What To Look For in a Medical Malpractice Attorney

The first question you should ask any prospective medical malpractice lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT is: what is your experience with cases like mine? Not only do you want an attorney with extensive legal experience, but you want that experience to extend to medical malpractice. You should also search for attorneys with a strong success rate. These law firms or lawyers should spend a significant amount of their time on malpractice cases. For example, you may search for a firm whose caseload is 75% personal injury and a high percentage of these cases involve medical malpractice.

Favorable Fee Schedules

Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee. This means that you only pay a fee for your legal services when you receive a settlement or judgment. However, this fee can be a significant portion of your settlement. You need to know how much of your settlement you will surrender to your attorneys. Also, if you don’t win your case, you won’t typically be held responsible for legal fees. However, you may be responsible for paying other fees, such as those for investigators, litigation support, etc.

Available Resources

Medical malpractice firms, e.g., Rasmussen & Miner: Personal Injury Attorney, can tell you that taking on doctors or medical facilities is expensive. However, the insurance companies used by medical professionals and facilities are adept at avoiding claim payments because they have extensive resources, aggressive legal teams and sufficient cash reserves to defend their clients. Most medical malpractice attorneys don’t get paid until or unless a settlement or final judgment is granted to their clients. This means that your attorneys are footing the legal and other bills until the case is over. Therefore, choose an attorney or firm with enough resources, including cash flows, to finish your case.

Medical Knowledge and Witnesses

As you search for a medical malpractice lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT, look for attorneys with medical knowledge. These professionals should have at least a general knowledge of medical terminology, be able to read medical records and understand the medical mistakes that can be made. They should have some knowledge of the human body. A reputable malpractice law firm, such as Rasmussen & Miner: Personal Injury Attorney, should also have a network of medical witnesses. These individuals can review your medical records and identify what caused your injury, when it occurred and why it happened. They are adept at testifying in court and explaining complicated medical procedures and terminology to the laypersons on the jury. These individuals also need to understand and be able to explain medical standards of care and the negligent actions of the doctors and hospital staff. Every Utah physician understands that they are always at risk of being sued for medical malpractice if something goes wrong with a patient. This is why doctors and other medical professionals carry medical malpractice insurance. While all doctors are at risk, there are certain areas of medical specialties that see more malpractice lawsuits filed against them than in other areas of medicine. No matter what type of medical professional causes a patient’s harm, however, a medical malpractice lawyer in Salt Lake City UT can help.