Garfield Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Suffering injuries or complications due to a doctor's negligent medical care can completely disrupt your life. If you or a loved one have been harmed by medical malpractice in Garfield, WA, you need an experienced medical malpractice lawyer on your side. The medical malpractice lawyers at Moseley Collins Law have over 40 years of experience holding healthcare providers accountable when they fail to uphold the standard of care. We have helped numerous victims and their families recover millions of dollars in compensation in medical negligence cases.
Our dedicated team of medical malpractice lawyers handles cases involving all types of medical errors, from surgical mistakes to failure to diagnose life-threatening conditions. We conduct thorough investigations to build strong cases for our injured clients. Our goal is to help you obtain maximum compensation for your financial and emotional damages.
Below is some key information about medical malpractice claims and your legal options if you were injured by a healthcare provider in Garfield or the surrounding areas. We also invite you to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation with our lawyers to discuss the details of your potential malpractice case.
Overview of Garfield, WAGarfield is an unincorporated community in Whitman County, Washington situated along the Snake River. The town was established in 1874 and named after President James A. Garfield. It is located approximately 20 miles south of Pullman and 80 miles south of Spokane.
Garfield's economy centered around agriculture and lumber production for many years. The town was once home to a flour mill, sawmill, railroad depot, hotels, and other businesses serving the rural farming community. However, the population has dwindled to around 300 residents today.
Some of the main healthcare facilities serving residents of Garfield and the surrounding communities include:
- Pullman Regional Hospital - Located in nearby Pullman, this is a not-for-profit community hospital with more than 30 specialty physicians. It offers comprehensive medical services as the major regional hospital for many smaller towns.
- Gritman Medical Center - Based in Moscow, ID this regional medical center offers a wide range of services including a Level III trauma center, heart and vascular center, orthopedic clinic, and comprehensive cancer care.
- Whitman Hospital and Medical Center - This critical access hospital in Colfax offers 24-hour emergency care, surgical services, and outpatient specialty clinics to serve the region.
- Inland Imaging - Diagnostic imaging centers located throughout the Palouse region of southeastern Washington, with locations in Pullman, Colfax, Palouse, Moscow and other nearby towns.
If you received negligent medical treatment at any healthcare facility that resulted in harm, the medical malpractice lawyers at Moseley Collins Law can help. We handle cases against hospitals, specialty clinics, doctors' offices, nursing homes, and individual medical professionals in Garfield and communities throughout the region.
What is Medical Malpractice?Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional provides substandard medical care that causes injury or death. Under Washington law, patients have the right to expect competent care that meets accepted medical standards. When doctors or nurses fail to provide this reasonable level of care, they may be liable for any resulting harm to the patient.
Some examples of medical malpractice include:
- Misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose a serious health condition
- Surgical errors such as operating on the wrong body part
- Birth injuries caused by medical negligence during labor and delivery
- Prescribing inappropriate medications or incorrect dosages
- Delayed emergency treatment
- Discharging a patient too soon
- Failure to order necessary medical tests
These types of medical errors often lead to devastating injuries like permanent disabilities, amputations, brain damage, paralysis, and wrongful death. Patients who experience these kinds of catastrophic outcomes due to incompetent healthcare deserve justice and fair compensation.
Common Medical Malpractice Cases We HandleThe medical malpractice lawyers at Moseley Collins Law have experience with all types of malpractice claims against healthcare providers. Some of the most common cases we handle include:
Failure to Diagnose Cancer, Heart Attacks, and Other Serious ConditionsOne of the leading allegations in medical negligence claims involves a doctor’s failure to diagnose a serious illness. Diagnostic errors account for up to 17% of adverse medical events according to some estimates. Missed or delayed diagnosis of medical conditions like cancer, meningitis, heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, or ectopic pregnancy can drastically worsen a patient's prognosis and chance of survival.
Childbirth Injuries to the Mother or BabyBringing a new life into the world should be joyful, but medical errors during labor and delivery can lead to tragic outcomes for mothers and babies. Our lawyers have successfully handled many cases involving:
- Oxygen deprivation (hypoxia)
- Failure to perform emergency C-section
- Improper use of forceps or vacuums
- Failure to treat or diagnose problems before delivery
These kinds of mistakes may lead to permanent disabilities in the baby, such as brain damage, cerebral palsy, nerve damage, and other impairments. For the mother, errors during childbirth can cause severe injuries like hemorrhaging, organ damage, infections, or even wrongful death.
Surgical Mistakes and ErrorsEven minor surgical mistakes can have devastating effects. Botched surgeries often result in corrective surgery, permanent injury, infection, disfigurement, and even death. Surgical errors our lawyers investigate include:
- Operating on the wrong site
- Leaving foreign objects inside the patient after surgery
- Cutting or puncturing internal organs accidentally
- Excessive bleeding
- Infection due to lack of sterility or improper post-op care
- Failure to repair all damages or correct the underlying problem.
Patients trust surgeons to competently perform invasive medical procedures safely. Negligence that violates that trust should be held responsible.
Emergency Room ErrorsSeeking emergency medical care often involves life-or-death situations. Even a minor delay in treatment can lead to permanent damage or death in cases involving head/brain injuries, cardiac arrest, appendicitis, strokes, or major trauma. Insufficient triage, failure to conduct proper diagnostic tests, or delayed treatment in the ER may constitute malpractice.
Medication ErrorsPharmacists, nurses, and doctors can all make mistakes prescribing or administering medications. These errors include giving the wrong drug or incorrect dosage. They may also fail to note allergies or contraindications. Medication errors often occur in outpatient clinics and nursing homes. They can lead to serious complications for the patient, especially with high-risk drugs.
Anesthesia MistakesAnesthesia is essential for many medical procedures but also comes with serious risks. Anesthesiologists must monitor patients closely throughout procedures to avoid:
- Drug overdoses or reactions
- Failure to intubate
- Nerve damage
- Waking up during surgery
- Respiratory depression
Any negligence with anesthesia administration may result in brain damage, organ failure, paralysis, coma, or death.
Proving Medical Malpractice Resulted in Your InjuriesLike any negligence claim, a medical malpractice lawsuit requires proving:
- The healthcare provider owed you a duty of care
- They breached this duty through substandard treatment
- This breach directly caused your injury/damages
Establishing causation is often the most challenging part of a malpractice case. Medical issues usually involve complex facts. Often, patients have pre-existing conditions that complicate things. Thorough investigations and expert testimony are needed to demonstrate that the doctor's errors directly caused the plaintiff's injuries.
Why Do I Need a Medical Malpractice Lawyer?Trying to build a malpractice claim on your own is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Medical negligence cases require extensive resources and expertise that only an experienced lawyer can provide. Moseley Collins Law has the skill and resources to handle every aspect of your case, including:
- Conducting a detailed review of your medical records to establish negligence.
- Consulting with independent experts like doctors, nurses, and hospital administrators to provide opinions about medical standards.
- Determining all liable parties - doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists, hospitals, etc.
- Investigating how the malpractice occurred and gathering evidence to prove your claim.
- Taking depositions to question the liable healthcare providers under oath.
- Negotiating a full and fair settlement for your injuries, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
- Taking the case to trial if a satisfactory settlement cannot be reached.
With an accomplished malpractice lawyer on your side, you can feel confident you will get the maximum compensation you deserve. The lawyers at Moseley Collins Law thoroughly prepare every case to build leverage when negotiating with insurance companies. We relentlessly pursue full justice and compensation for our injured clients.
Statute of Limitations for Medical Malpractice Claims in WashingtonIf you want to pursue compensation for medical malpractice injuries, it is critical to act quickly. In Washington, plaintiffs generally have three years from the date of malpractice or 1 year from the date you reasonably should have discovered the injury, whichever is later, to file a malpractice lawsuit.
However, you should still contact a lawyer promptly after any type of medical error or unanticipated outcome from treatment. Lawyers need adequate time to conduct in-depth investigations and prepare strong cases before the statute of limitations expires.
The diligent lawyers at Moseley Collins Law will evaluate your case details and timeline to advise you on the remaining statute of limitations. We will act swiftly to prepare your claim and help maximize your recovery.
Why Choose Us for Your Medical Malpractice Claim?Moseley Collins Law is widely recognized as one of the top medical malpractice law firms in Washington and across the western United States. Some key reasons to choose our lawyers include:
- 40+ years successfully representing medical malpractice victims
- Litigation experience against major hospitals, insurance companies, and individual doctors
- Top-rated medical experts with prestigious credentials
- Proven record delivering exceptional results
- Each client receives personal attention and support throughout their case
Our experienced medical malpractice lawyers provide skilled representation to ensure you get justice and receive the maximum compensation for your injuries. We welcome malpractice cases involving any healthcare provider or medical facility throughout Garfield and surrounding communities.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Medical Malpractice Team TodayIf you or someone you love suffered harm due to medical negligence in Garfield, WA, please call Moseley Collins Law today at 800-426-5546 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced medical malpractice lawyer. We will review your case details and help you understand your legal options for seeking compensation. Let us fight on your behalf to hold the responsible medical professionals fully accountable.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What Qualifies as Medical Malpractice in Garfield, WA?Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare professional fails to meet the accepted standard of care when treating a patient, resulting in injury or harm. Examples may include surgical errors, failure to diagnose illnesses, medication mistakes, childbirth injuries, and more. Washington malpractice laws allow patients to pursue compensation if substandard medical care caused harm.
How Do I Prove Medical Malpractice Caused My Injuries in Garfield?Proving causation requires showing that your doctor's negligent actions directly caused your injury or illness. You must be able to demonstrate you had a worse outcome than if you had received proper medical care. This usually requires obtaining medical records, hiring experts to review your case, taking depositions, and more. An experienced Garfield medical malpractice lawyer will know how to establish causation.
What Types of Compensation Can I Claim in a Garfield Medical Malpractice Case?You may be able to claim both economic and non-economic damages in your malpractice lawsuit. Economic damages can include past and future medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, and other quantifiable losses. Non-economic damages cover harder-to-quantify harms like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement or disability, and emotional distress.
How Much Does Hiring a Garfield Medical Malpractice Lawyer Cost?Most malpractice lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning no upfront payment is required. The lawyer only collects a fee if they obtain compensation for you, usually around 30-40% of the total amount. Initial consultations are also typically free. So hiring a lawyer involves little financial risk.