Ann Arbor Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Trusted Medical Malpractice Lawyer in Ann Arbor, MI

Every day, thousands of people in Ann Arbor and surrounding areas trust medical professionals to provide safe and effective medical care.

Unfortunately, not all medical personnel meet the required duty of care.

Medical negligence is a leading cause of accidental deaths and injuries throughout the United States. When medical professionals fail in their professional obligations to prevent harm to their patients, it leads to costly corrective medical treatment, lost income, and even permanent injuries for some victims.

Once you’ve been there, you understand. Patients are injured or maimed by medical mistakes and errors. Sometimes they die. Lives are turned upside down. Families are left devastated.

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC helps injured patients and their families understand their legal options and pursue claims involving serious medical negligence.

If a medical mistake has upended your life, you don’t have to face it alone. Contact us today for a consultation.

Serving Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County, Michigan

Medical negligence can leave patients and their families facing additional treatment, permanent disabilities, lost income, overwhelming expenses, or the loss of a loved one.

When something goes wrong during treatment, determining exactly what happened requires a detailed investigation into medical records, provider conduct, and the applicable standard of care.

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC represents patients and families in Ann Arbor with focused legal guidance and extensive experience handling medical malpractice and serious injury litigation.

What sets an Ann Arbor malpractice case apart:

• Major medical institutions. Ann Arbor is home to University of Michigan Health and Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital, which together handle a high volume of complex surgical, obstetric, and specialty care.
• A local court and jury pool. Medical malpractice lawsuits arising in the area typically proceed through the Washtenaw County Trial Court, located on East Huron Street in downtown Ann Arbor, where the judge and jury pool are drawn from the same county where the treatment took place.
• A thorough, standards-based review. Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC helps clients evaluate medical records, consult appropriate experts, and determine whether the care provided complied with the applicable professional standard.

Communities we serve:

• Downtown Ann Arbor, Kerrytown, Burns Park, Lower Burns Park, Water Hill, Old West Side, and Northside
• Surrounding communities including Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, and Pittsfield Township

That local focus means the firm is familiar with the specific hospitals and health systems patients in these communities are most likely to have been treated at, which can speed up the early stages of an investigation.

If you live in one of these communities and believe a provider’s mistake caused you harm, contact us to discuss what happened.

Medical Errors Can Be Life-Changing

With advancements in medical science and technology, U.S. health care should be exceptionally safe.

It is not.

Hundreds of thousands of patients are injured or killed each year by the mistakes of medical professionals.

The impact of medical malpractice is devastating. Patients and families are left overwhelmed and shattered. When it happens, you need an experienced legal team that will investigate what happened and pursue full and fair compensation on your behalf.

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, has litigated Michigan medical malpractice cases for 30 years. Our aggressive advocacy in complex cases helps clients pursue compensation for negligence and preventable errors by medical providers.

Doctors can’t cure or save every patient. But they can be held accountable for mistakes, poor decisions or substandard care that results in serious injury or death. Our trial lawyers have secured significant verdicts and settlements in a wide range of cases:

• Birth injuries and gynecology malpractice
• Surgery and anesthesia errors
• Emergency room malpractice
• Failure to diagnose cancer at an early stage
• Failure to diagnose life-threatening conditions like heart attack or stroke
• Other malpractice of doctors, nurses and hospital staff
• Hospital-acquired infections, including sepsis

We are well-prepared to handle cases involving medical professional negligence such as:

• Surgeon errors and mistakes
• Anesthesiologist errors
• OB/GYN negligence and malpractice
• Emergency room errors and mistakes
• Doctor malpractice
• Nurse malpractice
• Chiropractor malpractice
• Hospital malpractice
• Pediatric malpractice

Estimates vary, but preventable errors cause tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of U.S. deaths a year. Patient safety experts agree the number is too high either way.

Why File A Medical Malpractice Suit?

Instead of holding doctors accountable for bad choices that harm patients, Michigan has enacted laws that protect hospitals, doctors and their insurance companies. These laws include arbitrary caps on the compensation an injured patient or his or her family can receive for their human losses. There are laws that keep important evidence away from juries and allow negligent doctors to escape accountability. Other laws make medical malpractice claims very expensive to pursue. All are designed to keep injured patients from seeking justice in our court system.

The law firm of Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, helps level the playing field for the average individual. Our Ann Arbor medical malpractice attorneys conduct a thorough investigation and invest in top medical experts around the country who can pinpoint how doctors and medical personnel deviated from the standard of care.

Read more about how our experienced Ann Arbor medical malpractice attorneys prove malpractice.

Our accomplished trial lawyers are regularly sought by firms outside Michigan as local counsel in medical malpractice litigation. We also welcome case referrals.

Why Do I Need an Ann Arbor Medical Malpractice Lawyer?

Attempting to handle any personal injury claim on your own is difficult and risky.

Even though it may be technically possible to manage your claim successfully on your own, the actual process is far more complex than many people realize. Also, handling the various procedural steps your medical malpractice claim entails can be incredibly challenging while you are already struggling with a painful recovery.

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC, has years of experience providing comprehensive and compassionate legal counsel to victims of medical malpractice throughout Michigan. Our team understands that no two claims are exactly alike, and we take time to get to know every client we represent. We know that client-focused legal representation is the best way to ensure the fullest recovery possible.

Medical Malpractice Claims We Handle

Medical malpractice takes many forms, and our team can provide the comprehensive legal representation you need for your case. Some of the most commonly filed medical malpractice claims in Michigan pertain to:

• Surgical errors. If a surgeon performs a procedure incorrectly, they may be able to fix the problem immediately with no harm done to the patient. However, if they make a severe mistake that harms the patient or fail to monitor the patient’s vital signs correctly during the procedure, these missteps can result in tremendous harm.
• Anesthesia errors. Whenever a patient requires anesthesia for a procedure, the attending medical team must ensure the patient receives the correct medication in the correct dosage. Any negligent mistakes with anesthesia can be severely damaging or even life-threatening to the patient.
• Birth injuries. Childbirth requires constant monitoring of both the mother and her child, and the attending medical staff must follow appropriate procedures when handling childbirth. Birth injuries can easily result in permanent disabilities for an infant or life-threatening medical complications for the mother.
• Birth trauma. Birth trauma is often underreported. It’s what happens when a mother experiences severe psychological distress during or after childbirth. Such trauma can have lasting consequences.
• Emergency room malpractice. Emergency rooms can be chaotic, but the medical staff responsible for addressing emergency room patients must do so with the utmost care and attention. When negligence prevents an emergency room patient from receiving the treatment they need, or when ER doctors make negligent errors in treatment, patients can suffer devastating effects.
• Hospital-acquired infections. Infections such as sepsis can take hold when hospital staff fail to follow basic sanitation, monitoring, or hand-hygiene protocols during a patient’s stay. Left unmanaged, these infections can turn a routine procedure into a life-threatening emergency.

These are only a few examples of the types of medical malpractice claims that might manifest in the Ann Arbor, MI, area. Therefore, if you believe your recent experience constitutes grounds for legal action, it is essential to contact an experienced Ann Arbor medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible.

Can I Claim Compensation for Medical Malpractice?

Medical malpractice can easily result in tremendous losses for the affected patient and their family. Under Michigan’s personal injury laws, a medical malpractice claim plaintiff has the right to seek total compensation for all economic losses directly resulting from the malpractice they experienced.

These economic damages can include any additional medical expenses the plaintiff incurred for necessary corrective treatment. They may also include lost income if the plaintiff cannot return to work due to their injury.

Michigan law also allows plaintiffs in medical malpractice claims to seek compensation for their pain and suffering. However, state law places limits on this category of damages, known as noneconomic damages, and those limits are adjusted every year.

Our experienced Ann Arbor medical malpractice attorneys can walk you through how these limits apply to the specific facts of your case.

Start Your Claim Today

Time is critical for most personal injury claims in Michigan, but this is especially true for medical malpractice cases with a much shorter statute of limitations.

Additionally, acting quickly to build your case ensures the freshness of evidence you may need to substantiate your claim. Therefore, the sooner you connect with an Ann Arbor medical malpractice attorney, the better your chances are of protecting your right to fair compensation.

You don’t have to sort through what happened by yourself. Reach out to Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC for a consultation, and let us help you find out what your next step should be.

FAQs About Medical Malpractice in Ann Arbor, MI

What counts as medical malpractice in Michigan?

Medical malpractice happens when a doctor, nurse, or other health care provider fails to meet the accepted standard of care and that failure causes injury. Common examples include surgical errors, birth injuries, and a delayed diagnosis of a serious illness.

How do I start a medical malpractice claim in Michigan?

Michigan requires you to send healthcare providers a formal Notice of Intent before filing a lawsuit, along with an affidavit of merit signed by a qualified medical expert. Our guide on how to sue for medical malpractice in Michigan walks through each step.

How long do I have to file a medical malpractice claim in Michigan?

Michigan sets a strict deadline for filing, and the exact timeline depends on when the malpractice happened and when it was discovered. Because these rules are complex, it’s best to speak with an attorney as soon as you suspect something went wrong.

Does Michigan limit the amount of compensation I can recover?

Michigan does not cap economic damages such as medical bills and lost income, but it does place annual limits on noneconomic damages like pain and suffering, under MCL 600.1483. An attorney can explain how these limits may affect your specific case.

What hospitals in the Ann Arbor area does your firm handle malpractice claims against?

We investigate malpractice claims involving major regional providers, including University of Michigan Health, Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital, and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, as well as smaller clinics and private practices.

Do I need a Notice of Intent before suing a doctor in Michigan?

Yes. Michigan law requires a written Notice of Intent to be sent to every healthcare provider you plan to sue before you file your lawsuit. Skipping this step can delay or even end your case.

Can I sue a nurse or hospital staff member for malpractice in Michigan?

Yes. Nurses, technicians, and other hospital staff can be held responsible for negligence just like doctors, and the hospital itself can also be held liable for the actions of its employees.

Areas We Serve

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC represents patients and families in Ann Arbor and throughout Washtenaw County in claims involving surgical errors, anesthesia mistakes, birth injuries, emergency room negligence, misdiagnosis, hospital malpractice, and serious infections.

Our legal team includes Stephen B. Goethel, Chad D. Engelhardt, and Jennifer A. Engelhardt. The firm serves clients from Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Pittsfield Township, and other Washtenaw County communities.

If you believe negligent treatment at a hospital, clinic, or private medical practice caused an injury, contact Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC to discuss what happened and learn about your legal options.

Ann Arbor, MI Medical Malpractice Law Additional Resources:

• How to Find a Medical Malpractice Attorney in Michigan
• What Constitutes Medical Malpractice in Michigan?
• How to Prove Medical Malpractice in Michigan
• Is It Hard to Win a Medical Malpractice Case in Michigan?
• Average Medical Malpractice Settlement in Michigan

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC Ann Arbor Office

Goethel Engelhardt, PLLC | Ann Arbor Medical Malpractice Lawyer | cmtjustice.com | Last Updated: August 2026