Billings, MT Medical Negligence Lawyer

Yellowstone Law Are The Advocates for Patients in Billings

When medical professionals fail in their duty of care, the violation of trust can feel blindsiding. After all, few professionals inspire as much confidence as doctors, nurses, and others in the medical field—most of us assume they are taking painstaking measures to protect us as patients.

Yellowstone Law works tirelessly and faithfully to rebuild trust with clients like you. We bring together the experience, resources, and community commitment that set us apart in Montana’s legal landscape.

Founded in 1987 as Colton Holm Law Firm and now operating as Yellowstone Law, you should retain your Billings medical negligence attorney from our team because:

• Our team has been serving injured Montanans for more than three decades
• We’ve built our reputation one case at a time, treating every client as if they are our first and only case—you’ll never question how important your case is to us
• Securing over $150 million in verdicts and settlements, including many notable recoveries in medical malpractice cases
• Offering a team of attorneys who possess a combined 81+ years of legal experience

What truly distinguishes our firm is our genuine commitment to the Billings community. We don’t just practice law here—we live here, raise our families here, and care deeply about our neighbors’ well-being. When medical professionals are operating dangerously, they’re endangering our loved ones, too. We take cases like yours personally.

How We May Prove You Are the Victim of a Negligent Medical Provider (or Multiple Negligent Providers)

Successfully proving medical negligence requires methodical preparation and urgent evidence gathering. Our legal team approaches each case with the thoroughness that complex medical issues demand, building compelling arguments that establish liability and demonstrate the full extent of your damages.

Some of the assets we may use to prove that you (or a loved one) are the victim of medical providers’ failures include:

• Pre-treatment documentation establishing your baseline health condition
• Hospital charts and nursing notes detailing the deterioration of your medical condition
• Diagnostic test results, possibly including X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and laboratory work
• Surgical reports and anesthesia records, if these were part of your treatment regimen
• Prescription records showing medications and dosage changes (especially if medication errors were part of the negligence you’ve suffered from)
• Follow-up care documentation revealing any complications or additional treatments related to your case

We will likely retain qualified medical professionals who can review your case and provide expert testimony. Such experts’ service may be critical, as we expect liable providers to claim that the harm you suffered was not preventable. Medical experts should say otherwise; their credentials will provide ample reason to believe them.

These Examples of Medical Negligence Can Help You Understand How Providers Fail Their Patients

Medical providers must always exercise caution, good judgment, and authentic compassion for the patient, and failure to do so can result in:

• Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis: Healthcare providers often fail to correctly identify a medical condition or take too long to reach the proper diagnosis. This is an issue that experts call a “prevalent and impactful problem,” and it’s also a potentially fatal problem.
• Surgical errors: These include operating on the wrong body part, leaving surgical instruments inside the patient’s body, causing damage to nearby organs or tissues during the procedure, or performing unnecessary surgical procedures.
• Medication mistakes: Medical professionals can prescribe the wrong medication or incorrect dosage for a patient’s condition. They may also fail to check for dangerous drug interactions with other medications the patient is taking, or they may administer medications incorrectly.
• Failure to obtain informed consent: Healthcare providers do not always adequately explain the risks, benefits, and alternative treatment options of a medical procedure before performing it.
• Birth injuries: Tragically, medical providers can commit errors in prenatal care or labor that lead to children suffering severe injuries.
• Anesthesia errors: Medical professionals who administer too much or too little anesthesia during surgical procedures commit negligence.
• Hospital-acquired infections: Healthcare-associated infections are especially surprising to patients, who assume that every medical facility is among the cleanest environments they could be in.

These are just a few examples of medical negligence. While doctors and their peers in the healthcare field have a complex, pressure-packed job, it is a job they accepted voluntarily. When these professionals fail to care for their patients as their oath compels them to, they can be held responsible for resulting harm.

Recoverable Damages in Medical Negligence Cases

Because our firm has served clients for more than 30 years, we have seen a large sample size of how medical negligence severely affects the victims. Some of the common damages we see in cases like yours are:

• Medical costs: Victims can claim reimbursement for all healthcare costs that resulted from the malpractice, including emergency care, corrective surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and any medical devices required for their condition.
• Lost income: Compensation covers the income a patient was unable to earn while recovering from their injuries, plus any permanent reduction in their ability to generate future earnings due to lasting impairments.
• Pain and suffering: Courts and settlement agreements often award monetary damages to acknowledge the physical discomfort, mental anguish, diminished enjoyment of life, and other forms of pain and suffering that patients endure because of medical errors.
• Loss of consortium: When the effects of medical negligence impact a victim’s interpersonal and familial relationships, they can claim loss of consortium.
• Disability and disfigurement: Patients should receive financial awards for any long-term and permanent changes to their physical appearance or functional abilities.
• Home and vehicle modifications: Courts recognize the financial burden of residential and transportation updates and purchases necessary to accommodate a patient’s new physical limitations or mobility requirements.
• Life care costs: This category covers the projected lifetime expenses for medical treatment, caregiver services, adaptive equipment, and other items and services adjacent to medical care.

Measurable medical errors (not counting the ones we don’t measure) are a $17.1 billion problem. For individual patients, the economic and non-economic costs of medical negligence are often far more than they can handle—and should not have to bear.

Wrongful Death Claims in Medical Negligence Cases

Wrongful death claims in medical negligence cases can arise from various circumstances throughout Billings’ healthcare system. Emergency room physicians who fail to diagnose heart attacks or strokes, surgeons whose errors cause fatal complications, or physicians who prescribe deadly drug interactions all may be liable for wrongful death when their negligence proves fatal.

Families can pursue compensation for burial costs, lost financial contributions the deceased would have provided, and the emotional support and guidance they can no longer receive.

Before We Get You Paid, We Must Identify Those Liable for Your Damages

Medical negligence cases often involve multiple parties who fell short of their duty to care for the patient’s well-being. Your Billings, MT medical negligence attorney from Yellowstone Law will identify every party responsible for your damages, and this may include:

• One or more individual physicians bear primary responsibility when their personal actions or decisions fall below accepted medical standards.
• Hospitals and healthcare institutions face liability through several legal theories. Direct liability occurs when hospitals fail in their own duties, such as maintaining safe facilities and providing adequate staffing levels. Vicarious liability makes hospitals responsible for negligent acts committed by employees.
• Anesthesiologists, radiologists, and other healthcare contractors may also be liable for any negligence that causes harm to patients.
• Nursing staff negligence can create liability for individual nurses and their employing institutions.

Additional parties who may face liability include:

• Physician groups and partnerships employing negligent doctors
• Consulting physicians who provide inadequate specialist opinions or treatment recommendations
• Pharmaceutical companies when defective medications or inadequate warnings contribute to patient harm
• Medical device manufacturers whose faulty products cause injuries during medical treatment
• Healthcare administrators whose policies or decisions compromise patient safety

Partnership and employment relationships within medical practices create additional liability considerations. Let our team untangle the complicated web of negligence and liability central to medical negligence cases like yours.

One study found that hospitals typically only cover about 22 percent of the cost of injuries resulting from medical malpractice, which suggests that others (possibly including victims) end up footing the bill. At Yellowstone Law, we use our legal acumen and resources to ensure the patient pays nothing for the cost of someone else’s medical negligence.

How Our Attorneys Will Help Your Case

When you entrust your medical negligence case to Yellowstone Law, you gain a dedicated legal team committed to pursuing justice while you focus on healing and recovery. Our comprehensive approach addresses every aspect of your case, from initial investigation through final resolution.

Upon hiring us, we will immediately begin preserving key evidence that might be lost or destroyed over time. Our evidence preservation process in cases like yours typically includes:

• Obtaining complete medical records from all healthcare providers involved in your care
• Securing relevant witness statements
• Identifying potential expert witnesses who can support your case
• Documenting physical evidence related to your injuries or treatment
• Preserving electronic and financial records before they can be altered or deleted

Our investigation extends beyond medical records to examine broader circumstances surrounding your care. We review hospital policies and procedures, staffing levels during treatment, equipment maintenance records, and any prior incidents involving the healthcare providers who treated you.

Qualified medical professionals typically form a cornerstone of strong medical negligence cases. We maintain relationships with respected physicians, nurses, and medical specialists across various fields who can provide expert testimony about the standard of care and how your treatment fell short of accepted medical practices.

We will handle all communication with insurance companies, opposing attorneys, and healthcare providers throughout your case. Medical malpractice insurers often contact patients directly after incidents occur, hoping to obtain statements or settlements that minimize their liability. We protect you from these tactics while building the strongest case for maximum compensation.

FAQs:

How is my case valued?

Our attorneys coordinate with medical professionals and life care planners to document the full extent of your damages, ensuring our compensation demands reflect current losses and future needs resulting from negligent medical care.

Who handles discovery and depositions?

Our team of skilled medical negligence attorneys have a network of healthcare providers and witnesses to analyze and support your case.

Will my attorney guide settlement negotiations?

Yes, your attorney will handle all negotiations with insurance companies and defense attorneys ensuring your rights are protected and you are not unfairly blamed.

Will my case go to trial?

Our medical negligence lawyers prepare for trial every step of the way. If negotiations fail they will be selecting a jury and presenting your evidence.

Contact Yellowstone Law Today for Your Free Consultation

Time is crucial in medical negligence cases due to Montana’s statute of limitations and the need to preserve evidence before it’s lost or destroyed. Don’t wait to learn about your legal rights and options. Contact us today to begin the process of seeking justice for the harm you’ve suffered.

Our office is conveniently located at 310 Grand Avenue in Billings, and we’re ready to meet with you at your convenience to discuss your case. Because Yellowstone Law will cover all case-related expenses and your lawyer will only receive a fee if they deliver compensation to you, there is no direct financial risk in hiring us for your case.

Call Yellowstone Law today at (406) 259-9986 to take the first step toward justice and recovery. Let our experienced Billings medical negligence attorneys help you understand your rights, evaluate your case, and fight for the compensation you deserve. Your recovery starts with a simple phone call.

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