SPOKANE, Wash. — This summer, the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Rights Clinic through the Gonzaga Law School’s Clinical Legal Programs achieved a groundbreaking resolution in a medical malpractice case.
The university said the resolution is the largest settlement for a client in the law school's history.
The university said three weeks ago, a client reached out to the LGBTQ+ Rights Clinic after contracting HIV after an injury they sustained at work. Potential issues beyond health care coverage were later identified, and the university said an investigation "suggested a breach of medical care standards by the provider who initially treated the injury, meaning the HIV contraction could have been prevented."
The university said the clinic initially tried to refer the case to a local attorney, but due to risks and uncertain outcomes, students and their supervisor took on the case.
The university said 11 students spent almost 700 hours over three years and nine semesters litigating the case.
"Being part of this case was incredibly rewarding. I gained invaluable skills in client communications, legal research, and writing," Madison Monigold, who worked on the case, said. "I’m proud and grateful to have contributed to such a meaningful case that paved a path to justice for our client.”
With the help from students, volunteers, experts, clinic staff, donors and more, the case reached a successful resolution through mediation.
“The clinic gave me a new chance at life," the client said. "The students and staff were empathetic and went far beyond what I thought possible. This settlement will have a lasting impact, and I will always be thankful to the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Rights clinic for saving my life in many ways.”