Finding a Chicago medical malpractice attorney is no easy task. In a city the size of Chicago there are plenty of lawyers to choose from. The Chicago medical malpractice attorney you choose has to be the right one for you, your family and your case. Do not be swayed by the lawyer with the largest ad in the phone book or even the best television commercials: these are not indicators of the type of lawyer you will be getting - in fact, these lawyers typically refer their cases to other lawyers. It will not be easy to find the perfect Chicago medical malpractice attorney to fit your specific needs, but there are ways to ensure you do not end up with a person who is not qualified to handle your case.
There will be a malpractice attorney that tries to make assurances about your case. Be wary of the fast talking types that are quick to tell you they can get you large amounts of compensation for your case. Remember, in Illinois medical malpractice cases, only a doctor in the appropriate field of specialty can certify that a case has merit.
One of the first things you must know before even considering sitting down with a medical malpractice attorney is if your situation fits the criteria for medical malpractice. Legally the term "malpractice" is defined as negligence or the failure of a professional to perform their duties according to the acceptable rules and guidelines of that profession. Suspecting malpractice and proving it are two different things.
If there is cause for you to believe that a loved one has suffered permanent injury or death due to negligence of someone in the medical profession you should seek an opinion from an experienced lawyer with the ability to investigate your case and get you the answers you need. The following guidelines will help you in the interviewing phase of your search for a medical malpractice attorney.
Here are five questions to ask in each interview:
1. Who will be the attorney handling my case? The person you want to talk to is the person who will actually be handling your case: conducting the research, drafting the legal documents, deposing the witnesses, investigating the action, trying the case. You do not want to hire a law firm and later realize that someone other than the person you interviewed is handling your case.
2. What are your specific qualifications in this area? You will want to know that the attorney has handled similar types of cases in the past with success. Try to find an attorney that concentrates in medical malpractice cases.
3. Do you belong to any organizations that are related to medical malpractice? Attorneys that handle medical malpractice often are very passionate about this issue and they belong to groups, professional associations, and non-profit organizations in malpractice-related areas. They will be the ones with the most experience and passion.
4. What do you charge for your services? An experienced lawyer should handle your case on a "contingency fee" basis - meaning that if you do not win, the lawyer gets nothing and you owe the lawyer nothing.
5. Do you have any references? Do not be afraid to ask for references - in particular, from past clients.
Although finding the right attorney for example, Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney, is can be difficult, it is worth the effort to get the most qualified candidate for your situation. Feel free to come up with more questions that will get you greater insight into his practice and character.

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Arrested for drunk driving? A San Diego firm of DUI defense attorneys reports that breathalyzers used by law enforcement do not actually measure alcohol -- and thus may produce falsely high "blood alcohol" readings.
According to the the Law Offices of Lawrence Taylor, Inc., in San Diego, California, most breathalyzers used in DUI cases by law enforcement today use "infrared spectroscopy". This technology involves detection of the "methyl group" in the molecular structure of alcohol. The problem is that there are thousands of chemical compounds containing the methyl group -- some of them found on the human breath. In one study involving 28 subjects, for example, researchers found that the "combined expired air comprises at least 102 various organic compounds of endogenous and exogenous origin" ("Characterization of Human Expired Air", 15 Journal of Chromatographic Sciences 240).
If a person has any of these other compounds on his breath, called "interferents" by the engineers, he will get a falsely high blood-alcohol test result. And if there are two or more such compounds on his breath, the machine will add them up and falsely report the total as the blood- alcohol level.
So what compounds can be found on your breath? According to the San Diego DUI attorneys, diabetics with low blood sugar can have high levels of acetone -- which is "seen" as alcohol by Breathalyzers. And scientific studies have found that people on diets can have reduced blood-sugar levels, causing acetone hundreds of times higher than found in normal individuals (Frank and Flores, "The Likelihood of Acetone Interference in Breath Alcohol Measurements", 3 Alcohol, Drugs and Driving 1). And there are many other so-called "interferents" affecting breathalyzer results
If you are a smoker, your breathalyzer result is likely to be higher than expected. The compound acetaldehyde -- containing the methyl group and so reported by the Breathalyzer as "alcohol" -- is produced in the human body as a by-product in metabolizing consumed alcohol, and eventually passes into the lungs and breath. Researchers have discovered that levels of acetaldehyde in the lungs can be 30 times higher in smokers than in non-smokers. Result: higher BAC readings on the machine.
The San Diego DUI lawyers report that common household products, such as paint, glue, gasoline, and thinners also contain the methyl group. No, you don't have to drink the stuff: simply absorbing it through your skin or inhaling the fumes can result in significant levels of the chemical in your body for hours or even days, depending upon the "half- life" of the compound. So if you've painted a room or breathed in fumes at a gas station in the last day or two, don't take a breathalyzer test.
If you are stopped by the police and suspected of drunk driving, say the San Diego DUI lawyers, you might consider a blood test rather than submitting to a breathalyzer.

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Being injured is a matter of when it will happen rather than if it will happen. Injuries occur every day to normal people who don't have any control over the reckless driver that hits them, slippery store floors that weren't marked as such and vicious dogs running loose. Insurance sometimes takes care of the financial damage incurred in these cases and pays the bills. Quite often it falls far short of providing enough money to cover the medical costs and lost income. When you're injured you should choose a good personal injury lawyer to ensure that your needs are met.
Three criteria guide your selection of a personal injury lawyer.
The first thing to look at is the accumulated experience of the attorney in court actions involving the type of injury you've sustained. Every personal injury lawyer has to start someplace but you don't want to be his or her practice case. Many attorneys are part of a legal practice that represents you as a group and a specific attorney or two is in charge of your case. Find out how long these lawyers have been working in this capacity and insist that at least one attorney possess a significant amount of experience in handling personal injury actions.
The second criteria when choosing a good personal injury lawyer is his or her success in the courtroom. Inquire about the outcome of previous cases and what awards have been made to the injured clients. Success doesn't always mean large awards of money. Real success is in the fair outcome of cases with legitimate monetary awards being obtained and the financial needs of clients being met in an equitable way. Court personnel are a good source of information on how lawyers measure up in this area.
Another important criteria in choosing a personal injury attorney is the lawyer's reputation among his peers and the community as a whole. Most people understand that a well-respected lawyer has earned the respect. He or she has demonstrated moral responsibility and can be trusted. More important than dazzling legal performances in the courtroom are the fundamentally important qualities of honesty, integrity and fairness. The legal system functions well in the hands of attorneys who are worthy of respect.
Finding a personal injury lawyer with experience, a record of success and a good reputation is possible. Your case rests in capable hands when you choose the right personal injury lawyer.

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