When a loved one dies due to a preventable surgical error, families face overwhelming grief compounded by the knowledge that their loss could have been avoided. Under Arizona law, certain family members may file a wrongful death claim to hold the responsible medical providers accountable and seek compensation for their devastating loss.
Surgical errors that lead to wrongful death represent some of the most tragic outcomes in medical care. These preventable mistakes occur during operations when surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, or other medical staff deviate from accepted standards of care. Whether through operating on the wrong body part, leaving surgical instruments inside a patient, administering incorrect anesthesia dosages, or failing to monitor vital signs, these errors destroy families and shatter the trust placed in healthcare providers. Arizona families deserve justice when medical negligence takes their loved one’s life, and understanding your legal rights is the first step toward accountability and financial recovery.
Life Justice Law Group provides compassionate, experienced representation to Gilbert families who have lost loved ones to surgical errors. Our team understands the profound pain of losing a family member to medical negligence and fights tirelessly to secure the compensation families need while they grieve. We offer free consultations and handle wrongful death cases on a contingency basis, which means families pay no fees unless we win their case. Call us at (480) 378-8088 to speak with a Gilbert surgical error wrongful death lawyer who will protect your rights and honor your loved one’s memory.
What Constitutes a Surgical Error Wrongful Death Case
A surgical error wrongful death case arises when a patient dies as the direct result of a preventable mistake made during or immediately after a surgical procedure. These cases fall under medical malpractice law, requiring proof that the healthcare provider failed to meet the accepted standard of care and that this failure directly caused the patient’s death. Not every surgical death qualifies as wrongful death, even when the outcome is tragic. The patient’s death must result from negligence, not from known risks that were properly disclosed or from complications that could not have been prevented despite proper care.
Arizona law defines wrongful death under A.R.S. § 12-611 as death caused by the wrongful act, neglect, or default of another person or entity. In surgical error cases, this typically involves proving that the surgeon or medical team acted negligently, that their negligence breached the standard of care expected of a reasonably competent medical professional in similar circumstances, and that this breach directly caused the patient’s death. The standard of care is established through expert medical testimony showing what a competent surgeon would have done in the same situation.
Common Types of Surgical Errors That Lead to Wrongful Death
Surgical errors take many forms, each with potentially fatal consequences. Understanding the most common types helps families recognize when negligence may have occurred and whether they have grounds for a wrongful death claim. These errors often result from systemic failures, inadequate communication, fatigue, or individual negligence within the surgical team.
Wrong-site, wrong-procedure, or wrong-patient surgery – These “never events” occur when surgical teams operate on the incorrect body part, perform the wrong procedure, or even operate on the wrong patient entirely. Despite established safety protocols requiring multiple verification steps, these errors still happen with devastating results. When a patient undergoes an unnecessary surgery or the correct surgery is delayed while their actual medical condition worsens, death can result.
Anesthesia errors – Anesthesiologists must carefully calculate medication dosages based on patient weight, medical history, and the procedure being performed. Administering too much anesthesia can cause brain damage, cardiac arrest, or death, while too little can result in a patient waking during surgery and experiencing trauma that leads to fatal complications. Failure to monitor oxygen levels, airway management problems, or neglecting to review a patient’s medication allergies can all prove fatal.
Surgical instruments or materials left inside the body – Retained surgical objects, including sponges, towels, or instruments, cause infections, internal bleeding, organ damage, and sepsis. While most surgical teams count instruments before and after procedures, miscounts happen due to distraction, emergency situations, or inadequate protocols. When these foreign objects remain undiscovered, they can cause slow deterioration leading to death days or weeks after the surgery.
Damage to surrounding organs or tissue – Surgeons working near vital organs, blood vessels, or nerves must exercise extreme care to avoid nicking or puncturing these structures. Accidental cuts to major blood vessels can cause fatal hemorrhaging, while damage to organs like the bowel can lead to peritonitis and septic shock. These errors often occur due to poor visualization, rushing, fatigue, or lack of technical skill.
Post-operative care failures – Many surgical deaths occur not in the operating room but in the hours and days following surgery when medical staff fail to monitor patients adequately. Undetected internal bleeding, infection, blood clots, or adverse medication reactions can kill patients when healthcare providers miss warning signs. Discharging patients too early without proper instructions or follow-up care also contributes to preventable deaths.
Inadequate preoperative planning – Surgeons must review patient medical histories, imaging studies, lab results, and other diagnostic information before operating. Failing to identify contraindications, anatomical abnormalities, or high-risk factors can lead to fatal complications during surgery. Operating without proper informed consent or rushing patients into unnecessary surgeries also constitutes negligence that can result in death.
The Arizona Wrongful Death Statute and Who Can File
Arizona’s wrongful death statute, A.R.S. § 12-611, establishes who has the legal right to file a wrongful death lawsuit after a surgical error. Understanding this statute is critical because only specific family members may bring these claims, and the order of priority is strictly defined by law. The statute exists to provide a legal remedy for those most affected financially and emotionally by the loss.
Under A.R.S. § 12-612, the exclusive representative of the decedent’s estate must file the wrongful death action. This representative is determined by a specific hierarchy. If the deceased person was married at the time of death, the surviving spouse has the first right to file and must do so within the statute of limitations period. If there is no surviving spouse or the spouse chooses not to file, the right passes to any surviving children. When no spouse or children exist, the parents of the deceased may file if still living.
The law protects the interests of all qualified beneficiaries even when only one person files the lawsuit. Damages recovered through a wrongful death claim are distributed among eligible family members according to Arizona intestacy laws, which govern how assets are divided when someone dies without a will. This means siblings, extended family, or unmarried partners generally cannot file wrongful death claims in Arizona, regardless of their emotional or financial relationship with the deceased.
Proving Medical Negligence in Surgical Error Cases
Establishing medical negligence in a surgical error wrongful death case requires meeting specific legal standards that go beyond simply showing a bad outcome occurred. Arizona law requires plaintiffs to prove four essential elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Each element must be established through compelling evidence and expert medical testimony.
The first element, duty, is typically straightforward in surgical cases because the surgeon-patient relationship establishes a clear duty to provide care meeting professional standards. This duty begins when the patient consents to treatment and continues through surgery and immediate post-operative care. The second element, breach of duty, requires showing the healthcare provider’s actions fell below the accepted standard of care. Arizona courts determine this standard through expert testimony from qualified medical professionals in the same specialty who can explain what a reasonably competent surgeon would have done in similar circumstances.
Causation presents the most challenging element in many surgical error cases. Plaintiffs must prove the breach of duty directly caused the patient’s death, not merely that negligence and death both occurred. This requires establishing that more likely than not, the patient would have survived if the surgeon had followed proper protocols. Defense attorneys often argue that patients died from underlying health conditions, surgical risks that were properly disclosed, or complications no surgeon could have prevented. Strong causation evidence includes medical records showing the timeline between the error and death, expert testimony linking the negligence to fatal complications, and elimination of other potential causes.
The Role of Medical Expert Witnesses
Medical expert witnesses provide the foundation for surgical error wrongful death cases because Arizona law generally requires expert testimony to establish the standard of care in medical malpractice claims. These experts must possess the qualifications, training, and experience to speak credibly about what should have happened during the surgery and where the healthcare providers fell short.
Qualified experts typically practice in the same medical specialty as the defendant. In surgical error cases, this usually means board-certified surgeons who regularly perform the type of procedure that resulted in death. These experts review all medical records, operative notes, imaging studies, pathology reports, and autopsy findings to form opinions about whether negligence occurred. They must be prepared to testify at depositions and trial, explaining complex medical concepts in terms judges and juries can understand.
The expert’s role extends beyond simply criticizing the defendant’s actions. They must affirmatively establish what the standard of care required, identify specific deviations from that standard, and explain the causal connection between those deviations and the patient’s death. In Arizona, plaintiffs must serve an affidavit of merit within certain timeframes, signed by a qualified expert, stating that the case has merit and the expert will testify that the defendant breached the standard of care. Without credible expert testimony, even cases involving obvious errors may fail because juries lack the medical knowledge to evaluate whether negligence occurred.
Damages Available in Surgical Error Wrongful Death Claims
Arizona law permits several categories of damages in wrongful death cases, each designed to compensate surviving family members for different types of losses they suffer. Understanding these damage categories helps families appreciate the full scope of compensation they may pursue and why thorough documentation of losses matters.
Economic damages – These tangible financial losses include medical expenses incurred before death, funeral and burial costs, and the loss of the deceased’s expected future earnings and benefits. Economic damages also encompass the value of services the deceased would have provided to the family, such as childcare, home maintenance, or eldercare. Calculating future lost earnings requires expert testimony from economists or forensic accountants who project what the deceased would have earned over their expected working life, accounting for raises, promotions, and inflation.
Non-economic damages – These subjective losses compensate for the emotional and relational harm families suffer. Arizona allows recovery for loss of companionship, loss of consortium, loss of guidance and nurturing for children, and the grief and mental anguish family members endure. Unlike some states, Arizona does not cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice wrongful death cases under A.R.S. § 12-572, meaning juries can award whatever amount they deem appropriate based on the evidence presented.
Punitive damages – Arizona permits punitive damages under A.R.S. § 12-613 when the defendant’s conduct involved reckless disregard for others’ safety or intentional harm. In surgical error cases, punitive damages may apply when surgeons operate while impaired by drugs or alcohol, falsify medical records to cover up errors, or demonstrate a pattern of negligence that shows conscious disregard for patient safety. These damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct in the future.
The Statute of Limitations for Arizona Wrongful Death Claims
Time limits for filing wrongful death lawsuits are strictly enforced in Arizona, and missing these deadlines permanently bars families from seeking justice regardless of how strong their case may be. Understanding these timeframes is critical because surgical error cases often involve complex medical record review that takes months, and families grieving a sudden loss may not realize their legal deadline is approaching.
Under A.R.S. § 12-542, wrongful death claims must generally be filed within two years from the date of death, not from the date of the surgical error. This distinction matters because sometimes patients survive for weeks or months after a surgical error before succumbing to complications. The two-year clock begins ticking on the date of death, giving families two years to investigate the circumstances, consult with attorneys, obtain medical records, secure expert opinions, and file a lawsuit.
Arizona recognizes a limited discovery rule exception in some medical malpractice cases, but wrongful death claims face stricter deadlines. If the surgical error was fraudulently concealed, courts may apply equitable tolling to extend the statute of limitations, but proving fraudulent concealment requires clear evidence that healthcare providers deliberately hid information about what happened. Simply failing to tell the family about an error does not constitute fraudulent concealment unless there was active deception.
How Hospitals and Insurance Companies Respond to Claims
When families file wrongful death claims against surgeons or hospitals, they face well-funded defense teams whose primary goal is minimizing liability and payouts. Understanding the tactics these defendants employ helps families prepare for the legal battle ahead and appreciate why experienced legal representation matters.
Hospitals typically involve their risk management departments immediately after a surgical error results in death. These departments investigate what happened, interview staff members, preserve or sometimes alter evidence, and coordinate the hospital’s legal defense. Many hospitals carry substantial malpractice insurance coverage but fight claims aggressively to avoid premium increases and protect their reputations. They employ defense attorneys who specialize in medical malpractice cases and have relationships with medical experts who regularly testify in favor of healthcare providers.
Insurance companies representing surgeons or hospitals use various strategies to avoid paying full compensation. They may offer quick, lowball settlements before families understand the full value of their claims, hoping grief and financial pressure will lead to acceptance. They aggressively challenge causation, arguing the patient died from underlying conditions rather than surgical negligence. They scrutinize the deceased’s medical history for pre-existing conditions or lifestyle factors they can blame for the death. Defense attorneys also attempt to limit damages by arguing the deceased had limited earning potential or short life expectancy.
Steps to Take After a Suspected Surgical Error Death
Families who suspect a loved one died due to a surgical error should take specific actions to protect their legal rights while managing their grief. These early steps can significantly impact the strength of a potential wrongful death claim, though nothing should take priority over the immediate emotional needs of the family.
The first priority is obtaining a complete copy of all medical records related to the surgery and subsequent treatment. Arizona law grants family members the right to access the deceased’s medical records under A.R.S. § 12-2293. Request records from the hospital, surgical center, and any healthcare providers who treated your loved one before or after the surgery. These records contain operative notes, anesthesia records, nursing notes, medication administration records, and vital sign documentation that may reveal what went wrong.
Preserve all physical evidence related to the death, including prescriptions, discharge instructions, bills, and any communications with healthcare providers. If the patient mentioned concerns about their care or unusual symptoms before death, document these statements in writing while memories remain fresh. Photographs of visible injuries or complications can also provide valuable evidence, though this may feel inappropriate during a time of mourning.
The Investigation Process in Surgical Error Cases
Building a strong wrongful death case requires a thorough investigation that reconstructs exactly what happened during and after the surgery. This investigation goes far beyond simply reading medical records and involves multiple experts examining different aspects of the care provided.
Attorneys working on these cases obtain and analyze the complete medical record, which often spans hundreds of pages. They look for inconsistencies in documentation, gaps in the timeline, evidence of alterations or late entries, and deviations from hospital protocols. Operating room logs show who was present during surgery and how long the procedure took. Anesthesia records document every medication given and vital signs throughout the operation. Nursing notes reveal post-operative monitoring and how staff responded to complications.
Medical experts review these records to identify where the standard of care was breached. They may request specific records the attorney did not initially obtain, such as the surgical consent form, preoperative testing results, or hospital policies and procedures. In some cases, experts visit the hospital to inspect the operating room and understand the physical layout and available equipment. Pathology reports and autopsy findings provide critical information about the cause of death and whether alternative explanations exist beyond the suspected surgical error.
Comparative Fault in Arizona Wrongful Death Cases
Arizona applies a pure comparative negligence system under A.R.S. § 12-2505, which can affect wrongful death claims when the deceased patient’s own actions may have contributed to their death. Understanding how comparative fault works helps families set realistic expectations about potential recovery and prepare for defense arguments that blame the victim.
Under pure comparative negligence, a plaintiff can recover damages even if the deceased was partially at fault, but the recovery is reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to the deceased. For example, if a jury awards $2 million in damages but finds the deceased 30 percent at fault, the final award would be $1.4 million. This differs from modified comparative negligence systems used in some states where plaintiffs cannot recover if they are more than 50 percent at fault.
Defense attorneys frequently raise comparative fault arguments in surgical error cases by pointing to patient behaviors that allegedly contributed to the death. They may argue the patient failed to follow preoperative instructions, such as fasting before surgery or stopping certain medications. They might claim the patient had unrevealed medical conditions, used tobacco or alcohol against medical advice, or failed to report symptoms of complications after surgery. Plaintiffs must counter these arguments with evidence showing the patient followed instructions and that any patient conduct was not a substantial contributing factor to the death.
Settlement vs. Trial in Wrongful Death Cases
Most surgical error wrongful death cases settle before trial, but some proceed to jury verdicts when parties cannot agree on liability or damages. Understanding the differences between settlement and trial helps families make informed decisions about their cases and prepare for the lengthy process ahead.
Settlement negotiations typically begin after both sides have exchanged evidence through discovery, taken depositions, and consulted with experts who have reviewed the medical records. The plaintiff’s attorney sends a demand letter outlining the case and requesting a specific settlement amount. The defendant’s insurance company responds with an offer, usually far below the demand. Multiple rounds of negotiation follow, sometimes involving mediators who help parties find common ground. Settlements have advantages including faster resolution, guaranteed compensation without trial risk, and privacy since settlement terms are typically confidential.
Trials become necessary when settlement offers are unreasonably low or defendants refuse to accept responsibility despite clear negligence. Arizona wrongful death trials are typically heard by juries who decide both liability and damages. The trial process involves jury selection, opening statements, witness testimony including medical experts from both sides, cross-examination, closing arguments, and jury deliberations. Trials can last days or weeks depending on case complexity. While trial verdicts can result in larger awards than settlement offers, they also carry the risk of losing entirely if the jury finds no negligence occurred.
How Medical Review Panels Are Not Required in Arizona
Unlike some states that require medical malpractice claims to go through pre-litigation review panels, Arizona does not mandate this process. Understanding Arizona’s approach helps families appreciate that they can file wrongful death lawsuits directly in court without first obtaining panel approval or review.
Some states established medical review panels in an attempt to reduce frivolous lawsuits and provide early case evaluation before expensive litigation begins. These panels typically consist of healthcare providers and attorneys who review evidence and issue non-binding opinions on whether malpractice occurred. States with mandatory panels often delay cases by months or years while waiting for panel hearings and decisions.
Arizona rejected this approach, allowing plaintiffs to file lawsuits directly in superior court. However, Arizona does require plaintiffs to serve an affidavit of merit under A.R.S. § 12-2603 within certain timeframes. This affidavit, signed by a qualified medical expert, must state the expert has reviewed the facts and has a good faith belief that the defendant breached the standard of care. This requirement serves a similar gatekeeping function as review panels by ensuring plaintiffs have expert support before proceeding with litigation, but it does not create the same delays or procedural hurdles that formal panel review systems impose.
The Impact of Hospital Policies and Protocols
Hospitals establish policies and procedures designed to prevent surgical errors and ensure patient safety. When surgical teams violate these protocols and patients die as a result, evidence of policy violations strengthens wrongful death claims by showing clear deviations from the hospital’s own standards, not just general medical standards.
Most hospitals have adopted Universal Protocol requirements developed by The Joint Commission, which mandate a pre-procedure verification process, marking the surgical site, and conducting a time-out immediately before beginning the operation. These steps involve the entire surgical team verbally confirming the correct patient, procedure, and surgical site. When teams skip these safety steps or perform them incompletely, they increase error risk substantially. Evidence that the surgical team violated Universal Protocol can demonstrate negligence more clearly than general arguments about standard of care.
Hospitals also maintain policies for medication administration, patient monitoring, equipment sterilization, blood transfusions, and responding to emergencies. Violations of these policies discovered through investigation and document review provide concrete evidence of negligence. Hospital committee meetings, incident reports, and quality assurance reviews sometimes reveal knowledge of systemic problems that contributed to a patient’s death. While hospitals may claim these documents are privileged, Arizona law provides some mechanisms for obtaining them through discovery when relevant to proving negligence.
Understanding Vicarious Liability and Hospital Responsibility
Families pursuing wrongful death claims after surgical errors must understand that both individual surgeons and hospitals may be liable for the death. Arizona law recognizes several theories under which hospitals share responsibility for surgical team negligence, and these theories can significantly impact the available insurance coverage and assets from which families can recover damages.
Vicarious liability – Hospitals are generally liable for the negligence of their employee surgeons, nurses, and other staff under the doctrine of respondeat superior. This means when a hospital employee commits malpractice within the scope of employment, the hospital bears legal responsibility for that negligence. The hospital cannot escape liability by arguing it did not personally commit the error. Vicarious liability is powerful because hospitals typically carry much larger insurance policies than individual practitioners, increasing the potential compensation available.
Independent contractor issues – Many surgeons maintain independent contractor status rather than being hospital employees, which hospitals argue exempts them from vicarious liability for surgical errors. However, Arizona courts have recognized exceptions to this general rule. When hospitals exercise control over how surgeons perform procedures, hold surgeons out as hospital employees, or patients reasonably believe surgeons are hospital employees, courts may still impose hospital liability despite independent contractor status.
Corporate negligence – Hospitals can be directly liable under corporate negligence theory for their own failures that contribute to patient deaths. This includes negligent credentialing of incompetent surgeons, failing to properly supervise medical staff, maintaining inadequate staffing levels, providing defective equipment, or ignoring known patterns of dangerous behavior by surgeons on staff. Corporate negligence claims focus on the hospital’s systemic failures rather than individual practitioner errors, and proving these claims often requires evidence of multiple similar incidents or hospital knowledge of problems that went uncorrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a wrongful death lawsuit after a surgical error in Gilbert?
Arizona law gives you two years from the date your loved one died to file a wrongful death lawsuit under A.R.S. § 12-542, not two years from when the surgical error occurred. If your family member survived for any period after the surgery before passing away from complications, the two-year countdown begins on the death date. Missing this deadline permanently prevents you from bringing a claim regardless of how strong your evidence of negligence is. However, gathering medical records, consulting experts, and building a solid case takes considerable time, so you should contact an attorney as soon as possible rather than waiting until the deadline approaches.
Can I sue if my loved one signed a consent form before surgery?
Yes, signing a surgical consent form does not prevent you from filing a wrongful death claim when negligence occurs. Consent forms acknowledge that patients understand the risks inherent in a procedure and agree to proceed despite those risks. They do not, however, give surgeons or hospitals permission to commit negligence or deviate from accepted standards of care. If your loved one died because the surgical team made a preventable error like operating on the wrong site, leaving instruments inside the body, or administering incorrect medication, the consent form provides no legal protection to the negligent parties.
What if the surgeon says the death was just a known complication?
Surgeons and hospitals often defend wrongful death claims by arguing the patient died from a known risk of surgery rather than negligence. While some surgical deaths do result from unavoidable complications despite proper care, many deaths that providers label as “complications” actually resulted from errors. The key distinction is whether the complication was preventable through proper technique, adequate monitoring, or appropriate response when warning signs appeared. An experienced wrongful death attorney will have medical experts review your case to determine whether the death truly was an unavoidable complication or resulted from substandard care that fell below what reasonably competent surgeons would have provided.
How much is a surgical error wrongful death case worth in Arizona?
The value of each wrongful death case depends on multiple factors unique to your situation, making it impossible to provide a specific dollar amount without reviewing the details of your case. Arizona allows recovery of economic damages including lost future earnings, medical expenses, and funeral costs, as well as non-economic damages for loss of companionship, guidance, and the grief your family suffers. Because Arizona does not cap damages in medical malpractice wrongful death cases under A.R.S. § 12-572, juries can award whatever they determine is appropriate based on the evidence. Cases involving younger victims with substantial earning potential and dependent children typically result in higher awards than cases involving elderly patients, though every life has value and every family deserves compensation for their loss.
Can I file a claim if my family member had pre-existing health conditions?
Yes, you can still pursue a wrongful death claim even if your loved one had pre-existing health conditions before the surgery. Surgeons must treat each patient according to their individual medical status and adjust their care to accommodate known health issues. If the surgical team failed to properly account for pre-existing conditions when planning or performing the surgery, or if they made errors that someone with those conditions could not survive, negligence may have occurred. Under the “eggshell plaintiff” principle, defendants must take victims as they find them, meaning they cannot escape liability by arguing the patient was more vulnerable than a healthy person would have been.
Will I have to testify at trial if I file a wrongful death lawsuit?
Most wrongful death cases settle before trial, so many plaintiffs never testify in court. However, if your case proceeds to trial, you will likely be asked to testify about your relationship with your loved one, how their death has impacted your life, and the losses you have suffered. Your attorney will thoroughly prepare you for this testimony through practice sessions so you feel comfortable and confident. Testimony in wrongful death cases focuses on the human impact of the loss rather than medical details, which experts will address. While testifying can feel emotionally difficult, many families find it provides an opportunity to honor their loved one’s memory and help the jury understand why justice and accountability matter.
What happens if the surgeon who made the error has moved or retired?
The surgeon who committed the surgical error does not need to still be practicing in Arizona for you to pursue a wrongful death claim. As long as the error occurred in Arizona and within the statute of limitations, you can file suit against the surgeon even if they have since relocated, retired, or stopped practicing medicine. The claim is filed against the surgeon individually and their malpractice insurance carrier, which remains obligated to defend and potentially pay claims arising from incidents that occurred while the policy was active. Additionally, you may have claims against the hospital or surgical center where the error occurred, and those entities remain local and subject to Arizona jurisdiction.
How does Arizona law determine who receives the money from a wrongful death settlement or verdict?
Arizona law specifies that wrongful death damages are distributed to surviving family members according to the state’s intestacy statutes, which govern how a deceased person’s estate is divided when they die without a will. Generally, a surviving spouse receives a substantial portion, with the remainder divided among surviving children. If no spouse or children survive, parents may receive the damages. The court ultimately determines the specific distribution based on the family circumstances and each survivor’s relationship to the deceased. Your attorney will work with the family to ensure the distribution is fair and follows Arizona law while respecting family dynamics and needs.
Contact a Gilbert Surgical Error Wrongful Death Lawyer Today
If your family has lost a loved one to a surgical error in Gilbert, you need experienced legal representation that understands both the complex medical issues and the devastating emotional impact of your loss. Life Justice Law Group has helped Arizona families hold negligent surgeons and hospitals accountable while securing the compensation needed to move forward after tragedy. Our team handles every aspect of your case with compassion and determination, allowing you to focus on healing while we fight for justice.
We offer free consultations to discuss your situation, answer your questions, and explain your legal options without any obligation or cost. Our wrongful death cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we successfully recover compensation for your family. Call Life Justice Law Group at (480) 378-8088 today to speak with a Gilbert surgical error wrongful death lawyer who will protect your rights, honor your loved one’s memory, and pursue the full compensation your family deserves.