Irvine Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Irvine Medical Malpractice Attorney
Thousands of Irvine residents trust all types of medical professionals every day, and while most medical professionals do their utmost to provide safe and effective treatment, negligence in the medical field is one of the leading causes of accidental injuries and deaths in the United States each year. If you were recently harmed by a medical professional, an Irvine medical malpractice lawyer can help you understand your options for legal recourse.
Experienced Legal Counsel for Medical Malpractice Suits in Irvine, CA
The attorneys at Easton & Easton have decades of professional experience representing personal injury claims in Irvine and surrounding communities of California, including medical malpractice cases. We know how challenging these types of cases can be and the many questions you are likely to have in the aftermath of any type of injury sustained in a medical treatment setting. Our team can help you pursue recovery of your losses in the most efficient manner.
A medical malpractice case is a unique type of personal injury case in which special rules apply. To succeed with this type of claim, the plaintiff must identify the party responsible for injuring them, prove that they violated the standard of care that applied in the situation, and then prove the full extent of the resulting damages. This can be more difficult than it may sound, but the right attorney on your side enables you to approach the situation with confidence.
Most Common Types of Medical Malpractice in Irvine
Medical malpractice takes many forms. Whenever a medical professional’s negligence results in harm to their patient, it is malpractice, and the victim has the right to pursue compensation for all associated damages. Some of the most commonly reported forms of medical malpractice in Irvine and throughout California include:
- Diagnostic errors. Failure to diagnose a patient, failure to provide a timely diagnosis, or misdiagnosing a patient can all lead to negative health outcomes for the victim. Doctors responsible for diagnosing their patients must follow an approved differential diagnosis procedure and deliver timely and accurate results.
- Medication errors. Prescribing the wrong medication can lead to severe adverse reactions, and failure to fill a prescription correctly can implicate a pharmacist as liable for resulting damages. Prescribing doctors must also account for a patient’s current medications as well as known allergies and other health concerns before prescribing any medications.
- Surgical errors. There is a degree of risk involved with every surgical procedure, but there is a major difference between an honest mistake in a very difficult surgical procedure and an injury borne from negligence in the operating room.
- Hospital negligence. A medical malpractice case may implicate a hospital and/or their staff. Failure to maintain clean patient rooms, change patient bedding, and provide patient meals may all lead to serious harm to the patient and form grounds for a malpractice suit.
- Anesthesia errors. Incorrect dosage of anesthesia, failure to monitor patient vital signs, and other anesthesia errors can all lead to tremendous harm, including permanent disabilities.
- Birth injuries. Any injury to a child during childbirth can potentially lead to lifelong disabilities like cerebral palsy. Children harmed by birth injuries often experience various intellectual, physical, and social development delays, and it is also possible for a birth injury claim to involve harm to the child’s mother.
These are only a few examples of common types of medical malpractice claims filed throughout California each year. To pursue a medical malpractice case, the plaintiff must prove they had a formal doctor-patient relationship with the defendant, the defendant breached the standard of care for the treatment, and that this breach resulted in actual harm to the victim.
Compensation for Medical Malpractice in California
The objective of any personal injury case is for the plaintiff to recover the compensation they need to be as whole as possible again after suffering an injury from a defendant’s negligence. Once you have proven that malpractice caused your injury, you can seek compensation for all associated economic damages.
Claimable economic damages in your medical malpractice case are likely to include the cost of corrective and rehabilitative medical care you need to recover from the injury the defendant caused. If the injury prevents you from working, the defendant is also liable for the income you are unable to earn during this time. If a plaintiff has been permanently disabled, the defendant could face liability for the future income they can no longer earn.
It is also possible for the plaintiff in a medical malpractice suit to recover compensation for their pain and suffering. However, state law limits the amount they can receive. Your Irvine medical malpractice lawyer will assist you in maximizing this aspect of your recovery and is your most valuable asset for streamlining your proceedings, shortening the time it takes for you to recover your losses.
What to Expect From Your Irvine Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Approaching any type of medical malpractice claim can be daunting, and the right attorney in Irvine, CA, is an invaluable source of support and guidance during this challenging experience. When you choose Easton & Easton to represent your medical malpractice case in Irvine, we can immediately set to work gathering the evidence you may need to firmly establish fault for your damages. We can consult other medical professionals to obtain the expert witness testimony needed in your case.
Once we have established fault and proven that medical malpractice has indeed occurred, we can guide our client through the preliminary requirements for filing their case and prepare them for the proceedings ahead. Our goal is to help our client maximize their recovery in the shortest possible timeframe, and this typically means settling their case outside of court. However, we are prepared to represent you in litigation if necessary.
You have a time limit in which you must file your claim, and it may take longer than you expect to gather the documentation and materials needed to file a successful medical malpractice suit. The sooner you connect with legal counsel you can trust, the easier it will be for you to meet these deadlines and the more likely you will be to succeed with your claim.
FAQs
Q: How Much Is a Medical Malpractice Case Worth in Irvine?
A: The plaintiff in a medical malpractice suit has the right to seek full repayment of all economic damages they sustained from the incident. While state law does not limit pain and suffering compensation for most personal injury cases, there is a cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. Your Irvine medical malpractice lawyer can advise you of the full potential value of your claim if you succeed.
Q: What Is the Pain and Suffering Cap for Medical Malpractice?
A: California legislators recently increased the cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice suits from $250,000 to $350,000, and for wrongful death from medical malpractice, the cap has increased from $250,000 to $500,000. These caps will continue to increase incrementally each year for the next several years until the cap reaches $1 million. These caps apply even if medical malpractice results in permanent disability or death.
Q: What Are the First Steps in Filing a Medical Malpractice Claim in Irvine?
A: You cannot approach a medical malpractice case the same way you would approach any other personal injury claim. You must provide the defendant with advance notice of your claim with a Notice of Intent to File Suit, and you must also send an affidavit from an appropriately qualified medical professional explaining how the defendant violated the standard of care that applied to the situation.
Q: Why Should I Hire an Irvine Medical Malpractice Lawyer?
A: Even if your case seems perfectly straightforward, the reality is that the average person would struggle significantly to succeed with any type of medical malpractice suit on their own. When you have an experienced legal team on your side, they can ensure you meet the procedural requirements for your case and that every avenue of compensation is uncovered. You’re more likely to win your case and more likely to maximize your total compensation with their help.
Q: How Much Will It Cost to Hire an Irvine Medical Malpractice Lawyer?
A: There is no need to worry about overly expensive legal fees if you choose Easton & Easton to represent your medical malpractice suit in Irvine. We take these and other personal injury cases on contingency, meaning you only pay a percentage of your final case award as our fee, so there is no risk of your legal expenses overtaking your compensation. Additionally, you only owe this fee if we win your case.
The team at Easton & Easton has years of professional experience helping our clients in Irvine with a variety of civil claims, and we are ready to apply this experience to your impending medical malpractice suit. If you are ready to learn what our firm can do for you in your case, contact us today to schedule your consultation with an Irvine medical malpractice lawyer and start working toward your recovery with confidence.
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The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen anew each year since 2014 by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as one of the "Best Law Firms" for the Southern California Metro Area.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen by the LA Times Reader's Choice Poll as "The Best Personal Injury Law Firm in Orange County" for 2018.
Doug and Brian Easton have been selected as Top 100 Trial Lawyers for California each year since 2014 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Brian and Matt Easton were recently honored for their efforts in securing a $1,850,000 verdict for a client in 2016, which was selected as one of the Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California by TopVerdict.com.
Doug and Brian have each been selected by Super Lawyers, an honor given to less than 5% of attorneys. Matt Easton has been selected among Super Lawyers' Up-and-Coming Top 25 in Orange County and Top 100 in Southern Califonia, an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys under 40 years old.
Easton & Easton is honored to have been chosen as one of the "10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms” in all of Southern California" each year Since 2015 based on client satisfaction — one of the highest honors we could ever hope to achieve.
Easton & Easton received the “People Love Us On Yelp” award in 2016 due to the exceptional client satisfaction reviews given by our clients over the years.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been featured as Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for California since 2015 — honors given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Brian and Matt Easton have each earned lifetime appointment to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum — The Top Trial Lawyers in AmericaTM through the results achieved for their clients. This is an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States.
Doug Easton has held the “AV Preeminent” Rating for over 30 years and Matt Easton received this prestigious distinction in 2015. The "AV Preeminent" rating is the highest possible rating for both legal ability and ethical standards, and is based on the legal profession’s oldest peer review rating system, dating back to 1887.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been chosen as one of the "10 Best" Personal Injury Attorneys in Southern California each year since 2015 based on client satisfaction, an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys - and Easton & Easton houses three of them.
Brian Easton was selected to the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2015. ABOTA is one of the most premier associations of trial attorneys and judges, requiring a certain number of jury trials as lead counsel and approval by a majority vote of the ABOTA board.
Matt Easton has been selected each year since 2014 as one of the Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40 for California by The National Trial Lawyers — an honor given to less than 1% of attorneys.
Doug and Matt Easton have each been chosen as one of The Best Lawyers in America for Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation. Best Lawyers lists attorneys who have earned selection through exemplary legal work that attracts the notice of their colleagues. Lawyers cannot buy their way onto this list.
Both Doug and Matt Easton have been selected as Top Personal Injury Attorneys by Avvo with scores of 10 out of 10 based on their skill, experience, results, peer evaluations, and client reviews.
Matt Easton has been selected as one of the Top 10 Personal Injury Attorneys Under 40 in California for 2015 by the National Association of Personal Injury Attorneys — an honor given to less than 1% of personal injury attorneys under the age of 40.
Doug, Brian, and Matt Easton have all been selected by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel among the Nation's Top One Percent of Attorneys each year since 2017.
“We look for the human story behind every injury or wrongful death. We prepare our cases for trial; reaching out to the jury with the most compelling evidence possible for the best verdict possible. Insurance companies know this and come to the table prepared to negotiate in good faith. Call us to see how we can turn your story into fair compensation.”
Partner W. Douglas Easton
What Our Clients Say
Coming out of my first auto accident as an adult, a very difficult and scary time to navigate and understand, I was so incredibly thankful to have been put in contact with Easton & Easton. I honestly was lost with how to handle paperwork, doctors, medical costs and what next steps were, and from the moment I spoke with Travis Easton and my case manager Katie, my mind was put at ease. They have made the entire process stress free for me as I recovered, and I am so grateful for them and their genuine care for my case. Communication from the start has been fantastic, especially making clear what my expectations for the entire process would look like, and I truly believe they have my best interest at heart. 100% I would recommend their firm for anyone that is needing representation! Read more…
My experience with Easton & Easton has been amazing! Gabriel Mendoza and my case manager Katie have been so helpful and taken so much stress off my plate. They’ve been super informative and honest and given me very clear expectations. They’ve taken such a terrible experience (my accident) and eased my mind about the outcome. I can’t thank them enough!! Read more…
Ive used them twice and never been disappointed. Read more…
The Easton & Easton Law Firm is amazing! The entire team is very helpful and caring. They were always there to answer all my questions. They directed me through the entire process and stayed with me every step of the way. This team is outstanding and were wonderful to work with. Because of the tremendous effort they put on my case they were able to win my difficult personal injury case. I couldn’t have asked for a better law firm to handle my case. They are the Best! Thank you for your patience, professionalism, & guidance! I definitely recommend this firm to handle your case. They go out of their way to fight for your rights. THANK YOU… Read more…
I could not be more pleased with the services provided by the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton. The senior partner Mr. Easton took the time to meet with me and my wife while I was still in the hospital, where he gave my family hope that there was light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel. Matt Easton then worked my case, and because of his dedication, experience and expertise I received a settlement that was larger than I EVER thought possible. It was truly astounding! Matt and the entire team at Easton & Easton looked out for me throughout my recovery, and in the end they gave me my life back. Five stars is not enough. Thanks Matt! Thanks Easton & Easton! Read more…
Brian and everyone at Easton and Easton are simply the BEST at what they do. Brian is thorough, easy to talk to, and truly cares about his clients. If you want a family of attorneys with perseverance and determination to fight for you, give Easton and Easton a call. I am glad I did. Read more…
What an amazing law firm, talk about going above and beyond to make such a painful experience go so well. I have referred a co-worker and a family member to them as well and everyone had such a great experience as I had. Read more…
I can’t say enough amazing things about my experience with Travis Easton at Easton & Easton. Travis and his entire team (Katie, Amy, Dee, Michelle, & Araceli) are phenomenal. It provided me a lot of comfort to know I was being so well taken care of. I was especially impressed that every document for the case was perfectly written and specific to me. Nothing was generic, which shows the level of care and attention they put into each individual case. I had such a great experience and would highly recommend Travis Easton and his firm to anyone going through a personal injury. Travis took a bad situation and made the best of it for me. Thank you again, I’m forever grateful!!
-Allee
Retaining Easton and Easton was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! From the initial consultation to our final meeting, they were nothing short of exceptional. I was forced to retain their services after firing my previous attorney for not handling the case properly. I dealt with Gabriel and Brian (partner) exclusively throughout the case. They did as promised and were great communicators throughout the entire process. I will recommend them to anyone I know going through a personal injury case. They were ultimately able to untangle the mess caused by my previous lawyer and get a result that I was extremely happy with. Their staff is exceptional as well and provided top notch customer service. Amera was also extremely helpful and easy to deal with as well.
I was in a pretty bad car accident and decided to have Easton & Easton represent me, Travis Easton to be specific. Travis Easton and his paralegal made the whole process effortless. They were so understanding and helpful! The entire thing was a gigantic mess, yet Travis managed to make it run like clockwork. I would HIGHLY recommend Easton & Easton! If you are ever in need of a personal defense attorney Easton & Easton is the firm to represent you!
They are the best law firm in Orange County period. Choosing them to represent me was the best decision of my life.
My life changed in a matter of seconds after a catastrophic spinal cord injury that left me disabled. Brian Easton and his team worked on my case non stop for 3 years and provided me the justice I deserved. I couldn’t have been more content.
I was treated with utmost respect and I felt like I was being represented by a close family member. The responses to my questions were quick and clear. What E & E has done for me is phenomenal.
My sincere thanks to Brian, Matt, Travis, Doug, Gabriel and Amera. They are what they are because of their dedication to provide high quality and professional service to their clients.
Brian Easton and his team, Gabe Mendoza and Amera Hajali, helped me during a very difficult time in my life. I had a significant injury from a car accident, and wound up seeking out Easton & Easton when I was having difficulties getting help from my doctors. The Easton team took a lot of stress off of me while acting as my advocates to help me get the care I needed, and saw my case all the way through to a healthy settlement.
They are the BEST!
I have nothing but good things to say about Easton and Easton. Brian handled my case professionally and communicated with me effectively throughout the process. He made sure that the process was effortless and as hands free as possible. This was super important for my busy schedule. I highly recommend Easton and Easton if you are ever found in a situation that you need an attorney.
I would highly recommend Easton & Easton.
I was rear ended on my home and pushed into a semi-truck. I was not sure how to go about even using an attorney.
Brian, Gab and Amera were so good about helping me thru the process and representing me.
I was able to concentrate on getting myself better knowing they had my back, taking care of the details and keeping me informed along the way
The best Law firm by far. I would highly recommend Easton & Easton, LLP and ask for Gabriel Mendoza and staff. He and his colleagues did and exceptional service. Thank you for everything. Job well done!
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