SeaTac Medical Malpractice Lawyer - Hospital Negligence Attorneys
Dealing with a medical injury caused by negligence can derail your life. You may be facing extensive medical bills, an inability to work, major lifestyle adjustments, and constant pain and suffering. Handling complex legal processes on your own after already going through hardship can seem overwhelming. An experienced medical malpractice lawyer can help.
If you or someone you love has suffered harm due to medical negligence in the SeaTac, WA area, you need strong legal advocates on your side. At Moseley Collins Law, our lawyers have the expertise and track record of success to help you recover damages from your malpractice injury.
This page covers key issues related to pursuing a medical malpractice claim with a SeaTac lawyer. We’ll discuss:
- What constitutes medical malpractice
- Signs that point to malpractice
- Proving negligence occurred
- Common medical negligence injuries
- Finding the right lawyer for your case
- What compensation you may recover
- How an lawyer can help hold negligent parties responsible
Here is an overview of how an accomplished SeaTac medical malpractice lawyer can assist you if you or a family member endured harm due to substandard medical care.
What Qualifies as Medical Malpractice?Medical malpractice takes place when a healthcare professional fails to meet accepted standards of medical care, resulting in injury to a patient. Some examples include:
- Misdiagnosing or delaying diagnosis of a serious illness or condition
- Surgical mistakes made during a procedure in the OR
- Improperly administering anesthesia resulting in brain damage
- Pharmacy prescription errors that cause adverse reactions
- Childbirth injuries to the mother or baby
- Failure to detect cancer or other diseases on time
- Dental mistakes during procedures that lead to permanent nerve damage
The effects of medical malpractice range from temporary discomfort to catastrophic, life-altering harm. Patients can be left permanently disabled and unable to work. Medical negligence can also tragically result in wrongful death of a loved one.
If you suspect that you or a family member has suffered an injury due to poor medical care, you may have a medical malpractice case. A lawyer can analyze the circumstances to determine if negligence appears evident.
Do I Have Sufficient Basis for a Medical Malpractice Claim in SeaTac, WA?People who have experienced medical negligence often ask - how can I tell if what happened legally constitutes malpractice? There are certain signs that point to subpar healthcare being the likely cause of a further injury or condition.
Some examples of medical care that may potentially qualify as negligent include:
- A condition or illness got markedly worse following recent treatment
- Tests, medications, or follow-up care expected after surgery never happened
- instruments or objects were left inside the body after an operation
- Non-emergency surgery was performed without consent
- A diagnosis like cancer or infection was missed or delayed for no good reason
- The wrong surgery or procedure was done on a part of the body
- Medication side effects and allergies were not appropriately monitored and addressed
No single piece of evidence can conclusively prove medical malpractice. However, our lawyers know which facts help build a strong claim. We conduct in-depth investigations and work with medical experts to prove that substandard care directly caused your injury. With adept handling of the complex legal claims process, we maximize your chances of obtaining compensation for damages suffered.
Finding the Right Medical Malpractice Lawyer for You in SeaTac, WAIf you believe poor medical care led to your injury or illness, finding the right lawyer is crucial. Although many lawyers handle personal injury cases, relatively few focus specifically on medical malpractice litigation. The quality of legal representation often makes a major difference in these cases.
Factors to consider when researching SeaTac medical negligence lawyers include:
- Substantial expertise with medical malpractice cases - Have they handled negligence claims against major healthcare providers and won favorable verdicts and settlements for clients repeatedly?
- Resources to take on large hospitals and insurance firms - Do they have the staff, finances, and litigation experience to go toe-to-toe with well-funded opponents?
- Track record of results - Can they point to their accomplishments - not just claims - successfully resolving local cases involving injuries like yours?
- No settlement unless you’re satisfied - Will they refuse to settle your case unless the offer adequately compensates you for harms suffered?
- Personalized attention and communication - Will you work directly with experienced lawyers dedicated to your case who keep you informed?
The medical malpractice lawyers at Moseley Collins meet all of these criteria. With our decades of focused experience and client-centered approach, we have recovered millions for victims of medical negligence.
Examples of Medical Malpractice InjuriesMedical negligence can unfortunately leave patients with devastating, lasting harm. Some of the types of injuries frequently stemming from subpar medical care include:
- Brain damage - Oxygen deprivation, surgical errors, medication overdose, and anesthesia mistakes can cause severe brain injuries in both children and adults. These often lead to lifelong disabilities.
- Spinal cord injuries - Surgical mistakes as well as failure to promptly diagnose compromised blood flow can result in paralysis from spinal cord damage.
- Amputation - Surgical mishaps, undiagnosed infections, and improper wound treatment can necessitate amputation of limbs when early intervention may have saved them.
- Birth injuries - Preventable delivery room errors account for many newborn disabilities like cerebral palsy, facial paralysis, fractures, and brachial plexus injuries.
- Misdiagnosed or delayed diagnosis of illness - Failure to detect cancers, infections, blood clots, stroke symptoms, and other ailments in time to effectively treat them results in preventable patient harm yearly.
- Surgical injuries - Even common surgeries like gallbladder, hysterectomy, colon, and hernia operations routinely produce avoidable injuries when performed negligently.
No amount of money can undo the damage done by medical malpractice. However, holding healthcare professionals and institutions accountable can help you move forward. In addition to justice, compensation can fund your medical care, rehabilitation, assistive equipment, and help replace lost income when injuries prevent you from working.
The Benefits Lawyer Provides in These CasesSuccessfully fighting a medical malpractice lawsuit takes specific knowledge and resources. An experienced SeaTac lawyer provides victims harmed by medical negligence with expert legal representation including:
- Performing in-depth case investigations - We meticulously gather and scrutinize medical records, billing documents, correspondence, and other evidence to uncover what happened and build a compelling claim.
- Consulting with medical experts - To prove substandard care caused your injury; we collaborate with experts who can assess negligence by the providers.
- Dealing with insurance firms - Our lawyers know how to get stonewalling insurers to negotiate honestly and fairly instead of taking advantage when you are unrepresented.
- Filing documents and appearing in court - We handle every aspect of filing your lawsuit including drafting the complaint, responding to motions, attending hearings, and running trials.
- Gathering evidence to prove damages - Meticulously quantifying your economic and non-economic damages is key to maximizing compensation for both past and future losses.
- Determining all liable parties - In addition to individual medical professionals, we investigate whether hospitals, clinics, product manufacturers or other entities may share blame and should pay damages.
- Leveling the playing field - By facing large healthcare systems and insurance firms with an assertive, seasoned legal team, we balance power so you have strong advocates on your side.
With demanding legal and procedural processes involved, relying on highly-skilled counsel focused solely on securing justice and compensation makes all the difference. The medical malpractice lawyers at Moseley Collins Law have helped countless negligently injured patients and families.
Key Medical Institutions in SeaTacMajor medical facilities where healthcare providers often make errors resulting in malpractice injuries include:
Highline Medical Center - This full-service Burien hospital offers ER services along with specialized treatment in areas like orthopedics, maternity, mental health, addiction recovery, and senior care among others.
Valley Medical Center - The largest hospital in South King County, Valley Medical Center in Renton provides primary care, trauma services, cancer treatment, surgical services, family maternity care and more.
Virginia Mason Medical Center - This flagship hospital of the Virginia Mason system offers emergency medicine, cancer treatment, surgical specialty care, sports medicine, rehabilitation, and other services.
Seattle Children’s Hospital - With locations throughout King County, Seattle Children’s provides specialized pediatric care from newborns to young adults.
MultiCare Auburn Medical Center - This Auburn hospital provides emergency, cancer, cardiac, surgical, orthopedic and other healthcare services.
St. Francis Hospital - Part of CHI Franciscan, St. Francis Hospital in Federal Way offers comprehensive medical services from primary to specialty surgical care.
UW Medical Center - The flagship hospital of UW Medicine, UW Medical Center is located in Seattle and houses many specialty care centers.
No matter which healthcare provider or facility’s negligence caused your injury, our firm can help. We have successfully represented clients in the SeaTac area and throughout the greater Seattle region.
Cities and Towns We Serve in the SeaTac AreaMoseley Collins Law handles medical malpractice cases on behalf of injured victims throughout King County and surrounding areas. Some of the specific cities and towns we serve include:
SeaTac: We help victims of medical negligence that occurred at healthcare facilities in SeaTac, such as Valley Medical Center.
Burien: Burien residents who experienced medical malpractice can look to us for skilled legal representation.
Tukwila: Our attorneys assist victims injured by medical negligence in Tukwila.
Des Moines: If you suffered medical malpractice in Des Moines, we provide legal help.
Kent: Kent residents who endured medical negligence can contact us about their legal options.
Renton: We stand ready to handle medical malpractice cases for people harmed by negligent healthcare in Renton.
Federal Way: Our firm assists Federal Way victims in pursuing claims against doctors, nurses, hospitals, and clinics where malpractice occurred.
Auburn: If you experienced medical negligence in Auburn, our dedicated legal team can fight on your behalf.
No matter where in the greater Seattle metro area your incident took place, we are ready to review your potential malpractice claim. We meet with clients in SeaTac and throughout the Puget Sound region.
What Compensation is Recoverable in Medical Malpractice Cases?Victims of medical negligence may seek compensation for both economic and non-economic damages. With an experienced lawyer, you may be able to recover:
- Medical costs like hospital bills, medications, therapies, and equipment
- Lost income and future earnings impairment
- Cost of additional care like in-home nursing assistance or residential facilities
- Loss of household services the injured can no longer perform
- Pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and other hardships
First, the lawyer will listen to the background of your case. If they agree it warrants further exploration, they will gather pertinent medical records and bills for review. The firm may consult with experts to assess negligence before recommending whether to proceed with a claim.
Who Pays the Legal Fees and Expenses if I Win My Case?For medical malpractice cases, lawyers generally work on a contingency fee basis. This means legal fees come out of the recovered settlement or award amount, and clients pay nothing upfront.
What if a Doctor in Training or Medical Resident Committed Negligence?Residents still must meet reasonable standards of medical care. Hospitals also have responsibilities to supervise residents. Our lawyers can help determine all potentially liable parties.
Can I Still File a Malpractice Suit if I Signed Consent Forms With the Doctor?Yes, consent forms do not give doctors blanket immunity if they harm you by violating the standard of care. Experienced malpractice lawyers know consent forms do not prevent recovery in appropriate cases.
How Long Do These Complex Cases Usually Take to Resolve?Medical negligence cases often take over a year through the investigative process, pretrial motions, and preparation for trial. If a satisfactory settlement is reached earlier, the case will resolve more quickly. Patience is required throughout the legal process.