Practice Areas

• Car & Motorcycle Accidents
• Crashes Caused by Trucks
• Medical Malpractice/ Doctor Mistakes
• Railroad Injury/ FELA
• Brain Damage/ Head Injuries
• Wrongful Death
• Slips, Trips & Falls
• Mass Transit (Airline, Train, Bus)
• Dangerous Drugs/ Product Recalls
• All Serious Injuries

HSInjury Blog

Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

• Medical Malpractice Victim Receives $2 Million Jury Verdict in Richmond Circuit Court
• Malpractice Reform Would Save Little Money, Harm Patients Already Injured
• Surgical Mistake Reportedly Led to Rep. Murtha’s Death

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Norfolk-Portsmouth Personal Injury Lawyer

• Wheelchair-Bound Suffolk Woman Hit, Killed While Crossing Street

Virginia Beach Personal Injury Lawyer

• Johnson & Johnson Internal Documents Reveal Unsavory and Potentially Illegal Marketing of Risperdal

Northeast NC Personal Injury Lawyer

• Are You a Victim of a Slip, Trip and Fall Accident?

Firm News

• New Hospital Plans to Decrease Number of Beds, Will Quality Improve?
  Posted on 3/6/2010
• Use of "safe-surgery checklist" could reduce medical mistakes
  Posted on 2/4/2010
• Virginia (VA) Jury Awards $7.5 Million in Failure to Diagnose Breast Cancer Case
  Posted on 6/5/2009
• West Virginia Family Files Medical Malpractice Suit For Woman’s High Blood Pressure Death
  Posted on 4/17/2009
• Virginia Pilot Demands That Dangerous Doctors Be Disciplined
  Posted on 4/1/2009

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Library

Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

• Surgical Instruments Left Inside Patients Can Cause Serious Injuries
• Here are some results from our medical malpractice and medical negligence cases. After you've reviewed them, give our firm a call at 1-800-752-0042.
• Medical Mistake in Rehabilitation Center Causes Death in Elderly Woman

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Most Common Surgical Errors in Virginia

Surgery is supposed to improve our health - and every day thousands of Americans put their lives in the hands of their surgeons to fix their ailments, conditions, and chronic health problems. However, not all surgeries are successful, and a significant number of surgeries actually harm the patient. In some cases, surgical errors lead to permanent injury, chronic pain, or even death.

How do surgical errors come about? There are many reasons, ranging from defective medical devices to negligent doctors to careless anesthesiologists. In some cases, surgeons could be overworked, sleep deprived, or in a rush to finish the job. In other cases, there may be a breach in communication, a mix-up, or a failure to understand the surgery itself. In still other cases, surgeons or other medical professionals may simply be inexperienced, under trained, or otherwise unprepared for the job.

Surgical errors are one of the most common types of medical malpractice, but are you familiar with the most common types of surgical errors?

· Infection. Especially after a surgery takes place, it is vital that your doctor recognize and properly treat infection. During the surgery, it is equally important that the surgery takes place in a clean and controlled operating room that prevents infections.

· Anesthesia errors. If a patient's vital signs are not properly monitored, the patient could suffer brain damage or death.

· Wrong operation. Failures in communication can result in the wrong operation taking place altogether, or the wrong body part receiving the operation.

· Leaving behind tools. Shockingly, it is somewhat common for patients to find surgical tools in their body in the weeks, months, and years after surgery. Patients have discovered clamps, sponges, and even scalpels in their bodies after surgery.

· Organ puncture. A slip of the knife could lead to terrible surgical complications and health problems.

· Bad surgical technique. Simply performing the surgery badly is considered a surgical error. This could be the result of fatigue, poor training, or an inattentive doctor.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.

How should you locate the best, top injury lawyer for your case?

Our Injury Lawyers Have Been Selected For Many Achievements Outlined Below:

Several  Injury Attorneys With Our Firm have been Named As Virginia "Super Lawyers" For Personal Injury Law  (Lewis, Shapiro - 2009 Ed.)(Less than 5% of Outstanding Lawyers are Chosen); also selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum (Lewis, Shapiro - 2009); named among the Top 100 Lawyers in Virginia by ATLA (Shapiro - 2009), and our law firm was the first Injury Law Firm in Virginia Invited to Join Primerus, a select group of Highly Ethical, Respected Law Firms .

In October, 2000 our law firm and co-counsel obtained, what was then, the largest record verdict in Virginia's history for an injured person (46 Million Dollar Verdict, with Interest, 60 Million Dollars, Settled confidentially during appeal).  Click on any icon for more details.

 

 

 

Geographical Areas:

Our personal injury lawyers handle personal injury cases throughout the eastern USA, and work closely with lawyers in other states on signficant injury cases.

As to Virginia (VA), this includes: Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, Richmond (entire area), Petersburg, Roanoke/Salem, Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, all areas of the Eastern Shore, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague, and Wallops Island, Ashland, Big Stone Gap and any other city/ounty.

As to West Virginia (WV) personal injury claims: Bluefield, Beckley, Bridgeport, Charles Town, Charleston, Fairmont, Huntington, Lewisburg, Madison, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Moundsville, Parkersburg, Ripley, Sutton, Weirton, Wheeling, and any other town or county.

Injury Lawyers licensed in VA, WV, NC, SC, KY & Wash., DC.

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Case Results

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE THAT EVERY CASE IS DIFFERENT, AND THE VERDICTS AND SETTLEMENTS MENTIONED ON THIS WEBSITE, WHILE ACCURATE, DO NOT REPRESENT WHAT WE MAY OBTAIN FOR YOU IN YOUR CASE.

Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

• Retained Surgical Sponge and Subsequent Complications

Awarded: $425,000.00 Settlement

• Failed Back Surgery

Awarded: The case was settled before the trial for 1.25 million dollars.

• Failure to Diagnose/ER Doctor/vascular incident (aortic aneurysim)

Awarded: $700,000.00

• Gastric Bypass (stomach stapling) Surgery complications

Awarded: $550,000.00 settlement during mediation.

• Gallbladder Surgery Error

Awarded: $425,000

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FAQs

Medical Malpractice/Doctor Mistakes

• A family member died in a nursing home, and after talking with members of the staff, it sounds like they died due to nursing home neglect. Should I get a lawyer?
  
  
• I have a feeling something is wrong at my family member's nursing home. What should I do if I suspect nursing home abuse or neglect?
  
  
• A family member died in a nursing home, and after talking with members of the staff, it sounds like they died due to nursing home neglect. Should I get a lawyer?
  
  

• What is the Virginia (VA) statute of limitations for personal injury in a medical malpractice case?

• What is the Virginia Medical Malpractice Cap and What Does It Mean to a Patient Injured by a Medical Mistake?

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InjuryBoard Resources

• Our Virginia Beach Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
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• All About Tort Reform
• Our Northeast North Carolina (NC) Personal Injury Lawyer Blog