So what will the database entail? People should be able to find a more detailed history on Illinois physicians such as any judgments and settlements against the doctors in Medical Malpractice and Medical Negligence lawsuits in the past five years. Appeals will also be noted. People can also learn if a doctor was disciplined in Illinois or in another state. Doctors will have about two months to look over the information before the website is active for consumers. Then, information on almost 50,000 licensed doctors will be back on the web, and it will be updated continuously.

If you are interested in using the database, you can find it on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s website. Illinois is not the only state to offer such medical information to people. California, Idaho and Florida are just a few of the other states with similar searchable databases.

Illinois lawmakers and the state’s court system are constantly changing and reforming Illinois’s Medical Malpractice rules and laws. Thus, the honest and hard-working Illinois Medical Malpractice Lawyers at Crossen Kooi are staying on top of these changes to better serve their clients. This is also why it’s important to carefully choose a Medical Malpractice Lawyer if you believe you are the victim of a medical error.

One such change was mentioned earlier, and it was a big one. In February of last year, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned the state’s Medical Malpractice law which had been in place for five years. The law was overturned because it limited compensation to injured patients for pain and suffering. Thus, what’s commonly known as “caps” on jury awards in Medical Malpractice and Medical Negligence cases were done away with. The caps had been set at $500,000 for non-economic damages in decisions against physicians and $1 million in verdicts against hospitals. Now, juries are not restricted on how much they can award a victim of a medical error.

Another key element of Illinois’s Medical Malpractice Act is the statute of limitations. This aspect mandates that an apparent victim of a medical mistake must start Medical Malpractice actions within 2 years of when the supposed error happened. However, there are circumstances that can allow a victim a longer period of time to file a Medical Malpractice lawsuit.

An experienced Illinois Medical Malpractice Lawyer would be able to assist you with filing a Medical Malpractice lawsuit and answer all you questions regarding your rights as a victim of a medical error. If you or someone you love is suffering from Medical Negligence, contact the Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorneys at Crossen Kooi for a FREE consultation.