Older woman gently touching her seriously ill husband’s forehead as he rests in a hospital bed

Effects of Medical Malpractice on Patients in Chicago, IL: What the Data Shows

Last Updated on October 15, 2026 by Patrick A. Salvi II

When a doctor, nurse, or hospital fails to provide the standard of care patients deserve, the consequences can be devastating. According to the Illinois Department of Insurance, of the 1,356 malpractice claims against Illinois physicians that resulted in payment between 2015 and 2020, nearly three out of four involved either a death or a permanent injury.

However, these statistics do not fully capture the significant effects of medical malpractice on patients and their families. The legal team at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has helped injured patients and families seek accountability and justice from negligent healthcare providers for over 40 years. Contact us today to learn how we can help you during this challenging time.

How Common Is Medical Malpractice in Chicago, IL?

Unfortunately, medical malpractice is far too common. A 2017 survey by NORC at the University of Chicago, on behalf of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the National Patient Safety Foundation, found that about 1 in 5 U.S. adults had experienced a medical error themselves. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality also shares that as many as half of all healthcare providers might face a serious adverse event during their careers, though not all of these situations lead to formal complaints or lawsuits. Understanding these facts helps us grasp the importance of ongoing improvements in healthcare safety.

An American Medical Association (AMA) analysis of its 2022 physician survey reveals that about 31.2% of doctors have faced a lawsuit at some point in their careers. The numbers are even more striking in certain specialties: for instance, obstetrician-gynecologists experience a notably higher rate of medical malpractice lawsuits at 62.4%, while general surgeons also face a high rate of 59.3%.

Medical malpractice can disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including older adults and individuals with disabilities, as discovered by a review of Medicare hospital stays conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Office involving such patients. Researchers found that 25% of patients experienced harm during their stay. Furthermore, physician reviewers indicated that 43% of these harmful events could have been prevented. Alarmingly, these adverse events were linked to approximately 14,800 deaths in the month reviewed, highlighting the critical need for improved patient safety.

In the Illinois Department of Insurance study referenced above, of the 1,356 paid-out medical malpractice claims, Cook County accounted for 53% of the paid claims and 60% of the money paid on them.

The payer of any medical malpractice payout must report the verdict or settlement to the federal National Practitioner Data Bank within 30 days, and hospitals must check the data bank when a clinician applies for privileges and every two years after that.

Physical and Emotional Medical Malpractice Effects on Patients

Among Illinois malpractice claims that resulted in payment, 35.6% involved a death. Another 36.9% involved a permanent injury – including losing a limb, blindness and severe brain damage requiring lifelong care.

Research from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and the National Patient Safety Foundation shows that among those who experienced a medical error—whether in their own care or that of a loved one—73% reported it impacted at least one part of the patient’s life for over a month, or even permanently. Specifically, 57% said the patient’s physical health was affected for more than a month or permanently, and 53% reported an impact on emotional health.

Every statistic represents an individual whose life has been forever changed. In 2023, our law firm represented a young man whose experience reflects the realities described in the IHI study. In 2014, at just 25 years old and with a history of blood clots, the young man sought medical attention for worsening foot pain at multiple facilities. Unfortunately, by the time a vascular surgeon identified the blocked arteries, it was too late to save his foot. Years later, he continues to endure pain, infections, and ongoing rehabilitation. A Cook County jury recognized the extent of his suffering and awarded a $32.7 million verdict in his case.*

Financial Impact of Medical Malpractice

Beyond the toll on a patient’s body and mind, some of the longest-lasting consequences of medical malpractice are financial ones. In the national IHI survey, 41% of people harmed by medical errors reported financial effects that lasted more than a month or were permanent.

For a seriously injured patient, like our client who tragically and unnecessarily lost his foot, the medical care costs continue to build well after the initial injury. In that case, he was awarded $972,000 for past medical expenses alone and will need to replace his prosthetic about every two years.

Across all 6,478 medical malpractice claims that closed in Illinois between 2015 and 2020, the median time from injury to closure was nearly five and a half years. Because Illinois claims can take roughly five and a half years from injury to verdict or settlement, any financial compensation awarded can arrive years after the injury occurred.

In a 2024 birth injury case handled by our firm, a Cook County jury awarded damages to provide for future medical expenses and loss of earnings for a newborn who was injured during delivery at a Chicago hospital. This child will require 24-hour monitoring and individualized care for the remainder of her life.

In another case our firm handled in Lake County, a woman experiencing vision problems informed an emergency room nurse that she could not read her discharge papers. Unfortunately, this concern was not communicated to the physician. She was initially sent home with a diagnosis of Bell’s palsy, but returned unable to see out of either eye and was discharged again with a mental health referral. It was only when she went to a different hospital that a clot in her brain was finally diagnosed. Tragically, the diagnosis came too late, and she never regained her sight.

At Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., we understand the crucial role that medical professionals play in our people’s lives – and the harm that can occur when they violate the trust we place in them. As Patrick Salvi Jr., Managing Equity Partner, said, “Our team’s mission is to improve patient safety by ensuring medical providers are held accountable and reminded that they must listen to their patients’ concerns.”

Medical Negligence Effects on Families

Family member resting a hand on the shoulder of a patient lying in a hospital bed with an IV line, with a clinician in the background

In addition to the direct harm that medical mistakes cause patients, these injuries can also put strain on an entire household. In the national IHI survey, 32% of medical error victims said family relationships were affected for more than a month after a medical malpractice experience – and some said the impact on their family relationship was permanent.

More than a third of paid Illinois claims involved a death. Illinois law recognizes a family’s grief directly through a wrongful death claim.

In the birth injury case above, the family had been coping with the girl’s injuries for more than six years when the case finally reached a jury.

Legal Options for Victims of Medical Malpractice in Chicago

Illinois medical malpractice laws provide a legal pathway for patients and families to hold negligent healthcare providers responsible when their treatment fails to meet the standard of care. However, families must act fast to preserve their rights, as there is a statute of limitations on filing a medical malpractice case in Illinois. Under 735 ILCS 5/13-212, most claims must be filed within two years of when you knew, or reasonably should have known, about the injury, and never more than four years after the care that caused it. A child’s claim must be filed within eight years of the act or omission and before the child’s 22nd birthday. Different parameters can apply when medical malpractice causes a death or disability that prevents the claimant from filing suit.

Before a lawsuit can proceed, Illinois also requires an affidavit and a written report from a qualified health professional finding a “reasonable and meritorious cause” for the case, with a separate report for each defendant (735 ILCS 5/2-622). An experienced Chicago medical malpractice lawyer can obtain those records for you and secure that review well before a deadline passes.

Each of the effects above has a legal counterpart under Illinois law:

How Illinois law addresses the effects of medical malpractice
The effect	What Illinois law lets you pursue
Ongoing treatment, therapy, equipment and care	Past and future medical expenses
Missed work or a lost career	Lost past and future income
Pain, emotional distress, disfigurement, loss of a normal life	Non-economic damages, with no statutory cap since LeBron v. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital (2010). See pain and suffering damages.
A death	A Wrongful Death Act claim for the surviving spouse and next of kin, including grief, sorrow and mental suffering, plus a Survival Act claim for losses the patient could have recovered
Punishing the provider	Not available. Illinois bars punitive damages in medical malpractice cases (735 ILCS 5/2-1115)

Results we have obtained for injured patients

$75,859,000 jury verdict (Cook County, 2024) for a girl who suffered permanent brain damage and nerve injuries during her delivery and who will need lifelong care
$50,300,000 verdict (Cook County, 2018) in a birth injury case against Northshore University Health System doing business as Evanston Hospital

$40,000,000 settlement (Cook County, 2024) for a client in a confidential settlement involving medical negligence
$32,747,000 jury verdict (Cook County, 2023) for a young man who lost his foot after doctors failed to recognize signs of a blood clot
$14,850,000 settlement (2019) for a woman left permanently blind after a delayed diagnosis of a clot in her brain, following two emergency room discharges

These results should not be viewed as a guarantee of a specific result for a potential case. Each case is different and involves unique factual and legal issues. Many factors ultimately determine a case’s value, including the availability of insurance coverage. View more case results.

Contact a Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has recovered more than $3.5 billion for injured clients and their families, including more than 400 verdicts and settlements with recoveries of $1 million or more. Across our practice areas, those results include a $363 million verdict that was the highest jury verdict on record for an individual plaintiff in Illinois when it was returned in 2022, and a $148 million verdict which is the highest personal injury compensatory verdict ever awarded to an individual plaintiff in Illinois history.* Our diverse team of top litigators prepares every case as though a jury will decide it.

“Our family was referred to Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard due to a neurosurgery issue that left our son with paralysis on his left side and on a ventilator. Not only was Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard knowledgeable, professional, and passionate about what they do, they were empathetic to our son and our needs as a family. They were able to secure a settlement that will take care of our son’s medical needs for his lifetime. We are extremely grateful to have been referred and consider them to be friends.” — Mike G. (client’s father), client testimonial

If a medical provider’s mistake changed your life or the life of someone you love, call us at 312-372-1227 or contact us online for a free, confidential consultation. You pay no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.