What Should You Look for in a Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

Posted on September 11, 2023 in Medical Malpractice

When a patient sustains an injury or illness due to the negligent actions of a medical provider, they may have the option of recovering compensation for their losses. These losses include medical bills, lost wages, and even pain and suffering damages. However, these claims are complex, and victims should work with a skilled attorney with experience handling medical malpractice claims. Here, we want to examine what patients should look for when evaluating various medical malpractice lawyers in Portland.

Finding an Attorney Who Meets Your Needs

When you begin your search for a medical malpractice attorney to handle your claim, you should find the handful of attorneys you think may work best. Schedule a free consultation with each of them, and be prepared to bring all information related to your claim with you. Additionally, you need to be ready with questions for each attorney so that you can gain an understanding of whether or not they will be a good fit for you and your family.

Here are some of the criteria you should examine:

How Much Experience Do They Have With Medical Malpractice?

One of the most challenging aspects of finding a medical malpractice lawyer is finding one who actually has a lot of experience handling these claims. Medical malpractice is a complex field that requires very specific knowledge of state and federal laws. These claims can be time-consuming and costly, so you do not want an attorney with limited experience embarking on this journey with you.

You should ask the attorney you want to work with whether or not they have experience handling claims like yours. If your claim revolves around a foreign object being left inside your body, find an attorney with experience handling that type of claim.

Will The Attorney Handle Your Case?

Make sure you have an attorney or law firm that actually requires the attorney to work on your case. In some cases, law firms will exclusively hand the case off to paralegals or legal assistants. You need a law firm with an attorney involved in the case at every part of the process. Additionally, make sure to ask if you will have a specific contact person for your case so you can call and obtain updates or ask questions at any time.

Do They Think You Can Win?

It is important to work with a medical malpractice attorney who thinks they can win your case. In reality, it is unlikely any attorney will take your claim if they do not think they can obtain a settlement on your behalf. At the end of the day, both you and your lawyer have the same goal – to win the case so you can obtain compensation and move forward with your life and recovery.

How Much are the Fees?

Most medical malpractice attorneys will take claims on a contingency fee basis. This means that the law firm will handle all of the upfront costs related to the case, and the client will pay no legal fees until after the attorney successfully recovers compensation through a settlement or jury verdict. Under a contingency fee arrangement, the client will not pay anything if the attorney does not win the case.

fWill They Take Your Claim to Trial?

Find a medical malpractice lawyer who will be ready to take a case to trial if necessary. Most cases end up settling before they reach a jury, but that is not always the case. In the event the insurance carriers or legal teams for the defendant refuse to offer a fair settlement or if they deny the claim altogether, going to trial may be the only way for a patient to obtain justice and compensation for the medical provider’s negligence.