What kinds of compensation could I recover in a medical malpractice claim?

Plaintiffs are legally entitled to recover money damages for losses, expenses, and injuries they incur as a result of an injury-causing event. These are called “compensatory damages.” Compensatory damages can generally be divided into two categories: economic damages like medical bills and lost wages, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of love and affection.

With few exceptions, plaintiffs in Washington are not entitled to “punitive damages.” Punitive damages, unlike compensatory damages, have nothing to do with compensating the victim. Instead, punitive damages are designed to punish the defendant.