Medical Malpractice, Hospital Negligence, Medication Errors & Surgical Mistakes

Medical Malpractice Lawyer, Medication Error Lawsuits, & Surgical Mistake Settlements in Washington State

medical malpractice error mistake negligence attorney

Each year, Seattle-area patients suffer from medical mistakes which result in serious injuries. Nationally, a Harvard Medical Practice Study estimates that, each year, more than 180,000 people die because of medical mistakes. Public Citizen, non-profit organization which advocates the rights of consumers, estimates that, each year, 1.3 million injuries are caused by negligence, and that more than two-thirds of these injuries are preventable. If you or a loved one has been injured by a doctor's mistake in Washington state you may need the help of a Seattle medical malpractice attorney.

Attorney Chris Davi s and the team at Davis Law Group have the skill and experience to handle your medical negligence case. Call 206-727-4000 for a FREE legal consultation. The call is free, the advice may be priceless.

What is Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider (doctor, nurse, anesthesiologist, plastic surgeon, pharmacist, medical technician, etc.) in which care provided deviates from accepted standards of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient. It is the failure of a medical professional or a medical facility to provide a minimum standard of care in the areas in which the medical professional or medical facility specializes.

A medical facility may be a hospital (such as Swedish Medical Center, Virginia Mason Hospital, Harbor View Medical Center, UW Medical Center, Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center), or a birthing center, nursing home, or clinic. If the medical attention fails to meet the standard of good medical practice and harm results to a patient, the medical professional or medical facility may be liable for any resulting damages.

Chris Davis is interviewed by
Ken Schram on KOMO Radio
on October 1, 2010.

Common Medical Mistakes and Surgical Errors at Seattle-Area Hospitals & Doctor's Offices

Leaving surgical sponges, instruments or other objects in patient
Operating on the wrong body part or on the wrong side of the body
Medication errors: wrong medication, wrong dose, including anesthesia errors
Post-surgical infections, including the failure to diagnose or properly treat infections at the incision site, sepsis, or other infections

Medication Errors: Wrong Medication, Medication Overdose

There are five important questions every healthcare professional should ask themselves before administering or prescribing any drug to a patient.

Is this the right drug?
Ist this the right patient?
Is this the right dose?
Is this the right route (IV, pill, liquid, injection)?
Is this the right time (frequency)?

It is the responsibility of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals to take steps to ensure that their patients are given the correct medication at the correct dose and that patients fully understand their drug regimens. Safety measures must be in place to minimize opportunities for medication mistakes to occur. But all too often medical professionals and healthcare facilities fail to create safeguards and procedures to protect against medication errors and, unfortunately, these mistakes result in great harm and loss of life.

According to a report issued by the Institute of Medicine, medication errors (wrong medication, wrong dosage, and wrong administration) are among the most common medical mistakes, harming at least 1.5 million people every year. Another study indicates that 400,000 preventable drug-related injuries occur each year in hospitals across the country. While over 800,000 medication errors occur in long-term care facilities.

Plastic Surgery Mistakes: Permanent Cosmetic Disfigurement

Many cases of permanent cosmetic disfigurement are the result of a plastic surgery mistake and ultimately require extensive reconstructive surgery. Such cases include: badly placed breast implats, improper rhinoplasty (nose job) or cheek/chin implants, etc. These plastic surgery malpractice injuries have a profound emotional and social impact on the unfortunate victims.

Medical Mistakes at Seattle-Area Hospitals

Tacoma General Hospital, Northwest Hospital, UW Medical Center, Overlake Hosptial,Seattle Children's Hospital, Auburn Regional Medical Center, Evergreen Hospital, Highline Medical Center, Swedish Hospital, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center.

Medical Malpractice Statistics

A study released in October 2005 by Aon and American Society of Healthcare Risk Management reported on the frequency and severity of medical malpractice claims. Key findings of the study included:

Overall the frequency of claims against healthcare facilities is decreasing. In 2004, there were 3 claims for each 100 acute care bed equivalents, down from 3.3 percent in 1999. The analysts hypothesize that self-insured healthcare systems have a greater financial incentive to reduce the cost of risk, make investments to improve the quality of care, and reduce medical errors. Consumer attitudes may also be changing as result of the enormous media attention given to the physician insurance crisis and how it relates to availability of healthcare at the local level.
The frequency of claims against physicians was also declining, based on data from the National Practitioner Data Bank. The frequency of claims against physicians had dropped from 9.3 percent in 1999 to 8.1 percent in 2004.
The severity of institutional claims continues to grow from a low of 102,000 to $172,000 in 2004. (This data excludes settlements or awards yielding more than $2 million.
Using ten years of data, public hospitals were found to have the highest percentage of claims of more than $1 million, with 39 percent of the exposure and 43.4 percent of the total number of large loss counts. Specialty hospitals had the least number of large loss claims.

Seattle Attorney Representing Victims of Medical Mistakes - Free Consultations

Seriously injured in a medical mistake in Washington state? Want to know if you have a legal case? Want to know what your medical malpractice is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice for your loved ones? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?

Get the legal aid that you need. Call attorney Chris Davis at Davis Law Group. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.

Call 206-727-4000 for a FREE, no obligation medical malpractice consultation. There is no obligation to hire a lawyer. We are usually retained on a contingency fee basis. There is no fee until our Seattle Medical Malpractice Lawyer successfully recover fair compensation for you.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers in the State of Washington

We can help whether you were injured in a hospital in Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bremerton, Cascade, Edmonds, Everett, Federal Way, Kennewick, Kent, Kirkland, Lakewood, Longview, Olympia, Redmond, Renton, Richland, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, Yakima or the greater Seattle area. Having substantial experience with medical malpractice claims and often trying these kinds of cases in court, the Davis Law Group has the skill, expertise and Seattle medical malpractice attorneys necessary to help you.

Best and Worst Hospitals in Seattle - NEW

Chris Davis and Davis Law Group has been recognized by the following organizations:

Davis Law Group and attorney Chris Davis has been featured in news reports on these local and national news sources:

Davis Law Group is a member of the following organizations:

2101 Fourth Avenue, Suite 630, Seattle, WA 98121
Phone: (206) 727-4000 Fax: (206) 727-4001
Toll Free: 1-866-595-3565

Blog for Medical Malpractice

Library for Medical Malpractice:

The Debate on Damage Caps for Medical Malpractice
A damage cap is a limit on the amount of money that can be awarded to a plaintiff in a personal injury or medical malpractice lawsuit.
FDA Warns Women of Surgical Mesh Causing Serious Complications
There was a warning recently issued by The Federal Drug Administration regarding serious complications with transvaginal placement or surgical mesh.
Do Your Research - What to Look for in a Plastic Surgeon
If you are interested in plastic surgery, it is important to do research and know what you are looking for. Medical malpractice kills many people each year.
Non-Board Certified Doctor Performs Liposuction, Kills Woman With Overdose
Do your research: You need to understand the difference between a certified doctor and non-certified. This woman received an overdose of a local anesthesia.
Over the Counter Medicine Abused by Teens: How Do We Confront this Issue?
Dextromethorphan, better known as “Dex” or "DXM", is an active ingredient that is found in cough and cold medicines used by teens to get a cheap high.
Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations in Washington State
Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations in Washington State
7 Biggest Mistakes of Medical Malpractice [PDF]
7 Biggest Mistakes MD’S Make in Their Medical Malpractice Insurance Coverage
More states shred bills for awful medical errors: Patients in 23 states will no longer pay for certain mistakes, hospitals say
Hospitals in nearly half the states in the nation now say they won’t bill patients for the worst kind of medical mistakes, including operating on the wrong body part or the wrong person, or giving someone the wrong blood.
Medical Mistakes: What ever happened to "do no harm"?
Every doctor makes the promise to “do no harm.” But doctors, nurses, physicians’ assistants, nursing homes, and hospitals do make mistakes. And a shocking report from the Institute of Medicine shows medical mistakes are a common occurrence and pose potentially life-threatening risks for patients. If medical mistakes were counted among the leading causes of death in America, they would be eighth on the list.
Medical Mistakes: 'It's never just one thing' that leads to serious error
The mistake calls attention to how far hospitals have to go in preventing medical errors and in learning from the mistakes of others, even though many have made progress in protecting patients within their own institutions.
Study Finds Doctors Not Reporting Medical Mistakes
Almost two-thirds of doctors say they are willing to report medical errors, but many of them just don't do it, a new study finds.
State tallies incidents disclosed by hospitals
The report looks only at the very worst medical errors, in which clear-cut mistakes caused serious injury or death to hospital patients.
ARTICLE: Preventing Medical Mistakes
The Institute of Medicine estimates that 98,000 U.S. patients die each year in health care settings due to medical mistakes; others estimate the numbers may be as high as 145,000.
ARTICLE: Medicare, Medicaid not paying for medical mistakes
As of October 2008, Medicare and Medicaid will no longer pay for medical mistakes and conditions patients acquire in hospitals, like infections.
ARTICLE: Physicians Want to Learn from Medical Mistakes
The perception that U.S. doctors are unwilling to report medical errors and learn how to prevent them is untrue, according to a new study funded by HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
ARTICLE: Study: Doctors Not Reporting All Medical Errors
Researchers from the University of Iowa concluded that medical practitioners fail to report all medical mistakes, with the number being much lower considering the number of instances physicians think should be made known.
ARTICLE: Medical Mistakes
At least 44,000 Americans die each year as a result of medical errors and "near misses" in doctors' offices, hospitals and pharmacies.
ARTICLE: The Real Cost of Medical Mistakes
Mistakes by health care providers have a tremendous impact on insurance premiums, absentee rates, and workers' comp costs. With one-third of all premium dollars wasted paying for medical errors, employers are joining forces.
ARTICLE: Mitigating medical mistakes
Health care organizations are calling for immediate action to make health delivery safer in light of a recent revelation that medical errors kill 98,000 U.S. citizens each year.
ARTICLE: ENT docs admit to medical mistakes
A physician-led survey indicates that nearly half of ear, nose and throat specialists have made a recent medical mistake or are aware of one firsthand.

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Frequent Questions for Medical Malpractice:

Videos about Medical Malpractice:

FAQ: Who can file a medical malpractice claim?

FAQ: You is medical malpractice defined by the law in Washington state?

FAQ: What do I have to prove in my medical malpractice case?

FAQ: What damages/compensation can I recover through a medical malpractice lawsuit in Washington state?

FAQ: How common is medical malpractice in Seattle-area hospitals and other facilities in Washington State?

INTERVIEW: KOMO4's Ken Schram Interviews Chris Davis Regarding Medical Mistakes At Childrens Hospital

INTERVIEW: Fox Infant Dies Due To Medication Error at Seattle Children's Hospital Q13

Web Resources for Medical Malpractice:

Institute For Safe Medical Practices
Description: The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP),is the nation’s only nonprofit organization devoted entirely to medication error prevention and safe medication use.
The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP)
Description: The mission of the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) is to maximize the safe use of medications and to increase awareness of medication errors through open communication, increased reporting and promotion of medication error prevention strategies.
The National Patient Safety Foundation
Description: The National Patient Safety Foundation is an organization that has been diligently pursuing one mission since its founding in 1997 – to improve the safety of patients.

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Christopher M. Davis

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