Strong Advocates
For the Injured And For A Safer Iowa

Iowa Medical Malpractice Lawyers Who Will Not Rest Without Seeking Real Answers

Studies have found that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States with an estimated 98,000 – 440,000 deaths each year. Millions more are seriously harmed by such errors. In Iowa, studies estimate that as many as 4,300 people die each year and 112,000 are seriously harmed as a result of medical errors.

Recent polls show that one in five Iowans believes they have been the victim of a medical error. Countless lives are shattered or taken away at the hands of health care professions Iowans trust to heal them when negligence leads to medical malpractice. The medical malpractice laws in Iowa allow injured and aggrieved patients and families to pursue justice against negligent doctors, hospitals and other health care providers.

For decades now, the attorneys at Galligan Law have been leaders at the forefront of the fight to get justice for people harmed through medical malpractice in Iowa.

We Value Your Questions After A Bewildering Health Care Outcome

You are right to ask questions and to call us if you or a loved one has suffered a bad outcome in surgery or in another health care context. Asking what happened can lead to answers and some solace, even if a bad outcome was not likely caused by medical malpractice. Before filing a medical malpractice injury claim, our law firm has a nurse-and-doctor team to review steps that were followed before a medical mistake apparently occurred. This process allows us to identify good cases for litigation.

The field of medicine is not perfect. Many negative outcomes cannot be proven to have been caused by negligence. A bad result can sometimes occur despite good care. However, the medical profession tends to use a deny-and-defend posture. You do not have to simply feel blindsided or bewildered without recourse after you or a loved one suffered worsening health after an operation, an emergency room visit or the issuing of a prescription. We help Iowans break through barriers and get answers.

We Offer Experience In A Range Of Birth Injury, Diagnosis, Surgical And Other Medical Error Cases

Our Iowa medical malpractice attorneys and dedicated staff bring broad experience, expertise, care and commitment to each medical malpractice case we take on. We’ve evaluated and handled cases involving nearly every aspect of medical care, including those based on:

Birth injuries, including negligent prenatal/pregnancy care or delivery that results in severe birth injuries – including cerebral palsy and Erb’s palsy
Improper operative delivery from the use of vacuum extraction or forceps
Failure to obtain informed consent and advise an expectant mother of material risks and alternatives to vaginal delivery
Failure to test a pregnant mother for group B streptococcus (GBS) and/or take measures to protect the newborn from pneumonia, meningitis and other life-threatening conditions
Failure to diagnose cancer and commence treatment in a timely manner
Surgical errors, including injury to nearby anatomy, operation on the wrong body part, performance of unnecessary surgery, negligent surgical technique, retained surgical devices, failure to obtain informed consent, or failure to properly respond to expected and known surgical complications
Diagnosis errors and delays, and missed diagnosis of diseases, illnesses, injuries and other treatable conditions
Radiology errors involving misread or misinterpreted X-rays, MRIs, ultrasound or other test results
Anesthesia errors
Communication errors
Failure to obtain informed consent for a procedure or treatment, including explaining and offering alternatives
Improper or incorrect treatment
Prescriptions errors
Hospital negligence, including nursing malpractice, emergency room errors, and prescription medication errors, and negligent hiring, training or communications

We Carefully Review And Select New Cases

At Galligan Law, we evaluate every potential medical malpractice case through a careful, multistage review process. During our review process, we involve our attorneys, staff, nurse reviewers, and sometimes medical experts to determine if a case has merit and meets our case selection criteria. Our case review process is deliberate, thorough and rigorous because medical malpractice cases are the most complex, expensive, and difficult cases to pursue and win in court. As Des Moines medical malpractice attorneys at Galligan Law, we take our obligation to our clients very seriously.

Our commitment is to only take our clients through the difficult legal process when we believe we can achieve a successful result. Our review of your potential medical malpractice case is free. You will only be charged for costs expended in the review of your case if there ends up being a successful outcome in your case and a financial recovery on your behalf.

First Step – Intake Interview

Our case review process begins with an interview with a member of our staff to gather background and factual information about you, the medical care in question, the resulting harm, and any other pertinent information or any specific concerns you may have. A medical malpractice attorney will then review and evaluate the information you provide, and determine if your case has legal and medical merit and meets our case selection criteria.

If the attorney reviewing the information you provide concludes that your case does not have legal/medical merit or does not meet our case selection criteria, you will promptly be notified so that you can pursue your case with another attorney if you so choose. In some instances, before making a decision, the medical malpractice attorney of Galligan Law arranges for a time to meet with you in person or by phone to learn additional information about you and your case. If the reviewing attorney concludes that your case has merit and meets our case selection criteria, we will begin the process of collecting relevant medical records and engaging in a merit evaluation by an experienced and qualified nurse reviewer.

Step Two – Medical Records Gathering And Nurse Review

With authorization from you, we will contact all relevant medical providers and obtain your medical records for review. We will advance any costs associated with obtaining your medical records. You will only be required to reimburse these costs if there is a successful outcome in your case involving a financial recovery on your behalf. The process of obtaining medical records usually takes 30 to 60 days, depending on the medical provider involved. Our staff will diligently follow up with unresponsive medical providers to make sure that your records are collected as quickly as possible.

Once we have obtained all relevant medical records, an experienced and qualified nurse reviewer will carefully evaluate the records and conduct any necessary medical research to determine if the medical records will support a case for medical malpractice. The nurse review process usually takes 30 days to complete. Often, our nurse reviewer determines that important records are missing or additional records must be obtained for a complete evaluation, delaying the process. Great care is taken by reviewers at Galligan Law to ensure we have complete information before making a determination on whether a case meets our criteria for moving forward.

If our nurse reviewer, in consultation with a medical malpractice attorney, determines that your case does not have sufficient merit, we will inform you promptly of our decision and, upon request, provide you with a complete copy of your medical records that we’ve obtained. You will not be charged for our review if we decline to take your case.

If we determine that your case has merit, based upon our nurse review and consultation with our medical malpractice attorney, then the next step will be to send your case out for evaluation by a highly qualified expert(s) in the area(s) of medicine involved in your case.

Step Three – Expert Review

With decades at the forefront of Iowa medical malpractice law, Galligan Law has developed networks and relationships nationwide that provide access to highly qualified experts in every area of medicine. We only work with experts who are highly qualified in their medical specialty, who will evaluate medical malpractice cases based on sound science and current medical standards of care, and who will give us candid and unvarnished opinions about your case.

The expert review process usually takes 30 to 60 days or more depending on the number of different medical specialties involved and the schedules of the reviewing expert(s). We will advance any costs associated with obtaining an expert review of your case. You will only be required to reimburse these costs if there is a successful outcome in your case involving a financial recovery on your behalf.

If expert review(s) do not support a case for medical malpractice, we will notify you promptly that we will not be able to pursue your case. We will, upon request, provide you with copies of your medical records that we’ve obtained.

If our expert reviews support a meritorious medical malpractice case, we will recommend moving forward with the filing of a medical malpractice lawsuit against responsible health care providers.

We Stay Up To Date Through Continued Learning And Education In Medicine And Advocacy

Each year, medical malpractice attorneys of Galligan Law spend a substantial amount of time attending continuing education programs around the nation focused on topics of medicine as well as the investigation, prosecution and trial of medical malpractice cases. Staying informed keeps us sharp and ready to review each new case with fresh eyes.

Others look to us for leadership in the area of medical malpractice in Iowa. Attorney Brian P. Galligan has spoken numerous times at education programs both in our state and nationally on topics relating to medical malpractice and trial technique. You can be assured that your medical malpractice attorney of Galligan Law will be up to date on the latest research and thinking relating to medical malpractice law and trial technique.

We Maintain Active Memberships In National Medical Malpractice Attorney Groups

Attorney Brian P. Galligan is an engaged member of national groups attorneys focused on sharing ideas, best practices, techniques and education on issues related to medical malpractice law and the trial of medical malpractice cases. He attends regular meetings and education programs nationwide.

Mr. Galligan’s memberships include the Birth Trauma Litigation Group, Medical Negligence Information Exchange Group and Professional Negligence Section of the American Association for Justice. Membership in these groups keeps Mr. Galligan on top of the latest education and learning relating to medical malpractice, and provides a crucial resource for him that enhances his ability to effectively advocate for victims of medical malpractice in Iowa.

We Hope To Hear From You: Talk With A Highly Respected Iowa Medical Negligence Attorney

With vast experience and success representing and giving voice to injured and aggrieved Iowa patients and their families, Galligan Law is an unmatched resource for top-tier legal counsel and advocacy in your medical malpractice case. Call Local: 515-316-6179 or send a note online.

Our proven attorneys have gained the highest respect of the courts, defense lawyers and insurance companies for our experience, advocacy, competence and skill in fighting for our clients in medical malpractice cases. If you or a loved one has suffered serious harm or death as the result of medical malpractice, please reach out to request a free consultation with a proven Iowa medical malpractice attorney today. Contact us to have your medical malpractice case carefully reviewed by leaders in Iowa medical malpractice law.