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Our hard-hitting attorneys get serious results for clients like you throughout the greater Washington D.C. area
Medical malpractice can happen to anyone, anywhere. Washington D.C. houses some of the most prestigious health institutions and research facilities in the nation, but even here, patients are subject to doctor error. Whether a mistake happens in the emergency room, the operating table, or during labor and delivery, you deserve to have your rights protected.
Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. is one of Washington D.C.’s premier medical malpractice law firms. With a full team comprised of several experienced attorneys, legal support staff and medical experts, our firm has the resources and abilities to take on tough medical malpractice cases with confidence and superior results.
Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. has an office in Washington D.C., but clients who require assistance with medical malpractice in Baltimore can visit our Baltimore office.
The basics of medical malpractice in Washington D.C.
Medical malpractice, also known as medical negligence, means that a health care provider made an error while treating a patient and that patient suffered harm because of that mistake. Medical institutions, such as hospitals and nursing homes, and are subject to medical malpractice liability, as well as the doctors, nurses, technicians, and other professionals working within those institutions.
Malpractice encompasses a wide range of negligent behaviors such as:
- Misdiagnosis
- Surgical errors
- Failure to diagnose
- Medication mistakes/errors
- Failure to follow up with a patient
- Radiological errors
- Hospital mistakes, such as discharging a patient too soon
The Washington D.C. medical malpractice lawyers at Schochor, Staton, Goldberg, and Cardea, P.A. have represented clients in a wide variety of claims, from delayed diagnosis of cancer to birth injuries.
Statute of limitations for medical malpractice lawsuits in Washington D.C.
A “statute of limitations” is the time period in which you have to take legal action against the negligent party. In many cases, if you wait too long to file a lawsuit, you may forfeit your right to compensation.
In Washington D.C., you have three years from the date of the medical error or the date you discovered the medical error to file a claim. The “date you discovered the medical error” also includes the date you could reasonably have been expected to discover the mistake.
For example, if a surgeon left a medical instrument inside a patient during an operation and it was discovered one year later, the patient would have three years from the date the instrument was found still in his body to pursue legal action.
There are some exceptions: minor patients have until their 21st birthday to file a claim. Additionally, there are different rules for wrongful death cases. If a person dies as a result of medical malpractice in the District of Columbia, any person who was receiving financial support which is now lost (for example, a spouse, child, or parent) has two years from the death to file a claim.
Our Washington D.C. medical malpractice lawyers understand your pain
Partner Kerry D. Staton became a medical malpractice lawyer dedicated to helping victims and families because his own mother suffered medical malpractice which caused brain damage. The medical damage confined her to a nursing facility for the remainder of her life.
Jonathan Schochor is on the Board of the Life and Breath Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to finding the cure for sarcoidosis—a fibrotic lung disease.
Make Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. your choice for doctor and hospital negligence cases
Our lawyers fully understand the key issues involved in Washington D.C. medical malpractice cases. We sue the right parties including hospitals, physicians, nurses, X-ray technicians, pharmacies, and others. We demand full compensation for all past and future medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. today at 410-234-1000. We also offer representation for medical malpractice in Maryland.