Fighting for injured patients hurt by medical negligence
Do you fear or suspect doctors, nurses or other medical professionals and providers may have provided unsafe medical treatment to you or a lost loved one? When you receive medical care from doctors or nurses in the hospital or on an outpatient basis, you take it for granted that the medical providers will perform the procedure and provide care correctly.
Medical malpractice claims can involve complex medical procedures, including surgeries, or cases more obvious such as patient neglect, prescribing the wrong medication, or failing to obtain informed consent for a medical procedure. Healthcare providers are required by law to report medical errors to quality control agencies and medical professional boards.
Unfortunately, healthcare providers don’t always play by the rules. Patients can be left in the dark about what went wrong with their medical procedure or treatment. They may not even realize a preventable medical error occurred.
Questioning medical professionals or healthcare can feel intimidating or overwhelming. Getting answers can be tough, especially when faced with HIPAA regulations that are intended to protect patient confidentiality and medical staff whose interest is to protect the reputation of the medical facility or hospital.
If you are searching for answers about the care of a loved one, the byzantine process required to obtain full and complete healthcare records can make it easier for negligent healthcare providers to obstruct the truth.
You are not alone. We are here on your side to give you the legal answers you deserve. Our expert legal teams in Tacoma and Seattle can help protect your legal rights.
We offer a free consultation. There is no financial requirement to meet with a GTH medical malpractice attorney to review your case.
You have the right to:
- Secure and share your medical records with a legal team.
- Legally investigate the death of a loved one who may be the victim of medical negligence.
- Request an autopsy if your loved one died unexpectedly at the hospital.
- Report suspected medical negligence to quality control agencies and medical professional boards that oversee the conduct of licensed medical professionals.
Injured patients or families of lost loved ones deserve answers about their healthcare treatment if they suspect negligence occurred.
Our law firm works with leading medical experts to investigate medical malpractice claims. We can evaluate the strength of your case and determine whether we can assist you to file a medical malpractice lawsuit.
At GTH, a free consultation gives you peace of mind so you can explore your legal options.
Medical malpractice cases in Washington state occur when a healthcare provider fails to meet the standard of care of a reasonably prudent nurse, physician, or surgeon and that failure causes serious injury or death to that patient.
Medical malpractice is when a healthcare provider knowingly or unknowingly provides medical care that fails to meet the standard of care. Medical negligence can also happen when a healthcare provider fails to provide any care at all.
The language around medical malpractice cases can be confusing.
Medical errors and mistakes might sound reasonable to the average person. Patients will often hear that medical treatments are inherently risky and no patient outcomes can be guaranteed. However, medical errors that fall below the standard of care and that result in patient injury or death are in fact medical negligence.
What kind of medical malpractice lawsuits usually get filed in court?
Medical malpractice cases may include a variety of treatments:
Contributory fault can limit recoverable damages for injured victims. Your GTH lawyer will secure the police report, gather evidence, and help you file a car accident claim with your insurance carrier. Your personal injury lawyer will also help determine which motorist is responsible for driver negligence.
Insurance companies and risk management advisors representing hospitals and their medical professionals want your case to go away.
Personal injury attorneys have the power and knowledge to fight for you so you can focus on recovery. We also understand how to obtain full and complete medical records, expertise in investigating medical care and treatment, and consult with expert medical professionals who can determine whether the care you received fell below the standard of care.
In Washington state, you must have a medical professional who will offer an opinion that the nurse, physician, or surgeon fell below the standard of care to maintain a lawsuit. GTH has worked with hundreds of experts from around the United States to support injured patients’ medical malpractice lawsuits. We know who to contact and what to look for.
Our law firm has the experience and resources to take on large corporate hospitals who hire defense attorneys to challenge your legal rights in order to protect their negligent healthcare providers.
Gordon Thomas Honeywell has skilled medical malpractice lawyers who can take on complicated medical malpractice cases. Our team works with trusted leading medical experts to carefully review your case and provide you with the best legal representation. If you’re unsure about your case, a free consultation with GTH can give you the legal advice you need to make an informed decision.
Healthcare providers may deliberately fail to disclose a medical error to a patient who underwent treatment or try to minimize the significance of the malpractice.
Large hospitals or medical professionals may even apologize for their error without holding themselves accountable for their negligence. Healthcare providers are required to report all medical errors to oversight agencies and boards governing medical professional licenses. Failing to report medical negligence can lead to preventable medical malpractice cases involving future patients.
Victims of medical malpractice who work with attorneys are more likely to determine if they have a potentially successful medical malpractice case and are more likely to achieve a favorable outcome.
Holding the medical industry accountable for preventable medical negligence protects our communities and keeps patients safe.
Who can be liable for medical malpractice damages?
Healthcare providers legally liable may include:
It’s not uncommon for medical malpractice attorneys to discover a history of negligence involving a medical professional or healthcare facility. In fact, medical malpractice attorneys could be representing other injured patients or their families in cases of preventable negligence involving the same doctor or facility as yourself or loved one.
When you schedule your free consultation, our legal team will review our case and look for case histories involving healthcare providers.
Our experienced legal team knows how to investigate medical malpractice cases. We work with leading medical experts to examine medical records and hospital protocols to uncover breaches of conduct or when a medical provider fails to meet the standard of care for a patient.
Medical negligence cases are among the toughest cases to successfully litigate in our legal system. Why? Investigating medical malpractice claims can be lengthy and costly. Juries often side with doctors and give medical professionals the benefit of the doubt.
Do not despair. Our law firm has more than a century of expertise to secure your legal rights and fight for you and your loved ones.
Our medical malpractice attorneys can evaluate your case for free. There is no financial requirement to meet with our legal team. Medical malpractice attorneys are paid on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay no legal fees unless we win.
Please contact our office to schedule your free consultation in our Tacoma or Seattle law offices. Our law firm represents clients across Puget Sound and Washington state.
FAQs on Medical Malpractice
Patients who have been injured by medical malpractice have three years from the date of the negligent act or omission to file a lawsuit, or one year of the time the patient or his or her representative discovered or reasonably should have discovered that the injury or condition was caused by said act or omission.
Meeting with a GTH medical malpractice attorney helps protect your legal rights from deadlines involving the statute of limitations.
Unlike some other states, Washington state does not limit damages in medical malpractice cases. Depending on your injuries and your case, you may be entitled to compensation for a variety of economic and non-economic damages.
Injured patients can recover for economic damages such as past and future medical expenses, long-term care, lost income and lost future income, and lost consortium (or spousal benefits). Non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, anxiety, mental distress, loss of enjoyment of life, disability, generalized fears and stress, disfigurement, and wrongful death of a loved one.
Fewer than 500 medical malpractice lawsuits are typically filed each year. Many medical malpractice lawsuits are settled. Some medical malpractice cases are filed with confidentiality agreements which prevent public disclosure about the amount of the settlements.
Most medical malpractice lawsuits are filed against the negligent medical professional and the medical facility where the negligence occurred. Medical professionals and facilities carry insurance to cover malpractice.
Some medical malpractice cases involve surgeries where the surgeon fell below the standard of care of a reasonably prudent surgeon in the State of Washington. Others may involve failure to properly diagnose an illness, or neglect at a nursing home or hospital where the patient developed a pressure ulcer that should have been prevented.
Medical malpractice cases involving defective medical devices can be more complex, particularly where the harm caused by the device may not reveal itself for years after implantation or treatment. An experienced medical malpractice attorney tracks trends related to defective medical devices and drugs.
Washington patients can file complaints or review complaints against healthcare providers with the Washington Medical Commission. You can visit their website here: https://wmc.wa.gov/public.
Medical malpractice attorneys can assist you in filing these complaints and may advise you to wait to file your complaint until your case has been investigated by the attorneys you retain to represent you.
However, you can review filed complaints with the Washington Medical Commission to determine if a healthcare provider has a prior history of medical negligence.
Attorneys reviewing your case will advise you on how to handle medical debt related to possible negligence.
Addressing the complexities of health insurance and medical debt is another important reason to schedule a free consultation about your case.
While attorneys review your case, patients can also contact Washington state’s Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) to determine their rights for health insurance disputes: https://www.insurance.wa.gov/.
Experienced attorneys can often determine if you have a medical malpractice claim through a free consultation. Medical malpractice cases are often complicated and may require diligent investigation by experienced medical malpractice attorneys in consultation with top medical experts.
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GTH to attend Power Up Goodwill Luncheon
