Medical advancements increase life expectancy for millions of people each year for a variety of illnesses and ailments, including some cancers. This is true of those who are diagnosed with breast cancer. If the diagnosis is made in time, the chance of survival increases dramatically. However, a doctor's failure to diagnose it in time could close that window rapidly, and an Illinois patient could be left facing an uphill battle that might not be won.
Wrongful death claims filed after Joan Rivers' death have settled
Joan Rivers more than likely had no idea that when she walked in for what should have been a "routine" procedure that she would never walk out of the facility. In the aftermath of the comedian's death, her daughter, Melissa Rivers, filed a wrongful death claim against several parties believed to be responsible for her mother's death. Illinois residents might not have heard yet that the parties recently came to an agreement that will end that litigation.
Wrongful death alleged by widow in medical malpractice suit
One of the reasons that physicians in Illinois and elsewhere are supposed to understand the backgrounds of their patients prior to making diagnoses or prescribing treatments is to be aware of any pre-existing conditions the patients have and/or medications the patients are taking. Without this and other knowledge about a patient, errors can be made. Those errors could lead to deaths in some cases. Surviving family members retain the right to file wrongful death claims against those believed to have caused the deaths of their loved ones.