Los Angeles Medical Malpractice Lawyer

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Los Angeles Medical Malpractice Attorney

Thousands of people living in the Los Angeles area trust their doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to provide safe and effective treatment for all types of illnesses and injuries. While most medical professionals in Los Angeles meet their duties to their patients in good faith, some unfortunately do not. Medical malpractice occurs whenever a medical professional injures a patient through negligence or intentional misconduct of any kind.

Experienced Legal Representation for Medical Malpractice Cases in Los Angeles, CA

If you suffered an injury while under the care of a medical professional in Los Angeles, a medical malpractice attorney is an essential resource to consult. You could hold the at-fault party accountable for the harm they’ve done, including repaying you for the cost of the corrective medical treatment you needed and your other damages. A medical malpractice claim is technically a type of personal injury case, but there are special rules you must follow if you want to succeed. An experienced Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney is an essential asset if you want to maximize your recovery from this type of incident.

The attorneys at Easton & Easton have years of experience helping clients through all types of personal injury cases in Los Angeles, including medical malpractice claims. We know how to help you meet the strict procedural rules in place for these cases and the various challenges you may face in seeking compensation for the losses you suffered. Whatever your case entails, you can trust our team to provide ongoing support and guidance through all stages of your recovery efforts.

Los Angeles Medical Malpractice Lawyer

How to Establish Fault in a Medical Malpractice Claim

Medicine is one of the most challenging fields due to the inherent uncertainty surrounding the countless possible injuries and illnesses the human body might experience. Two people could be diagnosed with the exact same condition yet have vastly different symptoms and experiences. What works to treat one patient may not be effective for another, and many doctors are compelled to use their best judgment when it comes to treating their patients.

The term “standard of care” is central to most medical malpractice cases. This term defines the level of treatment that a patient requires for their diagnosis. The medical community determines the most appropriate methods of treating specific conditions based on the latest scientific research, and medical professionals are required to adhere to the standard of care their patient requires at all times. Professional negligence or intentional misconduct of any kind that causes harm to a patient may not only lead to the defendant facing substantial liability for the damage they’ve done, but also professional consequences including loss of their medical license.

Success with your medical malpractice suit in Los Angeles is likely to require you to prove that the defendant directly caused your claimed damages through their failure to meet the standard of care you required. Alternatively, you may need to prove their intentional misconduct resulted in your damages. A few of the most common types of medical malpractice claims our firm represents in Los Angeles include:

  • Diagnostic errors. Any doctor who is required to diagnose a patient must do so following an appropriate differential diagnosis procedure. Failure to diagnose, providing an inaccurate diagnosis, or failure to diagnose a patient in a timely fashion are a few of the most commonly cited types of diagnostic errors that can lead to medical malpractice claims.
  • Surgical errors. Surgery is inherently risky, and even minimally invasive procedures carry a degree of risk for a patient. If a surgeon makes a critical mistake during surgery they must correct it immediately and take full responsibility. Surgery errors can cause catastrophic harm to patients and sometimes impose long-term or permanent disabilities.
  • Informed consent violations. Medical professionals must ensure patients have the ability to provide informed consent to any suggested medical treatment. This means the patient must be fully advised as to the potential risks and alleged benefits of any proposed treatment. Willful violation of informed consent is a major issue for any healthcare professional and they are likely to face disciplinary action from their medical board along with liability for the victim’s damages if they commit such violations willfully for any reason.
  • Medication errors. Doctors who prescribe medications must do so following strict guidelines and always ensure proper dosages and instructions for their patients. Pharmacists are legally obligated to ensure they fill prescriptions accurately for all patients. If a patient suffers any adverse effects from a prescription, fault may fall to their prescribing doctor or the pharmacist who incorrectly filled the prescription.
  • Birth injuries. Any injury to a child during the birthing process can lead to lifelong disabilities. Cerebral palsy is a common example of this resulting from oxygen deprivation and brain damage during delivery. If a physician or nurse is negligent in any way during childbirth, both the mother and the baby are at risk of injury.

Whatever type of medical malpractice you experienced, you face a few procedural requirements before you actually file your case and seek compensation from the defendant. You must provide advance warning of your intention to file your claim to the defendant, and this Notice of Intent to File Suit must be sent at least 90 days prior to the filing of your case. You must also secure a statement from a medical professional who has the same certifications as the defendant, explaining how they violated the standard of care in the situation and what they should have done differently. Once you meet these requirements, you can file your case and seek compensation for the losses you suffered.

Claiming Compensation for Medical Malpractice in Los Angeles

Like most other personal injury cases, a medical malpractice suit could yield compensation for all economic losses you suffered because of the defendant’s actions. Under California’s medical malpractice laws, the plaintiff has the right to claim:

  • Compensation for any corrective medical treatment they need to fully recover from the harm done by the defendant. If your injury caused you to face additional medical expenses, the defendant is responsible for paying for these treatment costs. Your attorney can help calculate all immediate and future medical expenses you can cite as economic damages in your medical malpractice suit.
  • Repayment of lost income. If you cannot work during your recovery from the injury the defendant caused, they are responsible for repaying the income you were unable to earn during this time. This applies to vacation time or hours of paid time off you needed to use in the aftermath of your injury.
  • Lost future earnings. Many people who are seriously injured by medical malpractice cannot work for long periods of time, or they could be left unable to work at all in the future. If your experience diminished your earning capacity, the defendant must repay these anticipated future losses, compensating you for the future income you are no longer able to earn.

Along with these economic damages, you also have the right to seek compensation for your pain and suffering. However, while state law does not limit pain and suffering for most personal injury cases, there is a cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. A recently approved law took effect on January 1, 2023, increasing the previous cap of $250,000 to $350,000 for non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. This increases to $500,000 if medical malpractice results in wrongful death. Your Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney can help secure as much compensation as possible for the pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life you suffered due to the defendant’s malpractice.

When you choose Easton & Easton to represent your medical malpractice claim in Los Angeles, our goal will be to maximize your total compensation as much as state law allows. We have the experience necessary to uncover every channel of compensation available to you, and we know how to streamline your proceedings to shorten the time it takes you to receive your compensation. Every victim of medical malpractice will face unique challenges as they seek compensation for their damages, and the right attorney is an invaluable asset to anyone in this difficult situation.

Medical Malpractice Lawyer FAQs

Q: What Does a Los Angeles Medical Malpractice Attorney Do?

A: Hiring legal counsel to help with your medical malpractice claim means you can focus on your recovery as your legal team manages your case on your behalf. They can help you meet the legal prerequisites of your case and assist you in establishing liability for your damages. Medical malpractice claims fall within the purview of personal injury law, but there are specific rules you must follow for this type of claim to be successful. Your attorney can help you meet all applicable requirements and seek maximum compensation for the damages you suffered.

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Claim for Medical Malpractice in Los Angeles?

A: California law allows the plaintiff in a medical malpractice case to claim full repayment of all the financial losses they suffered from their experience. These may include the cost of corrective medical care, lost income during the time they could not work in recovery, and lost future income if they are too disabled to return to work due to their injury. Unfortunately, damages in medical malpractice claims are more restrictive than in other personal injury cases. State law recently increased the cap on non-economic damages to $350,000 and $500,000 for cases involving wrongful death, and this cap will increase each year until 2034. Your Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney can provide you with an estimate of the total compensation you could potentially recover from your case.

Q: How Long Do I Have to File a Medical Malpractice Case in Los Angeles?

A: There is a three-year statute of limitations on most medical malpractice claims. However, if the injury is not immediately noticeable, the discovery rule can apply, and the plaintiff would have one year from the date they discovered their injury to file their claim. Alternative statutes of limitations may apply in other cases, such as when a defendant uses fraud or other concealment to hide the harm they have done or if a surgeon leaves a medical device inside of a patient’s body after surgery. It’s ideal to contact legal counsel you can trust and start the claim filing process as soon as possible.

Q: How Do You Prove Medical Malpractice?

A: Success with your medical malpractice suit in Los Angeles requires proving that the defendant directly caused your claimed damages through their failure to meet the standard of care you required for your condition. The standard of care is the minimum level of medical treatment a diagnosis requires, and all medical professionals must adhere to the standard of care for every patient they treat. Your Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney can be invaluable for gathering the evidence you will need to prove you suffered medical malpractice, such as a letter of support from a qualified medical professional who can explain how the defendant breached your standard of care.

Q: How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Los Angeles Medical Malpractice Attorney?

A: The attorneys at Easton & Easton will not make your economic situation worse with expensive attorney’s fees as your case unfolds. We take these cases on a contingency basis, only collecting our fee once we have won compensation for our client. Your contingency fee will be a portion of the total amount of compensation we win from your claim, and you pay nothing if we are unsuccessful with your case for any reason.

The attorneys at Easton & Easton have years of experience helping clients in Los Angeles and surrounding communities with all types of personal injury cases, including complex medical malpractice suits. We know how difficult it can be for the average person to approach this type of case and the many questions they are likely to have in terms of their recovery options. The sooner you connect with our team, the sooner we can start guiding you through your proceedings and helping you reach the case award you deserve. Contact us today and set up a consult with a Los Angeles medical malpractice attorney you can trust with your recovery.

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The superior client service Easton & Easton provides has earned the firm an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Best Law Firms Orange County 2020

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.

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Top 100 Trial Lawyers

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.

The Best Lawyers in America

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.

Top 50 Personal Injury Verdicts in California 2016

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.

Super Lawyers

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.

10 Best Personal Injury Law Firms in all of Southern California

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Premier 100 Trial Attorneys for 2015

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.

Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum

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.

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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.

10 Best 2015 Client Satisfaction

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.

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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.

The National Top 40 Trial Lawyers Under 40

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.

Avvo Rating Top Attorney Personal Injury

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.

Nation's Premier Top Ten Attorney Personal Injury

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.

Nation's Premier Top Ten Attorney Personal Injury

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.

Nation's Top One Percent

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Orange County Personal Injury Lawyer | Costa Mesa Auto Accident Attorney | Catastrophic Injuries

“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.”

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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…

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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…
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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…

Sofia Sanchez

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…

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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…

Logan Ross

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!!

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Ashlee A.

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.

Jeffrey N.

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!

Mark B.

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.

Vamsi P.

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!

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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.

Claudia C.

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

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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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