Medical malpractice is among the most serious types of personal injury lawsuits. Dealing with an injury or the wrongful death of a loved one can be an overwhelming time, especially if you’re dealing with lost time from work, disability or ongoing pain. If you believe you have a case and will be meeting with a medical malpractice lawyer, the team of Illinois attorneys at Lipkin & Apter is here to help you prepare and lessen your stress. Below is a checklist of documents needed to bring to an appointment for your medical malpractice lawyer to review.
Medical Records & Correspondence with Doctors
Bringing all medical records to your appointment is crucial in proving that mistakes have been made and that there was an injury. These are the most important documents in a medical malpractice case, as they detail the tests that were performed and treatment that was provided. Providing your lawyer with any letters or additional notes from doctors is also helpful in building a case.
Medical Bills
It may be tempting to throw away accumulating medical bills but they should never be tossed, especially if you're working with a lawyer to build a medical malpractice case. These bills show the total expenses required by the patient, which are used in determining their compensation.
Prescriptions
At times, patients' injuries occur after they leave the hospital or doctor's office and occur when they take the medication prescribed by their doctor. Bringing any prescriptions helps give your medical malpractice attorney more evidence, as factors such as incorrect medication or dosage can be forms of malpractice.
Proof of Lost Earnings
Often a medical error will cause a person to miss work due to disability or ongoing pain. If you or a loved one has missed work due to a medical error, it's important to bring proof of your lost wages to the appointment with the lawyer. These documents from employers help calculate the total lost wages, based on hours of work missed.
Your Questions
In our experience, many of our medical malpractice clients have many questions early in the process. The initial meeting with your lawyer is a great time to ask these questions, so it's a good idea to compile a list of questions ahead of time to ask.
Having these documents helps your medical malpractice attorney move along more quickly with the claim, so it's important to keep all medical records, correspondence, bills and any other documentation related to the injury. The personal injury attorneys at Lipkin & Apter are committed to helping you or your loved one receive the appropriate compensation due to medical suffering or death. Contact our Chicago law firm today to schedule a free consultation.