Are you suffering in the wake of a medical error in Tacoma, WA? The at-fault medical provider may owe you substantial compensation. An experienced Tacoma medical malpractice lawyer at Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer can help when you call (253) 264-0225.
We know how to help you get the maximum compensation available for your medical costs, lost wages, and the suffering and trauma you have endured. If you were harmed by a doctor’s mistake, don’t hesitate to call our law offices in Tacoma, Washington, to schedule a free consultation today.
Why Call Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer To Handle a Medical Malpractice Claim in Tacoma?
When it comes to winning medical malpractice cases, our team at Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer knows the ropes. We know how your doctor’s insurance adjuster and defense teams will try to manipulate the situation. We know that they’ll downplay your losses.
Our Tacoma personal injury attorneys are well-prepared to fight back. Backed by over 30 years of combined legal experience, our team has successfully recovered more than $1 billion in compensation for injury victims across Washington.
Our team has also been recognized for our success with an AV-Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell lawyer rating, a Super Lawyers designation, and by The Best Lawyers in America for Medical Malpractice Law.
Now, we’re here to help you get the money you need and deserve. All you have to do is call our Tacoma, WA, office for a free consultation today.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Doctors can’t promise perfect results. They are, however, held to certain standards. The standards themselves are developed by the medical community and will vary from case to case. When healthcare providers deviate from those standards, they can be held liable for the harm they cause.
We Handle All Types of Medical Malpractice Cases in Tacoma
Our team at Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer handles all types of medical negligence cases, including cases involving:
- Failure to diagnose cancer and other diseases
- Misdiagnosis
- Surgical errors
- Emergency room errors
- Anesthesia errors
- Birth injuries
- Medication errors
- Nursing negligence
- Hospital negligence
- Pharmacy errors
- Radiology errors and lab mix-ups
- Bedsores and pressure ulcers
- Hospital-acquired infections
If you’re suffering because a doctor or healthcare provider made a mistake, count on our lawyers to help you hold them accountable.
How Common Is Medical Malpractice?
Studies on medical malpractice provide various statistics. One widely-cited study calls medical negligence the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Other reports have found that roughly 400,000 hospitalized patients suffer some type of preventable harm each year.
Regardless of the statistics you read, you know the harm that one simple medical error can cause–and the cost. Over a ten-year period, insurance companies in Washington paid out roughly $715 million to settle medical malpractice claims.
What Is My Tacoma Medical Malpractice Case Worth?
The value of your medical negligence claim will depend primarily on:
- The type, severity, and permanence of the harm you have suffered
- Your medical treatment costs
- Your physical pain and suffering
- The ongoing cost of medical care in long-term injury cases
- How the harm you suffered has impacted your income
- Whether you will ever return to work at the same earnings level
- The nature of the mistake
The severity of your injuries will be most relevant to your case value. That said, regardless of how severely you were injured, there is no standard settlement amount in medical malpractice cases. Another victim may have suffered similar injuries and yet been impacted in different ways.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims of Medical Malpractice in Tacoma?
Medical malpractice laws allow victims in Washington to pursue compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Examples of the types of compensation you may pursue include:
- Current medical bills
- Future medical costs were made necessary because of the error
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Specialized care
- Mental health counseling
- Pain and suffering
- Trauma and emotional distress
- Chronic pain
- Reduced life expectancy
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
Your losses can add up quickly. If a negligent healthcare provider was responsible, our lawyers will fight to ensure that your compensation award fully accounts for every loss you have experienced.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Washington?
Our team is available to take cases on a contingency fee basis. Rather than paying upfront, you pay once your case is resolved. Our attorneys’ fees depend entirely on how successful we are in your case. You’ll never owe anything up front, and you’ll never owe anything if we don’t recover compensation for your injuries.
Medical Errors Often Leave Victims Struggling With Severe Injuries
Our team at Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer is here to help in the wake of a medical error.
Victims often suffer serious long-term consequences, including:
- A need for more painful, invasive, and dangerous medical procedures
- Worsened underlying medical conditions
- Organ damage
- Heart failure
- Blood clots
- Stroke
- Infections
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
The mental impact of a medical error should not be understated. When victims learn they’re suffering because of a trusted doctor’s error, the mental trauma can be significant. Trusting a new medical provider to treat the condition can be incredibly difficult.
You can count on our lawyers to account for all of the harm you have suffered, both physical and mental.
What Leads To Most Medical Malpractice Claims in Tacoma?
While medical errors can occur for many different reasons, some of the most common include:
- Charting and communication errors
- Failure to order the correct diagnostic tests
- Misinterpreting lab results
- Fatigued and overworked medical providers
- Lab mixups
- Failure to take a full patient history
- Failure to provide proper post-operative care and instructions
- Failure to monitor a patient
- Failure to recognize adverse drug interactions
- Lack of informed consent
- Mistaking patients’ identities
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Leaving a foreign object within the patient’s body
- Ignoring a patient’s concerns or failing to recognize symptoms
- Failing to refer a patient for specialized treatment when indicated
As the patient, it can be difficult to identify the precise reason for your suffering. All you know is that you expected to get better, and instead became much worse.
What Do I Have To Prove To Win a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit in Washington?
When someone makes a mistake and causes an injury, the victim must prove it to establish their right to compensation. Most injury cases are based on negligence standards, which require proof of:
- The existence of a legal duty of care
- A breach of duty
- How the breach caused the harm alleged
- The nature of the victim’s damages
Claims based on medical negligence are more complicated. To win your case, you must prove specifically that:
- You were a patient, so the defendant owed you a legal duty of care
- The medical standard of care, or the level of care you should have received
- The defendant breached their duty by failing to adhere to the standard of care
- You were harmed and suffered damages because of the medical error
Our lawyers have relationships with experts in various medical specialties, and we’ll be ready with the sound medical testimony you need.
How Long Do I Have To File a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit After a Medical Error in Washington?
The medical malpractice statute of limitations in Washington is generally three years. Victims generally have three years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit–or lose their right to compensation entirely.
In cases where you don’t discover the harm immediately, you have one year from the date of discovery to take legal action. That said, an eight-year statute of repose also applies. You can never file a medical malpractice lawsuit after eight years have passed since the date the error occurred.
Limited exceptions exist in cases involving fraud, intentional concealment, or leaving a foreign object in the patient’s body.
Contact an Experienced Tacoma Medical Malpractice Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Medical malpractice claims nearly always involve complex legal issues. Proving you deserve compensation may seem impossible. Our lawyers at Darrell Cochran Personal Injury Lawyer are here to handle your case from start to finish. Call today to learn how an experienced Tacoma medical malpractice lawyer can help you get justice after you are injured in Tacoma, WA.