Let the other side know you're serious

When you're seeking compensation in a medical malpractice lawsuit, it's important to let the other side know that you're serious. Matt Menzer, a Washington medical malpractice attorney who represents medical malpractice victims, explained how an attorney can help in this area:

Lawyers who dedicate a certain amount of their practice to this work and who have been doing it for a long time are the ones that will be prepared to try these cases if necessary. Even though the majority of medical malpractice cases settle, one of the major reasons that they do settle is that the lawyer who’s representing that injured party is prepared to go to trial against the person(s) who caused those injuries such as doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, chiropractors, health care providers, hospitals, HMOs, clinics and pharmacies.

Gray hair helps...

Menzer believes that when someone is looking for a medical malpractice attorney, their emphasis should be on finding someone who has the experience and the background in this specialized area. He told us, “It's one of those areas where that gray hair helps. So, when looking for a lawyer, an injured person should make sure the person is experienced, comfortable going to trial and that they have the resources to commit to these kinds of cases.”

Two reasons to contact a medical malpractice attorney sooner rather than later

If you do decide to contact a medical malpractice attorney, Menzer says that there are two reasons to do so sooner than later. He explained:

One reason is that there’s always a chance that evidence can be lost, so the sooner someone gets into see a lawyer and the lawyer is able to request the medical records and secure the evidence, the better. Although you might be well within the statute of limitations, people’s memories fade and people leave employment, particularly in hospital cases. I find there’s a lot of turnover in the medical industry. After a couple of years, a lot of the nursing staff and others may have scattered to the four winds. So, the sooner somebody brings it to the attorney, the better.

The second reason is that these cases can be complicated in terms of the initial investigation. It can take months to line up the right medical experts and to get people to review the case and figure out who all the responsible parties may be. So if somebody waits until the last minute, it can make it very difficult to get counsel because sufficient time is needed to do a full investigation.