We have all heard a similar joke, even from health care providers, that the last place you want to be if you are sick is the hospital.
Hospitals are dangerous places. In addition to infections, there are many other dangers of injury and death posed by hospitals that are preventable. An independent agency has determined that nearly a hundred thousand people die each year because of medical error in hospitals. These cases can arise from such mistakes as the improper administration of medication. Injuries in hosptials also arise from other human errors such as cutting on the wrong side of the body, or leaving surgical instruments such as sponges in a patient after an operation. Most of the deaths and injuries caused by human error in hospitals probably goes unreported and unaddressed. Only when the patient is catastrophically injured are families of the victim likely to contact a personal injury lawyer to find out what their rights are. Despite the staggering amount of risk posed to patients, hospitals have been slow to adopt measures to prevent medical errors that injure patients. In that sense, medical malpractice litigation has a goal, as a second goal after that of compensating the injured person, of increasing the pressure on hospitals and the medical community to improve patient safety. These types of claims can be a strong incentive for hospitals to change.
If you or a loved one has been hurt through medical negligence inside or outside of the hospital, please consider calling an attorney who is experienced in medical malpractice. Our firm has handled numerous cases of human error in the hospital setting. Particularly when a catastrophic and permanent injury has occurred, it is critical to contact a qualified attorney as soon as possible. As with other kinds of injury cases, the client does not owe us anything for our time unless and until we obtain a recovery for that person. In this way, your injury law firm has to make sure that the case is really one that is worth pursuing. This takes time and money. The sooner you contact us, the easier it will be for us to get a successful result for you. It never hurts to ask a question. I hope you will consider calling us if you have any questions in this area of medical negligence.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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