Seattle Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Standing with Victims of Medical Negligence Throughout Seattle
When you trust a doctor, you expect care that meets accepted medical standards. But mistakes and lapses in reasonable care can cause severe injury or death. Victims of medical negligence may also face emotional and financial burdens, ongoing treatment, and lasting changes to daily life.
Medical malpractice is a serious issue that can have devastating consequences for victims. If you believe that you or a loved one was the victim of medical malpractice, you should speak with a medical malpractice attorney in Seattle as soon as possible. Prompt legal guidance can help preserve crucial evidence and testimonies, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of your circumstances.
Our Seattle medical malpractice lawyers at Carpenter & Zuckerman can evaluate your legal rights and options. If the evidence supports a claim, we can pursue compensation from the responsible Washington doctor, hospital, or other provider. Since 1995, our firm has recovered more than $3 billion in verdicts and settlements for injured clients across Washington, and our 40 trial lawyers bring the resources and determination that complex medical-negligence cases demand. We work on a contingency-fee basis, so there are no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Call (425) 585-4009 to schedule your free consultation. We serve clients across Washington state, including Seattle, Tacoma, Yakima, Bellevue, Spokane, Wenatchee, and Pierce County.
Strength That Stands Out
results that reshape lives
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$131 Million Dram Shop Liability
Our client was injured in a car accident caused by a driver who was over-served at a restaurant/bar.
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$29.2 Million Brain Injury
Secured a victory against State Farm for a brain injury claim after the policy limits were exposed.
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$21.65 Million Motorcycle Accident
Secured compensation for a fitness model and bodybuilder injured in a motor scooter accident.
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$17 Million Brain Injury
For a woman with a traumatic brain injury, who appeared normal to those unfamiliar with her condition.
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$14.6 Million Commercial Vehicle
Obtained a verdict for the family of a farmer killed in a vehicle crash involving a commercial vehicle.
Understanding Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet the accepted standard of care, resulting in harm to a patient. The “standard of care” refers to the level of treatment that a reasonably competent medical professional would provide under similar circumstances.
Not every poor outcome qualifies as malpractice. When a provider’s conduct fell below what a reasonably careful professional would have done, and that departure caused your injury, you may have grounds for a claim. Medical evidence is often needed to distinguish a negligent act from a known risk, unavoidable complication, or unsuccessful treatment.
Common Forms of Medical Malpractice & Negligence
Some of the most common forms of medical malpractice include:
- Diagnosis Errors: When a doctor fails to diagnose a medical condition or misdiagnoses it, the delay can have severe consequences. For example, if a doctor fails to diagnose cancer, it may progress to a later stage and become more challenging to treat.
- Surgery Errors: A surgical mistake can cause permanent harm. For example, if a doctor cuts the wrong nerve during surgery, the patient may experience paralysis in one or more areas of the body. Surgical errors can also include leaving foreign objects in the body, which may cause infections or require additional procedures.
- Medication Errors: Being prescribed the wrong medication for a medical condition or given a medication you don’t need can worsen your health. An excessive dose, for example, can damage organs and cause a long-term decline in health.
- Birth Injuries: Birth-related medical malpractice can result in injuries to both the mother and the newborn. Common examples include injuries during delivery, failure to perform a timely cesarean section when necessary, or improper prenatal care. Such negligence can have lifelong consequences for the affected families.
- Anesthesia Errors: Anesthesia-related malpractice can involve administering too much or too little anesthesia, failing to monitor the patient’s vital signs during surgery, or not properly informing the patient about preoperative fasting requirements. Such errors can lead to severe complications, including brain damage or death.
- Emergency-Room Delays & Inadequate Follow-Up: Failures to act on test results, delayed triage decisions, and inadequate post-discharge instructions can each cause or worsen serious harm. When a provider’s inaction in an urgent setting contributed to a worsened outcome, those facts may support a medical-negligence claim.
- Informed Consent Failures: Providers have a duty to inform patients of material risks before proceeding with treatment or procedures. When a patient isn’t given the information needed to make an informed decision and suffers harm they weren’t warned about, an informed-consent claim may arise alongside or independent of a standard-of-care claim.
Medical Malpractice Laws in Washington
Washington law governs both when a claim must be filed and what a patient must prove.
Statute of Limitations
Under RCW 4.16.350, medical malpractice claims in Washington are generally subject to a three-year period from the date of the act or omission, or one year from when the patient discovered or reasonably should have discovered that the injury or condition was caused by the act or omission, whichever period expires later. The statute also contains an eight-year outer limit, or statute of repose, subject to statutory exceptions. In December 2023, however, the Washington Supreme Court held that provision unconstitutional in Bennett v. United States. Because the timing rules are fact-specific, we review the circumstances of each case to identify the applicable deadline before advising on next steps.
Burden of Proof
Under RCW 4.24.290, a plaintiff must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the provider failed to exercise the degree of skill, care, and learning possessed by others in the same profession and that this failure proximately caused the claimed damages.
Demonstrating that standard typically requires:
- Medical testimony on the applicable standard of care and how it was breached
- Detailed medical records documenting the treatment and its consequences
- Evidence connecting the provider’s actions directly to the injury
Comparative Fault
Washington follows comparative-fault principles, meaning a claimant’s assigned share of fault can reduce their recovery. The specific effect depends on the claims and evidence in each case.
Medical Review & Case Requirements
Washington doesn’t impose a universal certificate-of-merit requirement on every medical-malpractice filing. Medical testimony on the standard of care and causation is, however, commonly required to advance these claims, though exceptions can exist. We review the medical records and underlying facts before proceeding and identify whether medical testimony and supporting documentation will be needed to substantiate the claim.
Their Words. Their Wins.
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"They were courteous, prompt, and always kept in touch"They were able to get more than double what the first firm was able to get for me.- Leah D.
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"Very responsive in getting my questions answered, and resolved."The staff took care of all my needs- Crystal L.
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"Lance recovered 2 million dollars in my case"Lance showed great compassion toward my health and well-being.- Scott C.
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"I would definitely recommend them to anyone who needs legal advice."They walked me through every step of the way- Jesse P.
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"Really fast communication and took care of the case as promised"They always respond fast and keep in touch throughout the whole process.- Anelia D.
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"I never felt like I was battling my own attorney"Well-oiled and efficient machine- Tim U.
medical malpractice FAQs
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Does Washington have a cap on the compensation you can recover in a medical malpractice case?No, damages are uncapped.
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Can I seek punitive damages?No, Washington does not allow plaintiffs to seek punitive damages.
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How long do I file to file my lawsuit?The statute of limitations on personal injury cases is either three years or one year after discovering that malpractice led to your injury, whichever is later.