations in Illinois is generally two years from when you knew or should have known you were injured, with limited exceptions. If you discover an injury later, or if there are other extenuating circumstances, you may have an extended filing deadline. Consulting with an experienced attorney from Levin & Perconti can help clarify any deadlines and help uphold your right to pursue compensation.

How Can Levin & Perconti Help Victims of Medical Negligence in Rockford?

It can be difficult and overwhelming to recover from a medical malpractice incident alone. Getting a medical malpractice attorney to take your case can ease the burden and protect your right to compensation. Our priority is to guide you through this challenging time with knowledge and compassion, protecting your rights and helping reimburse you for the suffering you and your loved ones have experienced.

Our nationally recognized medical malpractice lawyers in Rockford provide a comprehensive review of your case, acquiring medical records and evidence, connecting with witnesses, taking depositions, and helping you understand the standards of care and filing deadlines that dictate your claim.

Rockford Medical Malpractice Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to hire a medical malpractice lawyer in Rockford?

The cost of pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit is a major concern for everyone involved. While there is no set cost for a medical malpractice lawsuit or hiring a lawyer, our firm eases the stress of fighting for fair compensation by taking cases on a contingency fee. You don’t pay unless we reach a successful settlement or verdict.

How long a medical malpractice lawsuit takes varies significantly from case to case. While some cases are decided within a year or two, others can take up to four years to reach a settlement or verdict.

When a doctor makes a mistake or is negligent and causes you harm, you may be able to sue the hospital for negligence or medical malpractice.

Even if you signed a consent form, you might still be able to sue a hospital for medical malpractice. A consent form only acknowledges the risks of the procedure, but does not account for errors or negligence.

If you were injured or a loved one was injured or killed due to a medical professional or health care facility failing to provide the expected standard of care, you likely have a medical malpractice case.

Contact Our Rockford Medical Malpractice Attorneys at Levin & Perconti

At Levin & Perconti, our consultations are free, convenient, and compassionate toward what you’ve experienced. No other legal team in Illinois has the track record we do, and with our no-fee-unless-we-win policy, we’re ready to help ease your burden after this tragedy and recover the compensation you deserve.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to medical negligence in Rockford or Northern Illinois, contact Levin & Perconti for a free consultation, or call (312) 332-2872. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys are ready to fight for your rights.

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