Q. Who can sue for wrongful death?

A. In the state of Washington, the spouse and surviving dependent children may file a wrongful death claim. If the person who died is a dependent child, the parents may file a child death claim. Also, the personal representative of a deceased person’s estate may sue for damages. Under the Special Personal Injury Survival Statue, adult dependents can sue for damages as well (for example a parent who is dependent upon a child for care or support). A child can bring a claim for the loss of a parent even if the adult child is not dependent on the parent for support.

Read more FAQ about wrongful death or contact a Seattle wrongful death lawyer at our firm for your free legal consultation.

Home risks include cleaning products, pesticides, paints, or living near chemical plants, refineries or gas stations. A few of the effects of short-term exposure include dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, nausea and rashes. Long-term exposure can cause chronic or fatal diseases, including cancer, birth defects or neurological damage. Many of these side effects and illnesses can take years to develop.

State and federal laws make it the responsibility of manufacturers and companies to provide everyone with safe products and a safe working environment. Should injuries occur, compensation might include clean-up of the chemical substance, medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Rob also handles burn cases involving children or burn caused to adults in the workplace, such as electric shock or burn cases caused by power lines or other acts of negligence by third persons/companies.

Contact the Seattle chemical exposure lawyers at our firm today for your free and confidential consultation.

A. It is quite common for details to be incomplete at the time of an accident. After you go home, you mind replays the accident repeatedly. In the process, you become aware of details that you overlooked at first. While it is always challenging explaining why your story isn’t the same as you stated at the scene of the car accident, hiring a good personal injury attorney is one of the best ways to get the support you need for your side of the story.

Contact a Seattle Truck accident lawyer at our firm today.

A. The medical community provides the measuring stick as to what is the standard of care. This measuring stick is not as exact as a tape measure. It takes into account many variables. But the ultimate goal is to determine whether a physician or other health care professional acted in a manner consistent with or below the standard practices of other like professionals. This why the testimony of expert witnesses who have experience in the same practice area are essential for winning a medical malpractice suit.

Contact a Seattle medical malpractice lawyer at our firm today for a free consultation.

Personal Injury Success Stories: Brain Injury / Spinal Cord Injuries

• Jane Doe v. Health Care Center (Superior Court – confidentiality settlement). Patient suffered from horrific headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurred and double vision–was told she had the flu. Over several weeks no imaging studies were ordered of the patient’s brain to rule out an intracranial bleed or subarachnoid hemorrhage. Because of the failure of multiple healthcare providers to consider a subarachnoid hemorrhage and to rule one out by ordering a CT or MRI scan of the brain, the patient’s aneurysm ruptured, causing permanent brain damage.

Total settlement $2,500,000+

Read more success stories at Seattle brain injury lawyer.

Avoid bringing your car to the insurance company shop or the drive-through service. It provides the insurance company an opportunity to take photographs of you and observe you getting in and out of the car which it can use at a later date to argue you were not significantly injured. Insurance claims representatives are very skilled in building a case against you.

In dealing with your property damage, the insurers will frequently take the opportunity to evaluate you as a person, your injuries and your lifestyle. The information could later be used against you if you decide to make a claim for bodily injury. Have a friend take your car in for the damage appraisal or request the insurance company go to the location of the parked car. Obtain your own damage estimates and send them to the insurance adjuster.

To learn more contact a Seattle personal injury attorney for your free consultation.

No one can tell you exactly what your case is worth without fully evaluating all the facts.  In most cases, an evaluation cannot be performed until your medical condition has stabilized and you have reached maximum medical improvement. At that point in time, your claim may be ready to be evaluated.  An investigation will be performed and your doctor or other experts will need to provide final reports. We shall need to obtain all medical records and relevant documents to determine how a pre-existing condition may or may not have been impacted by your injury.

Further research of the relevant points of law and consultations with experts to assess the strengths of your case, weaknesses and your case value may be required.  If you would like our office to evaluate whether you have a case and the strengths of your case, please contact us. Email Rob at Rob@kornfeldlaw.com or call 1 (800) 282-4878 to schedule a free consultation or case evaluation over the telephone, by e-mail or in person at a convenient location for you, either at our main office, a satellite meeting location, in your home or at the hospital.

Contact our Lynnwood personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.

The Kornfeld Firm is experienced in handling traumatic brain injury cases resulting from medical negligence,  construction site or motor vehicle accidents, and maritime injuries aboard fishing and other types of vessels.

In the area of medical negligence, Rob Kornfeld has a special interest in handling cases involving a failure to diagnose intracranial aneurysms (aneurysms in the brain). Rob has handled cases of patients who have suffered catastrophic injuries caused by the failure to timely diagnose and treat a brain aneurysm. These cases have been caused by the negligence of primary care providers, family physicians, radiologists and other HMO providers who have failed to timely run diagnostic tests or have negligently read the scans.

Contact a Lynnwood brain injury lawyer at our firm today for your free consultation.

Q. Can I file a malpractice suit against someone who isn’t a doctor?

A. Yes. Anyone who provides health care can be guilty of not following the standard procedures in their area of medical expertise, including nurses, technicians, physical therapists, and others.

Q. How can I tell if my case involves medical malpractice or not?

A. Experiencing a poor medical outcome does not automatically equal medical malpractice. In order to prove that you are the victim of medical malpractice, you have to prove that you did not receive reasonable care. Where your injury occurred and the level of skills available in the location are also evaluated.  As a medical malpractice attorney I have handled many medical malpractice cases and am able to evaluate your information and assist you to determine if you have a case.

Q. What do I need to prove to establish a successful medical malpractice case?

A. To win a medical malpractice case, three things must be proven. 1) The defendant failed to act according to established medical practice standards when treating the injured party; 2) This failure to follow standard practice resulted in your injury or suffering; and 3) damages to the injured party. As you can see, medical malpractice cases are complicated and require expertise.

Q. How do I know what details are important enough to tell my attorney?

A. Assume that no detail is too minor to bring up. A medical malpractice attorney has far more experience than you at evaluating which details are significant. One of your “minor” details could prove pivotal in proving negligence.

Q. If I suspect that I have been the victim of negligence, how can I avoid tipping off the physician (or other health professional) that I am considering a lawsuit?

A. The following tips will help. First, if you are under the care of a physician, change doctors. If you must give a reason for changing doctors, give a reasonable response such as, “I would like a second opinion.” Having your new doctor request your medical records is routine, so it shouldn’t raise any concerns. You also have the legal right to request your medical records. Just make sure you don’t let on that you have been unhappy with your care. If a lawsuit is suspected, information can disappear.

Q. My doctor released my medical records to my employer. Can I sue?

A. It depends. Most medical records are confidential under HIPPA. Consulting a medical malpractice attorney can help you determine whether you have to disclose your records and whether or not you have a case.

Continue reading medical malpractice FAQs or contact a Lynnwood personal injury lawyer at our firm for your free consultation.

A. Wrongful death is a civil claim in which a person, loved one or family member seeks to recover a judgment as compensation for the passing of a loved one. Murder is a criminal judgment which seeks to compensate loved ones by punishing the perpetrator through time in prison. In some cases, while proof beyond a reasonable doubt cannot be proven, civil liability can still be secured.

Contact a Lynnwood Wrongful Death Lawyer at our firm today.