Chattanooga Medical Malpractice Lawyer
Trial-Tested Advocates for Victims of Medical Negligence in Tennessee
When you put your trust in a doctor, hospital, or medical facility, you expect safe, competent care. You expect your condition to improve — not to suffer further harm because of preventable errors. At Whitfield Crosby & Flynn, we represent individuals and families in Chattanooga who have been seriously injured or lost loved ones due to medical malpractice.
Medical negligence cases are among the most complex and hard-fought in all of civil litigation. Hospitals have deep pockets, doctors have a code of silence, and their insurers are ready for a fight. They will deny fault, minimize harm, and hide behind confusing medical records and expert opinions. Our Chattanooga medical malpractice lawyers don’t back down from those challenges. We prepare every case for trial and pursue justice with the skill, resources, and determination required to win.
What Is Medical Malpractice?
Not every bad outcome is malpractice. But when a healthcare provider fails to meet the accepted standard of care — the level of competence and diligence that other Chattanooga healthcare professionals in the same field would exercise under similar circumstances — and that failure causes harm, the law allows victims to hold them accountable.
We represent clients in a wide range of malpractice cases, including:
- Surgical errors, including wrong-site surgery, retained surgical instruments, and anesthesia mistakes
- Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, especially of cancer, stroke, or infection
- Medication errors, such as incorrect dosing or dangerous drug interactions
- Birth injuries, including cerebral palsy, shoulder dystocia, and brain damage due to oxygen deprivation during a needlessly prolonged labor or delivery
- Emergency room negligence, including failure to recognize and treat life-threatening conditions
- Hospital negligence, including unsanitary conditions, understaffing, and communication breakdowns
- Post-operative care failures, including infection, internal bleeding, and failure to follow up
These cases often result in permanent, catastrophic injury — brain damage, paralysis, loss of organ function, or death. In some cases, the victim may not even know what went wrong until months or years later. These are the situations that demand legal expertise and dedication.
Tennessee Medical Malpractice Laws: What You Need to Know
Tennessee law places unique procedural hurdles in front of medical malpractice victims. Before filing a lawsuit, a patient must provide pre-suit notice to each defendant and include a certificate of good faith confirming that a qualified medical expert has reviewed the case and believes it has merit. Miss a deadline or fail to follow the rules, and your case can be dismissed before it ever gets to court.
There’s also a statute of limitations. In most cases, you have one year from the date of the injury — or from when the injury should have reasonably been discovered — to take legal action. However, the outer limit is three years from the date when the act of malpractice occurred, regardless of when you discovered it, unless fraud or concealment is involved.
These laws are designed to protect healthcare providers, not victims. That’s why you need a legal team that knows how to navigate the system, gather the right evidence, retain top-tier medical experts, and build a compelling case from the ground up.
Proving Medical Negligence in Chattanooga Isn’t Easy — But We Know How to Do It
Medical providers and their insurers rarely admit fault. Proving negligence requires a thorough understanding of complex medical issues and an ability to cut through technical language to tell a clear, compelling story — one that connects with juries and explains how a trusted professional violated the standard of care.
Our Chattanooga medical malpractice lawyers work with respected medical experts in every field, including:
- Internal medicine
- Surgery
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Oncology
- Neurology
- Emergency medicine
- Radiology
We know how to evaluate the records, ask the right questions, and hold negligent providers accountable in court. We don’t settle unless the offer fully reflects the severity of the harm and the long-term impact on your life or your family’s future.
Damages in Medical Malpractice Cases
Victims of malpractice may be entitled to a wide range of compensation under Tennessee law, including:
- Medical expenses, including hospitalization, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, and future care
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering, including physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement or disability
- Wrongful death damages, including funeral expenses and loss of financial and emotional support
Tennessee places a cap on non-economic damages in most medical malpractice cases — typically $750,000, or $1 million in cases involving catastrophic injuries such as paralysis, TBI, or the wrongful death of a minor child’s parent. However, there are exceptions in cases involving reckless conduct, destruction of records, or intentional harm.
We will evaluate all potential damages in your case and fight to recover every dollar the law allows.
Why Choose Whitfield Crosby & Flynn?
Medical malpractice litigation is not for dabblers. These cases demand deep legal knowledge, intensive preparation, and trial experience. Whitfield Crosby & Flynn brings all that and more to the table:
- We’re trial lawyers. We don’t just handle the paperwork — we build cases for the courtroom.
- We’re selective. We focus on serious injury and death cases with strong legal merit.
- We know how to win. Our record includes high-stakes victories against large institutions.
- We understand medical issues. We work with top experts and stay several steps ahead of the defense.
- We take the burden off your shoulders. From start to finish, we handle every aspect of the case.
Our Chattanooga team is proud to stand up for individuals and families who’ve been harmed by medical negligence. Whether you were injured at Erlanger, CHI Memorial, Parkridge, or another hospital or clinic in Chattanooga, we are ready to listen, investigate, and act.
Call Our Chattanooga Medical Malpractice Lawyers Today
If you suspect that you or a loved one was harmed by a medical provider’s negligence in Chattanooga, don’t wait. The deadlines are tight, and the road to justice can be long. The sooner we can get to work, the better your chances of success.
Contact the Chattanooga medical malpractice attorneys at Whitfield Crosby & Flynn today for a free, confidential consultation. We’ll give you straight answers, honest advice, and an aggressive plan of action. You don’t pay unless we win.