Phoenix Wrongful Medical Death Attorney

In Arizona, a member of your family is admitted to a hospital for lifesaving or health-restoring medical treatment and instead dies as a result of hospital error. The family is understandably devastated and may be thrown into financial turmoil as well, being left with a pile of medical bills and the loss of support of the deceased family member. A Phoenix wrongful death attorney can help you mitigate such a tragic time and hold the hospital accountable for their mishap. You may think that wrongful death claims are a rare occurrence, but recent data from a study published in the Journal of Patient Safety reveals that it is far from uncommon, and that hundreds of thousands of patients die and are otherwise injured a result of medical errors committed during a hospitalization. According to the research, the number of hospital deaths resulting from medical mistakes ranges from 210,000 to as high as 440,000, a number much higher than previous estimates.

What is a Wrongful Death?

In law, a wrongful death is the loss of a person’s life that results from the negligent, willful, or careless act of another. Wrongful death is a civil cause of action in which the estate and surviving family members of the deceased may claim monetary compensation for their financial and emotional damages along with the pre-death pain and suffering of the deceased.

Holding Hospitals and Doctors Accountable for Errors Resulting in Wrongful Death

These numbers are appalling and indicate a staggering amount of medical negligence. Most of the hospitals, doctors, and staff members responsible for this staggering loss of life are never held accountable for the deaths they’ve caused. As long as there continue to be no consequences for committing fatal medical errors, many hospitals will continue to allow unsafe practices and incompetent employees to put patients’ lives at risk.

If any of your family members were admitted to a hospital and died unexpectedly, and you have good reason to believe the death was due to medical negligence or malpractice, you should consult a Phoenix wrongful death attorney who will help you determine if there is enough evidence to bring an action for a wrongful death claim against the hospital.

Proving Wrongful Death Due to Medical Malpractice

Medical malpractice cases are always difficult and challenging in Arizona, requiring a Phoenix wrongful death lawyer with very specific skills and experience in this type of legal action. When choosing a wrongful death lawyer to represent your family, these are some factors to look for:

• An extensive history of obtaining high dollar value awards in medical malpractice and wrongful death cases
• Knowledge of medical terminology, practice, and procedures
• Access to respected doctors and other medical specialists who can analyze medical records and testify as to expected standards of medical practice in Arizona
• Sufficient resources to cover the high cost of medical malpractice litigation
• Willingness and competence to take your case to trial if doesn’t settle out of court
• Ability to overcome the common bias of jury members in favor of doctors
• Ability to prove causation when a patient has died prematurely of a medical condition that might have been fatal even without the error
• Commitment to open, regular communication with clients

Demanding Professional Accountability

Many families are in emotional turmoil following the unexpected and premature death of a loved one in a hospital and do not feel ready to face a legal battle right away. Or they may have always held the medical profession in high esteem and are reluctant to blame the doctor or hospital for the death, even in the face of compelling evidence of wrongdoing. Unfortunately, the reluctance of survivors to hold incompetent, negligent, and careless healthcare professionals accountable for the wrongful loss of human life only helps to perpetuate the problem. If we don’t insist on professional accountability, more people will die unnecessarily.

Where to Get Legal Help in Phoenix

In Phoenix and the surrounding area, you will find the legal skill, knowledge, and passion for justice that is required in a medical malpractice/wrongful death action at the law firm of Knapp & Roberts. Our Phoenix injury attorneys have a long and impressive history of bringing in substantial monetary awards in complex medical malpractice and wrongful death cases. We work with highly respected medical professionals who help us locate when and where the medical error occurred, how the error was the direct cause of the person’s death, and where the medical treatment deviated from the expected standard of practice in Arizona’s medical community.

We are a well-established firm with the financial resources to advance all the costs of investigating and preparing these cases, which are not insignificant. You only pay us if we win money for you, so as a client, you risk nothing.

At Knapp & Roberts, our wrongful death and personal injury attorneys are committed to our client’s goals and needs. We respect your need to know how your case is progressing at all times and provide regular updates. And we promptly return all phone calls and emails.

Contact Knapp & Roberts to arrange a free consultation to talk to us about your case. Legal time limits apply, so call today to protect your right to justice.