What to look for in a Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Medical malpractice cases are complicated because they involve both legal and medical expertise; they are time consuming because they require gathering medical documents and interviewing medical experts. A medical malpractice lawyer must have personal injury skills as well as contacts and familiarity with medical experts who can be interviewed and retained as expert witnesses. When you or a loved one is harmed by the negligence of a medical provider, you need the help of a great medical malpractice lawyer to navigate the case through your state’s procedural hoops and fight for justice and damages on your behalf. The question is: how do I know what to look for in a medical malpractice lawyer?

What to look for in a medical malpractice lawyer

The first thing you will want to do is gather a list of local medical malpractice lawyers who represent plaintiffs. A plaintiff’s medical malpractice lawyer represents injured victims while a defendant’s medical malpractice lawyer represents health care providers against medical malpractice lawsuits.

• Ask for recommendations from friends or family.
• Search for local medical malpractice attorneys on search engines or lawyer websites such as Avvo.com and Lawyers.com.

Next you will want to pare the list down to one or two top choices.

• Review the attorney’s biography including education, how long they have been practicing and whether their online profiles show a focus on medical malpractice.
• Check for online reviews.
• Look for helpful information about medical malpractice cases on the lawyer’s website. Do they show a level of expertise on the subject that makes you feel better informed?
• Check to see if the attorney is an active member or holds leadership roles in personal injury trial lawyers’ associations such as the American Association of Trial Lawyers (ATLA) or your state’s trial lawyers’ association.
• Look at your Yellow pages phone directory to see if they advertise and if you feel their ad is helpful and relevant to your needs.
• Contact your state bar association or visit the bar association’s website to make sure that the lawyer is in good standing.

Once you have narrowed your list to one to three candidates, contact them by phone or through their firm’s website contact form. You should seek the following information in your communication:

• What percentage of the firm’s caseload is dedicated to medical malpractice? (The higher the better).
• What percentage of the firm’s cases go to trial?
• Ask for details on the attorney’s fee agreement and payment of case costs. You should be able to hire a medical malpractice lawyer on a “contingency fee” basis, which means that you pay nothing unless you collect a settlement.
• Will the firm cover upfront expenses like expert witness fees, document preparation and filing fees?
• Ask if the firm can meet your specific needs such as a Spanish-speaking lawyer.
• Will the firm meet with you in your home or hospital if necessary? Are they willing to meet with you in-person at all?
• Ask how much work is delegated to administrative assistants, clerks, paralegals, and other support staff.

The Seattle personal injury attorneys at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC have years of experience representing families harmed by medical malpractice. We seek justice for patients who have been harmed by preventable medical errors including birth injuries, hospital-acquired infections and wrongful death in Seattle and across Washington State. There are no fees or expenses to file a personal injury case as we only receive payment if we recover damages on your behalf. Do not delay; personal injury claims come with a Statute of Limitations, which means they must be filed within a certain time frame of the injury.

Call us now at (206) 752-4366 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our compassionate, experienced attorneys.