Seattle Office: (206) 462-4334 | Tacoma Office: (253) 777-0799 | New York Office: (212) 300-2444
Elizabeth P. Calora
Partner
Contact Me:
(253) 777-0799

elizabeth@pcvalaw.com
Practice Areas:
Education
  • University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, Washington
    • J.D. – 2009
  • University of Puget Sound
    • B.A. – 2003
    • Major: French and International Affairs
Honors
  • The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, “Lawyer Of The Year” In the Seattle Area for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs, 2024
  • Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • Selected to Thomson Reuters Washington Super Lawyers, 2022-2023
  • Selected to Thomson Reuters Washington Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, 2018–2021
Bar Admissions
  • Washington
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Washington
Biography

As a child, Elizabeth Calora learned firsthand the devastating impact of medical negligence when her uncle was paralyzed as a result of a physician’s gross error. When the medical provider failed to accept responsibility, her uncle was forced to hire a medical malpractice attorney who demanded accountability and obtained justice for her uncle. The resulting settlement allowed her uncle to live an independent and meaningful life, with access to adapted vehicles and modification of his home. Elizabeth was struck by how the plaintiff’s attorney leveled the playing field for her uncle against the medical provider and his insurer.

More than 20 years after her uncle was paralyzed, Elizabeth adopts that same approach for her seriously injured clients. Since joining PCVA, Elizabeth has dedicated her practice to helping people who, like her uncle, have suffered catastrophic damages at the hands of others.

She works tirelessly to learn the smallest details about her clients and the complex medical issues of their cases. At trial, Elizabeth can paint a picture of who the client was before an incident and how significantly their life has since changed, in a way that resonates with jurors to yield a positive result.

Elizabeth is not afraid to tackle big cases or go up against heavily funded defendants. Her approach to cases includes accessing all of the facts from the defense side, as well as the plaintiff side, to give her clients the best chance of success. Her peers describe Elizabeth as humble, trustworthy, tenacious, and having one of the best analytical minds.

One of Elizabeth’s particular strengths is securing protection for her clients — at the time and in the future. She makes sure they don’t overpay, their medical bills are handled properly and settlements are structured to provide ongoing financial security. In one case, she was proud to be able to send a client an extra $80,000 that was garnered through careful negotiation of a lien.

For years, Elizabeth has been actively involved in the leadership of Washington Women Lawyers (WWL), where she currently serves as the past president of the organization. She also volunteers for the University of Puget Sound by participating in admissions events and the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) Network, and as a volunteer judge for mock trials at local law schools. She brings her focus on community service to the firm, where she marshals her colleagues in helping homeless children and providing back-to-school supplies for Tacoma students in need.

When Elizabeth is not advocating for her clients, she is traveling the world to meet her goal of visiting 50 countries before her 50th birthday.

Professional Associations
  • Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, Member
  • King County Bar Association, Member
  • Robert J. Bryan Inn of Court, Member
  • Washington Women Lawyers, Past-President, 2022-2023, President, 2021-2022; President-Elect, 2020 – 2021; Secretary, 2019 – 2020; Annual Event Chair, 2018 – 2019
  • Washington State Association for Justice, Co-Chair, Medical Negligence section, 2020 – 2021; Convention Chair, 2018
  • American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Member
  • Pierce County Washington Women Lawyers, Past President, 2014 – 2015; Board Member, 2012 – 2015
  • University of Puget Sound, Alumni Council
  • Federal Bar Association, Western District of Washington

Published Works

  • The Danger in Evaluating COVID-19 Cases, Washington State Association for Justice Trial News, May 2022
  • Pediatric Sepsis: An Underappreciated Risk to Our Children, Washington State Association for Justice Trial News, May 2021
Representative Cases
  • $13.95 million medical malpractice jury verdict for a 17-year-old who suffered a catastrophic stroke during an elective cardiac procedure
  • $11 million medical malpractice settlement for a minor client due to delay in diagnosing bacterial meningitis resulting in neurological injury.
  • $6.25 million settlement for a woman with partial permanent vision loss due to delayed treatment of fulminant idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri).
  • $5.425 million auto accident settlement for a client struck by a motor vehicle in a crosswalk who suffered permanent serious injury
  • $5 million wrongful death settlement for a client struck by a motor vehicle and suffered serious injury resulting in her death.
  • $3.5 million medical malpractice settlement for an 84-year-old woman who suffered severe post-operative complications
  • $3.5 million wrongful death settlement for minor children of an immigrant single mother struck by a police vehicle resulting in her death at the scene.
  • $2.5 million medical malpractice settlement for client who suffered mold infection secondary to hospitalization.
  • $2.25 million medical malpractice settlement for client who suffered a delay in diagnosing anal cancer which resulted in colostomy.
  • $1.5 million class action settlement for more than 900 restaurant workers wrongfully denied pay for overtime and missed meal and rest breaks, tip pool violations and automatic service charge violations
  • $1.3 million personal injury settlement for a client who suffered major burns on 30% of her body when she tripped while carrying a large pot of hot oil
  • $1.2 million medical malpractice settlement for a widower whose wife died of a heart attack due to a delayed diagnosis during admission to the hospital
  • $1 million medical malpractice settlement for a client who suffered neurological deficits after the failure of a radiologist to diagnose an aneurysm
  • $750,000 medical malpractice settlement for a client who suffered partial permanent deficits after complications from a neurosurgical procedure
  • $300,000 sexual abuse jury verdict on behalf of a student diagnosed with autism who was aggressively harassed and bullied by fellow high school students, resulting in longstanding psychological trauma
  • $105,000 personal injury settlement for a client who suffered a facial injury from a malfunctioning freezer door