Des Moines Medical Malpractice Lawyer - Hospital Negligence Attorneys

When a terrible medical error happens that leads to serious injury or illness, it can feel like your whole world is crashing down around you. You and your loved ones are likely flooded with fear, anxiety and unanswered questions. How could the doctors have made such a horrible mistake? Who is responsible for all this needless suffering? What will this mean for your future, your finances, your family? It's a nightmare scenario.

The dedicated team at Moseley Collins Law understands the devastation medical malpractice can cause. For over four decades, we have been fighting for justice for medical negligence victims, guiding them through the legal process and helping them obtain the compensation they deserve after preventable harms. When doctors, nurses, clinicians, hospitals and healthcare facilities stray from the standard of care we all expect and make avoidable errors that damage lives, we take action.

We've worked with so many distraught clients and families who have had their worlds turned upside down by medical negligence. From missed diagnoses to surgical mistakes and medication errors, we've seen how severely such preventable mistakes can alter people's lives physically, emotionally and financially. The injuries, disabilities, costs and lost livelihoods can be staggering. Our clients' wellbeing becomes our priority as we handle these complex cases.

At Moseley Collins Law, our commitment is to stand up for our fellow community members and aggressively pursue accountability when substandard medical treatment causes irreparable damage here in Des Moines or anywhere in King County. We partner with each client to fully investigate what went wrong, build the strongest possible negligence case, and fight for the justice and compensation they deserve. Please don't hesitate to contact our compassionate legal team to learn about your rights and options if you or someone you love has suffered due to medical errors. Justice and closure await.

Medical negligence can take many forms. Under Washington law, doctors, hospitals, nurses, pharmacists and all healthcare providers must uphold the appropriate medical standard of care. When they fail to do so in a way that harms you or your family member, they can be held legally liable through a medical malpractice claim or lawsuit.

Some examples of the types of medical malpractice cases we handle include:

• Surgical Errors: Botched surgeries, surgical implements or sponges left inside patients, damage to organs, nerves or tissues, infections caused by poor sterile technique, wrong-site surgery such as amputation or operating on the wrong limb or body part.
• Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis: Failure to diagnose serious conditions like cancer, infections, blood clots, aneurysms, or heart disease in a timely manner. For instance, failure to order tests or misreading test results.
• Childbirth Injuries: Preventable nerve damage, physical trauma, or brain injuries to infants during labor and delivery, including cerebral palsy, Erb's palsy, and hypoxic brain damage. For example, when doctors fail to perform a timely C-section for fetal distress.
• Medication Errors: Prescribing the wrong drug or dose, misfilled pharmacy prescriptions, administering improper IV fluids or medications, lack of medication monitoring and management.
• Anesthesia Mistakes: Injuries caused by improper administration of anesthesia, use of faulty equipment, failure to assess health history, or inadequate patient monitoring during surgery or procedures requiring sedation.
• Failure to Monitor: Inadequate assessment and monitoring of high-risk patients leading to deterioration, complications or death. For instance, when nurses fail to notify doctors of warning signs or when OB units don't properly monitor fetal heart rates.

No matter what kind of medical negligence caused your harm, our lawyers can fully investigate what went wrong and build a strong case on your behalf.

Some of the major hospitals, clinics and medical centers serving residents of Des Moines, WA and nearby communities include:

• Highline Medical Center: Located in Burien, south of Des Moines, Highline provides a full range of healthcare services including emergency care, cancer treatment, orthopedics, heart care and women’s health.
• Valley Medical Center: Part of UW Medicine, Valley Medical has two campuses in Renton and Covington serving south King County including Des Moines. They provide emergency services, neurology, rehabilitation, OB/GYN, pediatrics and more.
• Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center: Located north of Des Moines in Salmon Creek, WA, Legacy Salmon Creek offers emergency care, cancer treatment, surgery, maternity services, neurological care, heart services and more.
• MultiCare Health System: MultiCare operates clinics, urgent care centers, doctors’ offices and the MultiCare Allenmore Hospital in Tacoma, south of Des Moines. They offer a full range of healthcare services.
• Seattle Children’s Hospital: Located just north in Seattle, Children's provides comprehensive pediatric specialty and emergency care for infants, children and teens.
• University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC): The flagship hospital of UW Medicine, UWMC in Seattle provides leading-edge specialty care for the most complex medical cases for both adults and children.

Winning a medical malpractice case requires thorough investigation and building a compelling argument demonstrating how the healthcare provider breached the standard of medical care, directly causing injury to the patient. Under Washington law, injured victims must prove the following key elements:

• A provider-patient relationship existed establishing a duty of care. This applies to doctors, nurses, dentists, therapists, pharmacists, technicians or any medical professional involved in your diagnosis, treatment or care.
• The provider's actions fell below the accepted standard of care reasonably expected of medical professionals in their position and field. Typically this is proven by expert testimony of other doctors familiar with proper protocols.
• The patient suffered actual injuries or damages that would not have occurred if appropriate medical care had been given. The harms must be significant like infections, amputations, disabilities, or death - not just minor upset or discomfort.
• The provider's breach directly caused the patient's injuries. There must be a clear causal link between the substandard medical care and the resulting harm to the patient.

Meeting the burden of proof requires in-depth investigation and skillful litigation. Moseley Collins Law leaves no stone unturned when pursuing a medical malpractice claim for our injured clients. Our thorough approach includes:

• Obtaining all pertinent medical records, notes, images, lab results, billing records, and other healthcare documents.
• Consulting with independent medical experts from relevant specialties to provide their expert opinions on whether malpractice occurred. For each case, we consult with a minimum of four medical specialists to robustly review potential breaches in the standard of care from all angles.
• Interviewing the client, family members, and eyewitnesses to understand exactly what happened from their perspectives.
• Researching and demonstrating adherence to or violation of accepted medical protocols and standards.
• Using litigation tools like depositions and interrogatories to build evidence and identify contradictions in the defense’s version of events.
• Partnering with life care planners, vocational experts, economists and other specialists to fully prove up all damages and losses resulting from the malpractice.

With experienced medical malpractice lawyers guiding the process, we can construct a compelling claim to hold negligent medical providers fully accountable.

Pursuing compensation after medical negligence requires acting quickly to file your claim within the designated statute of limitations time frame. In Washington, injured adult victims generally must file their medical malpractice lawsuit within three years from the date of injury or within one year from the time they discovered or reasonably should have discovered they suffered harm due to negligence.

The skilled medical malpractice lawyers at Moseley Collins Law can evaluate the specifics of your situation and advise you of the applicable statute of limitations. We will initiate the litigation process as quickly as possible to avoid running afoul of the filing deadline. Time is truly of the essence, so do not delay in contacting us for a free review of your potential medical negligence claim.

If you or someone you care for suffered harm due to substandard medical treatment in Des Moines or the surrounding region, Moseley Collins Law has the experience, resources and determination to help. Some of the key reasons victims and families choose us for their medical malpractice cases include:

• Proven Track Record: Our lawyers have successfully handled medical negligence claims for over 40 years, recovering millions for injured clients. We know what it takes to win.
• Doctor-Focused Approach: We meticulously develop the evidence and expert testimony necessary to hold specific negligent providers fully accountable for breaching the standard of medical care. This is not about attacking medicine generally - it is about making the doctor or entity responsible for the preventable error pay for the harms they caused and ensuring appropriate changes are made.
• Trial Ready: We are always prepared to take cases to trial and have a long history of success in court when needed. The defense knows we have the skills, resources and resolve to win at trial if a satisfactory settlement is not offered.
• Client Commitment: We care about our clients and understand this is an enormously difficult time. We listen to your needs and concerns, keeping you updated every step of the way. Your wellbeing is our priority.
• Compassion for Families: When negligence causes the loss of a loved one, we treat clients with the utmost compassion and understanding. While no amount of money can ever make up for your loss, we can help you obtain some level of justice, accountability and resources to move forward.
• Contingency Fees: We take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing up front and we only collect if we recover compensation on your behalf.

If you believe you or someone in your family has been harmed due to medical negligence in the Des Moines area, please reach out to Moseley Collins Law today. Call us at 800-426-5546 for a free consultation or contact us online to discuss your potential medical malpractice claim in a confidential setting. We are committed to helping injured victims and families in the community obtain justice.

Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional or facility breaches the standard of care and causes injury or harm to a patient. Examples include surgical mistakes, failure to diagnose serious conditions, childbirth injuries, medication errors, lack of informed consent, and more. The negligence must directly result in significant physical, mental or financial damages to the patient.

You may have a valid claim if you or a loved one suffered serious, avoidable injury or illness because a medical professional failed to provide appropriate treatment and care. Some signs of malpractice include devastating injuries, unexpected complications, clear treatment errors or delays, failure to follow up on tests, being kept in the dark about health issues, or providers admitting a mistake occurred. A lawyer can fully evaluate the details to determine if you have sufficient grounds to pursue compensation.

Medical negligence cases involve complex laws and procedures best handled by an experienced lawyer. Trying to build a claim on your own is extremely difficult without a legal background. A lawyer knows how to investigate negligence, develop compelling expert testimony, demonstrate your losses, negotiate a fair settlement, and take the case to trial if needed. They also deal with insurance companies trying to deny or minimize claims. Having a knowledgeable lawyer in your corner greatly increases your chance of success.

Quality medical malpractice lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing upfront and owe no fees unless they recover compensation for you. The lawyer receives an agreed upon percentage of the final settlement or award as their fee. This arrangement makes legal help affordable, with costs paid out of the potential recovery.