Best Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Des Moines, IA (2026)
For this evidence-based 2026 list, Des Moines malpractice lawyers are ranked using their practice focus and results, alongside reviews and professional history.
With the highest overall score, Monge & Associates tops this list. Though its published result concerns a delivery-driver injury, the firm has been operating a long time and receives strong client feedback. For a delayed birth and an Iowa nursing home death, RSH Legal publishes verdicts. Before calling, ask about the firm's experience with injuries like yours and who'll be handling your file. Check Iowa's malpractice rules for deadlines.
4.9158 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 158 reviews
Best for: Clients who value clear updates
Since its founding in 1993, Monge & Associates has built a long operating history. With a 4.9 rating across 158 reviews on its Google listing, the firm receives repeated client comments about quick responses and easy-to-follow explanations. The firm's leader is founding attorney Scott Monge.
Stood out in our review for its years of experience and the recognition it has earned.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
5.0125 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 125 reviews
Best for: Birth injury and nursing home claims
If you're considering a birth injury claim, RSH Legal's published $7 million verdict for the delayed birth of a child is a directly relevant result. After a serious fall led to death in an Iowa nursing home, the firm also reports a $6 million verdict. On the firm's site, you'll find cerebral palsy and nursing home neglect.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and the results it publishes.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
5.0747 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 747 reviews
Best for: Plastic surgery malpractice inquiries
Among Ben Lynch Law's listed practice areas, you'll find plastic surgery malpractice. If you've been injured following cosmetic surgery, that makes the firm relevant to ask, though it also handles employment disputes and criminal defense along with other matters. With a 5-star rating across 747 Google reviews, there's a substantial body of client feedback to read.
Stood out in our review for the recognition it has earned and what its clients say.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
Not sure who to call first?
Tell us what happened. A malpractice lawyer who serves Des Moines can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
4.8341 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 341 reviews
Best for: Birth injury and diagnostic claims
After doctors delayed a needed C-section, leaving Brendan Dixon with severe brain injury and lifelong disabilities, Morgan & Morgan reports a $37.8 million jury award in 2007. In that Hillsborough County case, the Coleman family was represented by attorneys Armando Lauritano and Keith Carter. It wasn't an Iowa result.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and the results it publishes.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.8112 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 112 reviews
Best for: Clients wanting clear process explanations
When you're trying to understand a medical negligence claim, consider the patient explanations and frequent updates clients describe receiving from Higgins Law Firm, PLLC. You'll find Stuart Higgins and Grant Rodgers listed as attorneys. Founded in 2011, the firm lists medical negligence alongside employment law, and its practice also includes family law along with criminal defense.
Stood out in our review for the recognition it has earned and what its clients say.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
Where they are in Des Moines
What clients say about these Des Moines lawyers
Google reviews of the firms on our lists, quoted as their clients wrote them and linked to where they were posted. We don't write, edit or pick reviews for pay.
C
Chad
August 2026 · Des Moines, Iowa
“I contacted RHS Legal for a free consultation. Everyone whom I interacted and spoke with was knowledgeable, friendly, concerned and prompt. Tina was my investigator, Lori handled my intake and Emily and Anna were fantastic attorneys to deal with. No matter what kind of case you are facing I personally recommend RHS...”
“We cannot say enough good things about Ben! He exceeded our expectations from start to finish. He was knowledgeable, professional, responsive, and genuinely cared about our case and our family. He took the time to explain everything, answered all of our questions, and made us feel confident and supported throughout...”
“Justin has been so thoughtful and helpful through this whole experience..I was truly lost and didn’t know what to do about my accident, but he put my mind at ease and took care of everything!..I would recommend him for anyone needing someone with his knowledge and experience..Should I ever need an attorney again, I...”
When you speak to the lawyer, give the treatment dates and when you learned of the injury. With a 6-year outer limit, Iowa generally allows 2 years from discovery or written notice. If the injury involved a child, have the lawyer check the rule for children.
Assess the medical care
If you have the chart or delivery notes, share those records connected to the injury. To assess whether treatment fell below the standard of care, ask how the firm will get a qualified medical opinion.
File and track the answer
If your lawyer accepts the claim and recommends filing, talk about the complaint (that's what starts the lawsuit). When the defendant answers, pay attention: Iowa's 60-day clock for serving the certificate of merit affidavit starts then.
Serve the expert affidavit
To address the standard of care and its breach, Iowa's required certificate of merit affidavit needs a qualified expert's signature. Before discovery begins, the affidavit must be served within 60 days of the defendant's answer.
Develop the case and discuss resolution
Ask the lawyer what happens during discovery (the exchange of case information) and possible settlement or trial steps. For each occurrence, Iowa caps non-economic damages against health care providers. Which amount applies depends on when the occurrence happened.
Malpractice claims in Des Moines: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in Iowa
The clock startsWhen you found out, or should have
Time to start a claim2 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
At the very most6 yearsafter the treatment, with a few exceptions
Limits on damages in Iowa
Pain and sufferingCapped at $250,000
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkWithin 60 days of the defendant's answer and before discovery, serve a certificate of merit affidavit signed by a qualified expert on the standard of care and its breach.
A written agreementThe share the lawyer takes, set out before work starts.
If you recover moneyThe agreed share and the case costs come out of it.
If the claim failsNo legal fee on a contingency agreement. Ask about costs.
If you choose contingency fees, which several listed firms offer, the lawyer gets a share of a recovery but no legal fee if your claim fails. That's separate from expenses. Alongside court fees, ask what you'll be charged for records and medical opinions. Because a free consultation doesn't cover expenses, find out whether the firm advances those costs or expects payment from you as the case moves along. Before you sign, ask how much of the recovery goes to the lawyer and how expenses come out. If there's no recovery, will you owe costs? There's no uniform percentage or expense arrangement stated by the listed firms.
Free consultations are offered by all seven listed firms. Contingency payment is offered by four.
What to bring to your first call
Treatment and what happened afterward, written in a brief timeline
When the care happened and when you first learned of the injury
Your chart and delivery or surgery notes, among other medical records
Who treated you: the clinicians' and hospitals' names
Records of related expenses, along with your medical bills
Letters or written notices you received from the hospital or insurer
If you have photos related to the injury, those too
Your child's birth date and age when care happened, if the claim is theirs
Questions to ask a lawyer
1What cases involving this treatment or injury have you handled?
2When I have questions, who'll answer and handle my file?
3When is the filing deadline for my situation?
4For the certificate of merit, how will you obtain the required medical opinion?
5If there's a recovery, how will you calculate your legal fee?
6If the claim succeeds or fails, who pays the case expenses?
7When decisions are made or the case progresses, how will you update me?
8What effect could Iowa's damages cap have on this claim?
Choose for the injury, then check the working relationship
Think first about the care that's worrying you. If the issue is a delayed delivery, you'll ask different questions about past work than for a missed diagnosis or nursing home fall. While RSH Legal publishes a delayed-birth verdict, Ben Lynch Law lists plastic surgery malpractice. Though those details help you decide whom to call, they don't tell you whether your own claim can go forward.
Has the firm handled similar cases? Even a large traffic-injury recovery won't tell you how the firm handles medical records or a disputed decision about treatment. With Monge & Associates' published delivery-driver recovery, you can see that difference. If you don't see listed results, ask the lawyer about relevant work, without asking for another client's private information.
Who'll review the chart and get a medical opinion explaining what went wrong?
Which lawyer will be handling your file? Find out how you'll get updates and who answers your routine questions.
When you check the office location, ask how meetings work. West Des Moines or Clive is home to some listed offices.
When reviews repeatedly mention communication problems, pay attention, but remember those comments may be about cases other than malpractice.
Discuss the deadline at the first conversation
You usually have 2 years under Iowa's filing statute, starting when you knew or reasonably should have known of the injury, or when you received written notice of it. There's also an outer limit of 6 years after the act or omission. When you talk to the lawyer, give the care dates and when you learned of the injury. Ask the lawyer, rather than choosing the clock's starting date yourself.
Ask how the firm will prepare Iowa's certificate of merit affidavit. A qualified expert must sign it, addressing the standard of care and its breach. The affidavit must be served within 60 days of the defendant's answer and before discovery (the exchange of case information). Have the firm explain its plan for meeting that requirement.
You can get a free consultation at every listed firm. When you use that conversation to discuss fit and fees, remember it's not a promise that the firm will accept your case. If contingency payment is offered, get the terms in writing and ask separately about the expenses of the case. If you're promised an outcome or pressured to sign before understanding who pays those expenses, watch out.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to file a malpractice claim in Des Moines?
When you knew or reasonably should have known of the injury, or received written notice of it, Iowa's general 2 years to file begins. After the act or omission, a 6-year outer limit also applies. Each date can affect your deadline differently. To work out how the rule applies to your treatment history, ask an Iowa lawyer.
Can I speak with a listed lawyer without paying for the consultation?
You can get a free consultation, according to all seven listed firms. Before the meeting, ask what it includes and which records you should send. Although the conversation is free, that doesn't mean the firm accepts your case or will pay its expenses. Before you sign, ask the lawyer to explain the fee agreement being proposed.
Does every firm on this list offer contingency fees?
Contingency fees are offered by four listed firms: Monge & Associates, RSH Legal, Morgan & Morgan and Reid Law Firm. Because the other firms' fee information doesn't confirm that arrangement, you'll need to ask them directly. If your claim fails under a contingency agreement, there's no legal fee; if there's a recovery, the lawyer receives a share. Have them explain expenses separately from the fee.
What medical review does an Iowa malpractice case need?
To address the standard of care and its breach, Iowa's required certificate of merit affidavit needs a qualified expert's signature. Before discovery, the affidavit must be served within 60 days of the defendant's answer. When you ask how the firm will prepare the affidavit, find out who'll review your records.
Are the deadlines different if my child was injured?
Yes, if your child was under 8 when the act happened, Iowa's separate rule requires filing by the tenth birthday or within the adult deadline, whichever is later. When you talk to the lawyer, give your child's birth date and treatment dates. To understand which deadline applies to your child, speak with an Iowa lawyer.
Does Iowa limit damages in medical malpractice cases?
Under Iowa's 2023 law, non-economic damages against health care providers are capped per occurrence. If a loss has no direct price tag, such as pain, it falls here. Although the limits rise 2.1 percent annually starting January 1, 2028, the applicable amount is the one in effect when the occurrence happened. Ask a lawyer how that cap would affect your situation.
How long will a malpractice claim take?
There's no single case duration stated by the listed firms. When asking what medical review your claim needs, also ask what could slow down or speed up work on your file. Although Iowa's 60-day certificate deadline begins with the defendant's answer, it doesn't set a timetable for resolving the whole case. As the case develops, ask to receive updates.
What should I do before calling a Des Moines malpractice lawyer?
When did treatment happen, and when did you first learn of the injury? Write that down. If part of your chart is missing, tell the lawyer, and gather the records you have, including bills and hospital letters. When looking at firms, check whether their listed work relates to your concern. What comparable cases have they handled, and what's the filing deadline?
Which firms can I ask about a loved one's death after medical care?
After a serious fall led to death in an Iowa nursing home, RSH Legal publishes a verdict involving that death. Alongside Reid Law Firm and Morgan & Morgan, Monge & Associates includes wrongful death among the topics on its site. Have they handled deaths involving care like your loved one's? To learn who may bring a claim and which deadlines apply, talk to an Iowa lawyer.
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