Because of its published medical negligence results and many reviews praising communication, Gina Corena & Associates leads this list. Before calling the firm, check that it handles deaths involving the same care or accident. Find out who'll review your file, then ask how costs are paid. When a death involves medical care, filing rules explained in the Nevada malpractice guide may apply.
5.0911 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 911 reviews
Best for: Deaths involving medical negligence
The medical negligence results Gina Corena & Associates publishes include $26.2 million, $5.7 million and $4.3 million. Its place on this list rests partly on those figures. Because the firm doesn't identify them as wrongful death recoveries, don't read them as predictions for another family's case.
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
4.8606 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 606 reviews
Best for: Surgical and medication error claims
If your family is concerned about treatment that led to a death, Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas discusses surgical and medication errors on its site. You'll also find wrongful death and birth injury there. When you call, ask about its published malpractice settlements of $3.7 million and $2 million for a spinal injury, both concrete results.
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
4.6955 Google reviewsRated 4.6 out of 5 on Google from 955 reviews
Best for: Malpractice and wrongful death claims
Although Shook & Stone's reviews describe supportive guidance, they give families reasons to question how the firm manages files. Patient explanations and advocacy draw praise from many clients. Across its 955 Google reviews, others describe administrative problems or delays, including missed communication, so that split deserves a look.
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
Not sure who to call first?
Tell us what happened. A malpractice lawyer who serves Las Vegas can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
4.81,485 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 1485 reviews
Best for: Birth injury and delayed delivery
Morgan & Morgan's published birth injury verdict gives families a specific medical negligence case to discuss. In 2007, a Hillsborough County jury awarded $37.8 million after doctors delayed a needed C-section, leaving Brendan Dixon with severe brain injury. It wasn't a Las Vegas result or a wrongful death case.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and how much of its work is medical malpractice.
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
4.91,034 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 1034 reviews
Best for: Nursing home neglect concerns
In 2003, Benson & Bingham Accident Injury Lawyers, LLC opened its practice. Besides offices in Downtown Las Vegas and Summerlin, it has locations in Henderson, Reno and Carson City. If your loved one died in residential care, its site's coverage of nursing home neglect and wrongful death may be relevant.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and its years of experience.
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
When you speak with the lawyer, give the treatment date and when your family learned something might have gone wrong. Injury and discovery dates determine Nevada's medical malpractice filing deadline. The date of death by itself won't tell you how long you have to file.
Examine the medical record
Ask who will read the chart and get a medical opinion before the lawyer prepares the complaint. The lawyer needs that review of the care to prepare the complaint, since Nevada requires an affidavit from a medical expert in a substantially similar practice area.
Prepare the complaint and affidavit
Each provider must be named in the affidavit, which must describe the specific negligent acts. When you file the complaint, the document starting the lawsuit, the affidavit must accompany it. If it's missing, Nevada dismisses the case without prejudice. When that happens, the dismissal doesn't decide the case's merits.
Document the claimed losses
To assess the claim, the lawyer needs to discuss bills and other losses. Regardless of how many defendants are involved, Nevada caps non-economic damages in professional negligence cases. That cap doesn't cover economic damages. For your family's claim, ask how those two rules apply.
Discuss resolution and updates
Ask the lawyer what to expect from settlement discussions or from going to trial before your case reaches either point. Published settlements and verdicts tell you about past cases, not what result your family will get or how long you'll wait. Agree with the lawyer on how you'll get updates.
Malpractice claims in Las Vegas: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in Nevada
The clock startsOn the day of the injury
Time to start a claim3 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
At the very most3 yearsafter the treatment, with a few exceptions
Limits on damages in Nevada
Pain and sufferingCapped at $590,000
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkFile an affidavit from a medical expert in a substantially similar practice area with the complaint, naming each provider and the specific negligent acts.
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.
Most firms here say they take a share of any recovery under a contingency agreement, which means no attorney fee is due if your claim fails. Case expenses are still separate, though. You may have court fees to pay as well as charges for medical records and medical opinions. The firms listed don't say who puts up that money or who pays the expenses if the claim fails. Ask before signing. Request written terms that show the lawyer's share and how expenses come out, especially anything you'd owe if the case recovers nothing. A free consultation doesn't settle those questions about what you'd pay.
All ten firms listed say you won't pay for the consultation. Contingency is how Eight say they work.
What to bring to your first call
Medical records you already have (include delivery notes if they matter here)
Dates of treatment and injury, followed by when you first thought something was wrong
Names of the doctors and nurses who were involved, and the facilities
Medical bills and other paperwork documenting the financial losses you're claiming
Messages or letters the hospital or insurer has sent to you
A short written timeline showing when treatment happened and when your loved one died
Photos or other records you want the lawyer to look at
Questions to ask a lawyer
1Have you handled a death claim involving this kind of treatment or accident before?
2Before work starts on the case, which lawyer will review our records and handle it?
3Which dates should we give you so you can work out our filing deadline?
4How will you arrange the medical expert affidavit if this is a malpractice claim?
5After deducting expenses, how is your fee calculated as a percentage of a recovery?
6If nothing is recovered, who pays the case expenses?
7When there are updates, how will we hear?
8After the free consultation, what happens if you decline the case?
Choose for the cause of death
Tell the lawyer what happened to your loved one first. You'll need to ask different questions about a treatment-related death than you would about a fatal vehicle accident. These firms have worked on both types of claims, but some published medical negligence results concern injuries rather than deaths. Ask whether they've handled the same procedure or care setting, not just whether they've recovered a large amount in an unrelated case.
Ask who'll read the chart and get a medical opinion if your loved one's death involved medical care. Nevada requires you to file an affidavit with the complaint, from a medical expert working in a substantially similar practice area. The affidavit has to name each provider and say what specific negligent acts they committed. Ask the lawyer how that requirement affects their review of your family's case before they start looking at it.
Use the consultation to test the fit
Ask if a lawyer will review your case before the firm decides whether to take it. Some reviews of Gina Corena & Associates and Lerner and Rowe question how the firms handle intake or evaluate cases.
Who will take your calls? Clients praise the support at Shook & Stone and Richard Harris Law Firm, but don't all agree about how well they're kept updated.
Ask what happened in the case behind a firm's published result. A birth injury verdict or spinal injury settlement doesn't tell you whether the firm has handled a fatal medication error.
Check where you'll meet and which language you can use. Several firms say they offer Spanish, but you won't find more than “Las Vegas area” for some office locations.
Every firm listed offers a consultation you don't pay for. You can discuss having the firm represent you at that meeting, but it hasn't accepted your case just by meeting you. A lawyer working on contingency takes a share of any recovery, meaning you don't pay an attorney fee if the claim fails. Ask what medical records cost, then check the charges for medical opinions and the court's fees. Who pays those expenses is worth asking if the claim recovers nothing.
Questions people ask
Which Las Vegas firm leads this wrongful death list?
Although its published results aren't identified as wrongful death recoveries, Gina Corena & Associates leads the ranking. Before you choose it, find out whether its work includes deaths involving the same treatment or accident that caused your loved one's death.
How long do we have to file after a death involving medical care?
If the injury occurred on or after October 1, 2023, Nevada requires filing within three years of injury or two years of actual or reasonably expected discovery, whichever comes first. If the injury was earlier, the limit is three years from injury or one year from discovery. Don't use these medical malpractice rules as the filing deadline for every wrongful death claim. To find out which clock applies to your family's case, ask a Nevada lawyer.
Can we speak with a lawyer without paying for the first consultation?
According to all ten firms on this list, you can get a free consultation. If the claim fails, Eight also say they charge no attorney fee under contingency arrangements; otherwise, the attorney receives a share of a recovery. Because case expenses are separate, ask who pays them. For Richard Harris Law Firm and Naqvi Injury Law, the contingency terms aren't confirmed.
What does a Nevada medical malpractice complaint need?
You'll need a medical expert affidavit to file the complaint in Nevada. The expert who provides it has to work in a substantially similar practice area. Nevada dismisses the case without prejudice if you don't submit an affidavit that names each provider and identifies their specific negligent acts. Ask who will read the chart and prepare the affidavit before the lawyer files your complaint.
How long will a wrongful death claim take?
You can't estimate how long a case will take from the information these firms provide. Although their published settlements and verdicts show past results, they don't tell you how long your claim might take. Before the lawyer decides whether to accept the case, ask what they need and what could slow down that review. While your family looks for representation, the filing deadline continues to apply.
Are damages capped when medical negligence causes a death?
Regardless of the number of defendants, Nevada limits non-economic damages in professional negligence cases with a cap. That cap doesn't cover economic damages. Although no cap amount is specified here, this page also doesn't address which losses your family can claim. To understand the damage categories and how they apply to a death involving medical treatment, speak with a Nevada lawyer.
Do children get extra time to bring medical malpractice claims?
To bring the claim, Nevada generally requires a parent or guardian to sue within the normal period. The child can't sue later if they don't. For brain damage or birth defect claims, exceptions extend the period until age ten; sterility claims have until two years after discovery. It's the child's malpractice claim these rules concern. Before assuming they extend a separate wrongful death claim, ask a Nevada lawyer how they apply to it.
What should we do first if a loved one died after hospital treatment?
When you write down the treatment dates, include when your family first suspected a problem. Before contacting a Nevada lawyer about the deadline, gather the medical records you have and add hospital messages and bills. To prepare for filing, ask who can bring the claim and how the medical expert affidavit would be prepared. The date of death isn't necessarily when the clock starts.
Which listed firms offer Spanish?
Along with Lerner and Rowe and De Castroverde Law, Ladah Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Las Vegas lists Spanish. Before discussing the medical history, ask whether the attorney handling your claim can do so in Spanish and how written communications will be handled. Even if the language arrangements help, ask whether the firm has handled work involving the circumstances of your loved one's death.
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