Tacoma Medical Malpractice Lawyers

How Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers Can Help You Get Compensation for Your Losses

Medical malpractice occurs when a person is injured or has died due to negligence on the part of a medical professional. While not everything that goes wrong medically is malpractice, if the harm was caused by negligence, you may have grounds to hold the professional, facility, or company involved liable in a medical malpractice lawsuit. The defendants in the case will attempt to show that the injuries were not their fault, but our medical malpractice lawyers know the courts and the system and how to prove fault to hold all liable parties accountable

When you contact Strong Law Firm, we know the laws, the courts, and the system, and how to deal with the tactics insurance companies use. We will get to work immediately while evidence is fresh and witnesses can be located.

Our Tacoma medical malpractice lawyers can help by:

• Determining if your case is valid and what it may be worth.
• Making sure you get the right medical care and your injuries are documented, as are the effects they have on your life, your family, and your earning ability.
• Making sure your case is filed correctly and in a timely manner. According to Washington statute  16.350, you generally must file a medical malpractice lawsuit within three years of the injury or one year of the time you should have discovered that the injury occurred. No action can be brought after eight years from the act causing the injury.
• Gathering evidence to prove your case. We will investigate your case to obtain and preserve evidence such as medical records, photographs and videos, and eyewitness statements.
• Obtaining expert witnesses to determine where there was malpractice and testify on your behalf.
• Negotiating with insurance companies for a fair settlement.
• Taking your case to court and arguing on your behalf, if necessary.

It takes time to investigate and build a medical malpractice case, and evidence and witnesses tend to disappear over time, so call Strong Law now so we can start building your case.

Our Tacoma Medical Malpractice Attorneys Can Win an Award for Your Damages

The compensation you get in a successful lawsuit is called damages, meant to cover both your economic or monetary losses and your non-economic losses such as pain and suffering.

In a successful case in Washington state, our Strong Law attorneys can win a settlement that covers both your economic and non-economic damages.

1. Economic damages – are for your costs that have an actual dollar value, such as:
• medical and rehabilitation bills
• lost wages and earnings from being unable to work
• property damage
• burial costs if the malpractice leads to a wrongful death lawsuit.
2. Noneconomic damages – are for damages that don’t have a specific monetary value, such as:
• pain and suffering
• loss of companionship or consortium
• disability or disfigurement
• mental or emotional distress.

Amounts of damage awards

The amount of damages awarded for a successful medical malpractice case can vary greatly, from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the specific circumstances involved. Consideration is made for:

• the severity and permanence of your injuries
• whether you will need continuing care
• whether you can return to work in the future
• the availability of insurance and assets of the defendants
• the individual judge and jury involved
• how well your attorney can negotiate a settlement or litigate your case.

Washington statute RCW 4.56.260 sets limits to noneconomic damages awards based on multiplying 0.43 by the average annual wage and by your life expectancy.  

Tacoma Medical Malpractice Lawyers Must Prove Negligence

Proving Negligence in medical malpractice means showing that the standard of care was violated.

For a medical malpractice case, it is not enough to have been harmed — the injury must have been caused by a medical professional’s negligence and failure to adhere to a generally accepted “standard of care” that other medical professionals would use when treating a similar patient under similar circumstances. The standard of care for a family doctor would be different than one for an orthopedic surgeon.

To win your case, your attorney would have to show that:

• The medical professional had a duty of care to adhere to a standard of care and not cause you harm.
• He or she breached that duty by acting negligently and violating the standard of care.
• This failure of duty caused your injuries or a death.
• You suffered damages as a result.

Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Tacoma Handle a Wide Range of Malpractice Cases

The instances that qualify as medical malpractice are broad-based and varied. Some relate to improper care and others are caused by the absence of necessary care. The following are among the more common situations that result in medical malpractice claims.

• Failure to Diagnose/Misdiagnosis: Accurate and timely diagnoses are key to appropriate medical care. When there is misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis for serious and life-threatening conditions such as cancer, heart disease, strokes, and infections, the results may be fatal. 
• Birth Injuries and Mistakes During Childbirth: Negligence by medical professionals during childbirth can result in issues including fractures, nerve damage, and brain injuries.
• Prescription Errors: Taking the wrong medication or the wrong dose of the right medication can result in illness, injury, or even death. Prescription errors can be the fault of a physician who prescribes the wrong drug or the pharmacist who incorrectly fills the order.
• Anesthesia Errors: The correct administration of anesthesia depends on completely understanding a patient’s health and medications and require close and constant monitoring.
• Surgical Errors: Some of the most serious medical errors occur in the operating room, including operating on the wrong body part and leaving foreign objects inside of the body. 
• Infections: Infection may be caused by unsanitary equipment or failure to use proper sterilization and cleaning procedures. Infections can be serious and result in sepsis, an infection in the blood which may lead to death.
• Communication errors: These may occur when communication breaks down between multiple doctors treating the same patient or among hospital staff. In addition, medical professionals may fail to communicate with patients, ask relevant questions or listen properly to the answers.
• Radiology errors: May include misinterpreting results or overlooking serious findings.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Medical Malpractice

Our Tacoma medical malpractice lawyers are always ready to answer your questions and concerns.

If you or someone you love is a victim of medical malpractice, you likely have many questions. Below we have shared some of those asked frequently by our clients.

Call Our Tacoma Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Tacoma for Help

The Benefits of Working With Strong Law Firm

The advice and counsel of a highly experienced, well-qualified Tacoma medical malpractice attorney can be incredibly valuable. At Strong Law Firm, we focus on medical malpractice. Our attorneys will meet with you to gain a complete understanding of your situation and help to determine the best course of action. Our goal is to help you get compensated for all your medical expenses, lost wages, future wages, and pain and suffering.

Our lawyers are proud of the reputation we have both in Tacoma and throughout the state. Medical malpractice cases require significant up-front work, and our attorneys are always prepared, ready to advocate for you in every situation. Additionally, our clients appreciate our approach to service. We understand the process can be emotionally trying, especially as you recover. All communication with you takes this into account; your well-being is of primary concern to our medical malpractice lawyers.