Medical Malpractice
Assisting the Injured for Since 1984
Washington Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Free consultation. Call toll free: 1-800-245-ATTY (1-800-245-2889)
More people die each year from medical errors than from motor vehicle accidents. Even more suffer permanent injury. Our law firm has been helping people who have suffered injuries at the hands of medical professionals for more than 20 years.
Medical malpractice occurs when
1) a health care professional (HCP) does something relative to a patient’s care or treatment that no other reasonably prudent health care provider would;
2) that act or omission was the proximate cause of a patient’s injury. The HCP is only liable to the patient if the patient can prove that the HCP acted outside of the standard of care for like HCP’s, AND that that act or omission actually was a significant contributing cause to the patient’s injury. The compensation available to the patient varies among the states, but in Washington it is limited to the actual loss, past and future, for the cost of medical and rehabilitation treatment, lost wages or income, and an amount determined by a jury to compensate for pain, suffering, and inconvenience.
A physician may “almost” amputate the wrong limb, a pharmacist may mis-fill a prescription that the patient never takes, or a nurse may come within seconds of injecting a lethal dose of a medication, but none of these constitutes actionable malpractice. Unless there is a significant injury that results from a bad act, or a failure to act, there is no practical malpractice case. Take, for example, the case where a patient is mistakenly prescribed twice the recommended dose of the intravenous antibiotic gentamicin at discharge from the hospital. The home infusion company administers the first dose, and then realizes the error and informs the prescribing physician, who corrects his mistake. Had the patient received 5-10 days of the high dose of gentamicin, they might have developed an incurable, lifelong state of imbalance and bouncing vision. However, because the mistake was caught early, there was no appreciable damage, so no actionable medical malpractice.
Certain politicians love to talk about “frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits.” In practice, any competent malpractice attorney knows that only the most solid and well founded cases actually succeed at trial. There is simply no reason for an attorney, especially when on a contingent fee contract, to bring a “frivolous” action. At Keith S. Douglass & Associates, LLP, we strive to take only meritorious cases. In order to determine whether a case is truly meritorious, it often takes many hours of reviewing medical records and speaking with witnesses.
Cases are handled on a contingent fee basis. You do not get a bill for attorney fees. Fees are not earned until we generate compensation from the defendant or defendants. It costs nothing to speak with us or to have an in-person interviews.
If you have been injured or a love one suffered a wrongful death due to the recklessness or negligence of a doctor, nurse, dentist, chiropractor, therapist, hospital, clinic, or other health care provider, please contact a Washington medical malpractice lawyer at Keith S. Douglass & Associates, LLP today for a free initial consultation and case evaluation.
We have helped hundreds of people recover financial compensation for injuries resulting from all types of medical malpractice, including:
- Incorrect diagnosis
- Errors in prescribing gentamicin or other drugs
- Failure to diagnose
- Cancer misdiagnosis
- Failure to monitor
- Surgery error
- Emergency room error
- Wrong prescription
- Burns sustained during surgery
- Operating on the wrong body part
- Instruments left behind
- Defective medical devices (such as breast implants and implantable heart defibrillators)
- Complications from cesarean section (C-section) birth
Our legal team is experienced in helping people injured by medical malpractice receive the financial compensation they deserve. We have the skills, knowledge, and experience to represent you efficiently and effectively.
To discuss the specifics of your case, please contact a medical malpractice attorney at Keith S. Douglass & Associates today.
Contact Keith S. Douglass & Associates, LLP for a free consultation.
From our offices in Spokane, Washington, Keith S. Douglass & Associates, LLP represents clients throughout the United States. We remain committed to serving clients in Washington State, including the communities of Spokane, Spokane County, Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Bellingham, Olympia, Vancouver, Yakima, Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, Wenatchee, Ellensburg, Moses Lake, Clarkston, Pullman, the Tri-Cities area, and residents of Eastern Washington and Western Washington