When a health care provider’s care falls below the accepted professional standard and that failure causes harm, California law provides a path to accountability. The first conversation with the firm is free and confidential.
Attorney Lilit Gevorgyan represents patients and families affected by substandard medical care throughout Los Angeles County from the firm’s office in Glendale. Medical malpractice is one of the firm’s primary practice areas, alongside personal injury, wrongful death, and elder abuse.
What California law requires
California law calls a claim against a doctor, hospital, or other health care provider for substandard care a claim for professional negligence, as defined in CCP 340.5. Professional negligence means “a negligent act or omission to act by a health care provider in the rendering of professional services, which act or omission is the proximate cause of a personal injury or wrongful death,” under CCP 340.5.
This page covers claims against private doctors, hospitals, and other private health care providers. Claims against a public hospital or another government agency follow different rules and are outside this page.
Not every bad medical outcome is medical malpractice. Whether a case is medical malpractice turns on two questions, whether the provider’s care fell below the accepted professional standard, and whether that failure caused the harm.
The two limits that shape every California malpractice case
California law limits noneconomic damages in a medical malpractice case, under Civil Code 3333.2. Noneconomic damages compensate for “pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical impairment, disfigurement and other nonpecuniary damage,” as Civil Code 3333.2 states. Economic damages, such as medical bills and lost wages, remain uncapped, as described in the firm’s 2026 MICRA cap update.
A patient generally must file a medical malpractice lawsuit within three years after the date of injury, or one year after the patient discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first, under CCP 340.5. Before filing a lawsuit against a health care provider, a patient must give the provider at least 90 days’ notice of intent to sue, under CCP 364. The notice must state the legal basis of the claim and describe the injuries suffered, with specifics, under CCP 364.
Deadlines can depend on your situation and on who the claim is against. Consult an attorney.
Fees are limited by statute
California law limits the contingency fee an attorney may charge in a medical malpractice case, under Bus. & Prof. Code 6146.
What to do right now in Los Angeles County
- The Medical Board of California investigates complaints against medical doctors, including complaints about quality of care such as misdiagnosis, treatment complications, and negligent care, and asks that complaints generally be submitted in writing to its Central Complaint Unit.
- The California Department of Public Health accepts complaints against health care facilities and routes each complaint to the district office responsible for that facility.
How the firm helps
- Medical record review, to determine whether care met the required professional standard.
- Consultation with qualified physicians, to evaluate causation and identify where failures occurred.
- Timeline analysis, to assess decisions, delays, and missed findings against what the standard of care required.
- Representation in medical malpractice and, where a patient has died, wrongful death matters.
These are among the most demanding cases in California law, given the special deadlines, damage caps under the MICRA framework, and a high evidentiary bar. For that reason, the firm’s first step is an objective evaluation of whether the medical records support a claim, what the realistic scope of recovery may be, and whether pursuing the claim serves the family’s interests.
Personal injury and medical malpractice matters are handled on a contingency-fee basis, and the fee in a medical malpractice case is limited by statute as described above. Costs and expenses may apply. The details are set out in a written engagement agreement before any representation begins. Every case is different, and results depend on the facts of each case.
Request a free consultation or call (310) 900-9300. Consultations and representation are available in English, Spanish, Russian, and Armenian.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as medical malpractice in California?
Medical malpractice occurs when a health care provider's care falls below the accepted professional standard and that failure causes injury or death. California law calls this professional negligence, defined in Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5. Not every bad medical outcome is malpractice.
What are the deadlines for a medical malpractice claim against a private doctor or hospital in Los Angeles?
Under Code of Civil Procedure section 340.5, a patient generally must file a lawsuit within three years after the date of injury, or one year after the patient discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury, whichever occurs first. Deadlines can depend on your situation and on who the claim is against. Consult an attorney.
Where is your office, and do you handle cases across Los Angeles County?
Our office is at 655 North Central Avenue, Suite 1700 in Glendale. Attorney Lilit Gevorgyan represents clients throughout Los Angeles County, and consultations are available by phone or video so you do not have to travel. The first conversation with the firm is free and confidential. Consultations and representation are available in English, Spanish, Russian, and Armenian.
