Nurse Attorney in Livonia, MI
Our nurse attorney in Livonia works from Cochran, Kroll & Associates’ main office on Five Mile Road. Eileen E. Kroll, RN, JD, earned her nursing degree at Madonna College here in Livonia in 1985. Today she helps patients and families who were hurt by medical or nursing care understand what happened and whether they have a claim.
Ready to talk it over at our Five Mile Road office? Contact us to schedule a free consultation, or call 1-866-MICH-LAW anytime, 24/7.
A Nurse Attorney in Livonia With Deep Livonia Roots
Eileen’s path into law started a few miles from our office. She trained as a nurse at Madonna College, now Madonna University, and then spent five years in the surgical intensive care unit of a large Detroit hospital. She kept working full-time as a nurse while attending the University of Detroit School of Law full-time, and she earned her law degree in 1990.
That mix shows up in every consultation. Eileen asks the questions a nurse would ask: Who assessed you? When were your vitals last checked? What did the medication record show? You can read her full background on the profile of Eileen E. Kroll, RN, JD.
Your First Meeting at Our Livonia Office: What We Look At
A first consultation usually takes about an hour. It is free, private, and carries no obligation. Here is how it typically goes:
1. We listen. You tell us what happened in your own words. There is no wrong place to start.
2. We check the dates. Michigan malpractice claims have strict deadlines, so we note when the care happened and when you first suspected a problem. The full rules are on our statewide nurse attorney page.
3. We look at what you brought. Discharge papers and medication lists often give early clues.
4. We give you an honest read. Some bad outcomes happen even with good care. If we do not think a case is worth pursuing, we will tell you plainly and explain why.
What to Bring to Your Consultation
Nobody arrives with everything on this list, so bring what you have:
- Discharge papers and any after-visit summaries
- Medication lists, prescription bottles and pharmacy labels
- Medical bills and letters from insurance companies
- Photos of injuries, wounds or equipment
- A written timeline of events, with dates and times if you know them
- Names of nurses, doctors and other staff you remember
- Any letters or emails from the hospital or facility
- A list of every provider involved, including rehab or home care
How to Request Your Medical Records
You have a legal right to most of your own health records. To request them from a Michigan hospital or clinic:
1. Contact the health information management department (sometimes called medical records) at the facility.
2. Fill out the release form and specify the dates of care.
3. Ask for the complete chart, not just a summary. Name the nursing notes, the medication administration record (MAR), vital signs flowsheets, and any ER triage notes, since these are often left out unless you ask.
4. Choose electronic copies if they are available, which can lower the cost.
5. Keep a copy of your request and the date you sent it.
Under federal rules, providers generally must respond within 30 days, as explained in the HHS guidance on your right to access health information. Providers may charge a reasonable fee for copies. If requesting records feels overwhelming, we can request them for you once you hire us.
What Happens After the First Meeting
Once you decide to move forward, the work begins right away:
- Records review. We gather the full chart, and Eileen reviews it from a nurse’s point of view.
- Expert review. A qualified medical expert reviews the care, which Michigan requires before a suit can be filed.
- Notice of Intent. We send formal notice to each provider at least 182 days before filing a lawsuit.
Clients often ask how long all of this takes. Lawsuits in general average about 18 to 24 months, and medical malpractice cases can take longer because of the expert reviews and waiting periods Michigan requires. The good news is that most cases never reach a courtroom. About 95% of our firm’s cases settle out of court, though we prepare every case as if it will be tried. Throughout the process, you will know who to call with questions, and we will explain each step before it happens so nothing comes as a surprise.
Your First 72 Hours After a Suspected Care Error
What you do in the first few days can protect both your health and your claim. If you believe something went wrong during care:
1. Put your health first. Get follow-up care from a different provider if you need it.
2. Write it down while it is fresh. Record dates, times, names, and exactly what staff said to you.
3. Keep physical evidence. Save pill bottles, packaging, dressings, wristbands and discharge papers.
4. Take photos. Photograph visible injuries, wounds and medical devices, with dates.
5. Be careful what you sign. Do not sign releases or settlement offers from a hospital or insurer before getting advice.
6. Stay off social media about it. Posts can be taken out of context later.
7. Call for a free review. An early call helps protect Michigan’s filing deadlines.
Cases Livonia Families Bring to Us
People walk into our Five Mile Road office with very different stories. Some of the most common involve:
- Labor and delivery, when a baby suffers oxygen loss or trauma at birth, covered on our birth injury page
- Nursing care on a hospital floor, such as missed assessments, unreported vital signs, or falls, explained on our page about nursing malpractice.
- Delayed or missed diagnoses, including cancers, infections, and internal bleeding, discussed in our article on when a misdiagnosis becomes malpractice
- A death that may have been preventable, where families can bring a wrongful death claim through the estate
Whatever brought you here, the first step is the same: a free conversation about what happened, and an honest answer about whether we can help.
Where Livonia Patients Get Care
Trinity Health Livonia Hospital, formerly St. Mary Mercy Livonia, is the city’s hospital, and it appears in many local medical records along with nearby outpatient centers. Details about its services are on Trinity Health Livonia Hospital’s website.
Livonia sits in Wayne County, so a malpractice lawsuit over care given here is generally filed in the Third Judicial Circuit Court in Detroit.
The city is also a training ground for nurses. Madonna University, Eileen’s alma mater, runs its College of Nursing and Health here, and Schoolcraft College offers nursing programs as well. Many local nurses began their careers in Livonia classrooms, just as Eileen did.
A Wayne County Result
Cochran, Kroll secured a $9 million settlement in a Wayne County case in which a hospital failed to recognize a patient’s internal bleeding. Treatment was delayed for more than 14 hours, and the patient suffered cardiac arrest and brain damage. Cases like this depend on a close reading of nursing assessments and vital signs over many hours. See more outcomes on our verdicts and settlements page.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.
Visiting Our Livonia Office
Our main office is easy to reach from across western Wayne County and nearby Oakland County:
- Address: 32398 Five Mile Road, Livonia, MI 48154
- Phone: 866-642-4529, toll-free and answered 24 hours
If getting to the office is hard, we also meet by phone or video. More details about the location are on our Metro Detroit office page.
We work on a contingency fee, which means you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Contact Our Livonia Office for a Free Case Review
You don’t need every record or every answer before you call. Bring what you have, and we’ll take it from there.
Contact us at Cochran, Kroll & Associates, P.C. for a free consultation. We’ll review your situation, check the deadlines that apply, and tell you honestly whether we can help. Remember, we don’t get paid unless you win.
Call us at 1-866-MICH-LAW anytime, 24/7, to schedule a free case evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I meet Eileen in person at the Livonia office?
Yes. Our Livonia office is the firm’s main office, and in-person consultations can be scheduled there. When you call, let us know you would like to meet with Eileen, and we will arrange a time that works for you.
Do I need all my medical records before the first meeting?
No. Most people come to their first meeting with only discharge papers or nothing at all. We can request the full records later. Bring what you have, along with your own notes about what happened.
Is there a charge for the first consultation?
No. The first consultation is free, whether you meet us in person, by phone, or online. If we take your case, we work on a contingency fee, so you pay no attorney fee unless there is a recovery.
Can a family member come with me or speak for me?
Yes. Many clients bring a spouse, adult child, or friend for support, and that is welcome. If the injured person cannot speak for themselves, a family member can start the conversation with us, and we will explain what legal authority may be needed to move forward.
What if my care happened at a hospital outside Livonia?
That is fine. Our Livonia office handles cases from hospitals and facilities across Michigan. Where the care happened affects which records we request and where a lawsuit would be filed, but you can still meet with us here.
