What Our Clients Say

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Why Clients Choose Us

You went above and beyond the call of duty for an attorney.
I like to deal with people who are honest and who keep their word. You are that kind of straight shooter.
I would recommend Mr. Shapiro and his staff to other persons who have a personal injury and need help with their situation as I did.
I asked a friend of mine...what attorney would he use [to handle a mesothelioma case] and he immediately said Rick Shapiro. He called Rick on his cell phone and explained our situation and handed me the phone. That connection to the law firm of Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis and Appleton began a relationship of trust and a sense of confidence that we had not experienced before. It was apparent to us that we had the right team fighting for our father.
She returned my calls promptly and everyone at the office was courteous and helpful.
I was really happy with the work that John Cooper did on my auto accident case. We went to mediation and got the case resolved for a good amount which will let me do things to help my financial future like buying a house.

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What Are The Most Common Types Of Medical Malpractice?

When you or a loved one becomes ill or needs surgery, you often put a lot of trust and faith into the doctors, nurses, and hospital involved with their recovery. Since you aren't a medical professional, it's difficult to know whether they are making the best decisions, giving you the correct tests, or making the right choices about your operations and medications. Unfortunately, medical malpractice/doctor mistakes relating to all of these issues is under reported and much more common than many would like to think. Do you know the major and most common types of medical malpractice?

1. Defective products. Sometimes it is not the doctor, anesthesiologist, or hospital that is at fault for your medical injury or wrongful death case. Somewhat often, the medical products used during your stay at the hospital are responsible and the manufacturers of the product have been negligent. The device may not met safety standards in some cases, while in others, a doctor may not have warned you about the specific side effects of a prescribed drug.

2. Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose. Sometimes the very first step in fighting a condition, disease or illness is missed - your doctor misses your diagnosis and your disease takes its toll on your body, or, worse, your doctor gives you a wrong diagnosis and treats you for a disease you don't have while your other condition worsens.

3. Anesthesia errors. Anesthesiologists are trained to make sure your anesthesia is administered correctly and safely - and the failure to do so can results in brain damage or even death.

4. Surgical errors. Surgical errors may be the easiest to spot when it comes to medical malpractice. The surgery is done incorrectly, the doctor makes mistakes, or there are complications due to the doctor's negligent care. These errors can led to pain and suffering, long-term or permanent disability, and death.

If you'd like more information, our firm published a consumer report entitled, "The Top 10 Tips from Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorneys."

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have extensive experience handling medical malpractice cases. Please take a moment to review our medical malpractice case results and visit our blog dedicated exclusively to medical malpractice and surgical error issues. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia if you've been seriously hurt by a doctor's carelessness. While not every injury case meets our criteria, we off a free, initial confidential injury case consultation, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail and we will return your call promptly.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the "Best Lawyers in America" 2010 Edition. Rick and Jim, along with fellow attorney John Cooper were named Virginia "Super Lawyers" For Personal Injury Law (2010, less than 5% of lawyers are chosen). Members of the firm have also been selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum (2009). In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. Our firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

We offer free special reports on the Top 10 Tips from a Medical Malpractice Insider and the Top 5 Surgical Errors You Must Know About. Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a public information service. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube.

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Main VA Office
1294 Diamond Springs Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Phone: (757)-460-7776
Fax: (757)-460-3428
Toll Free: 1-800-752-0042

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Hampton-Peninsula Area Office
Mill Point Center
101 Eaton Street
Hampton, Virginia 23669
Phone: (757)-788-8162

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101 E. Elizabeth Street
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
Toll Free: 1-800-752-0042

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Offices

Main VA Office
1294 Diamond Springs Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
Phone: (757)-460-7776
Fax: (757)-460-3428
Toll Free: 1-800-752-0042

Hampton-Peninsula Area Office
Mill Point Center
101 Eaton Street
Hampton, Virginia 23669
Phone: (757)-788-8162

North Carolina Office
101 E. Elizabeth Street
Elizabeth City, NC 27909
Toll Free: 1-800-752-0042

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.