Clark and Steinhorn are experienced medical malpractice lawyers and recent verdicts in the District of Columbia demonstrate that victims of medical negligence need the best representation they can get.
The cases are time-consuming, costly, and often complex. That is why it is essential that anyone with a serious claim should invest effort in finding an attorney who not only knows what they are doing but also has the time to do what is necessary. Locally, there is a community of fine attorneys who are successful in pursuing medical malpractice claims in the District of Columbia, and locating one is necessary. Locating one who also has the time for the case is essential.
The Superior Court for the District of Columbia routinely provides verdict information for particular categories of cases and this article will discuss medical malpractice cases.
Between January 1, 2007, and June 30, 2009, 45 medical negligence cases went to trial in the Superior Court and 8 of them resulted in verdicts for the plaintiff or injured party. That's right 18% or so were won by the victims. Of those 8, there were some large verdicts. One for $3.5 million dollars, one for $2.2 million dollars, and one for $1.2 million dollars. A couple in the $220 thousand range and a couple in the low $110 thousand range.
But that's it. The defendant's offer in 39 of the cases, $0 dollars. In 30 cases tried in 2007 there were 26 defense verdicts. This is scary stuff for victims of doctor's errors. It is also a clear indication of why your choice of an attorney is vitally important. It is not merely having a skilled litigator but also having someone you can talk to and trust.
Equally important is having an attorney that you will listen to. Many injured parties have an expectation that they will receive ample compensation for their injuries. They read about large verdicts in the paper or hear from friends about the huge sums others supposedly have obtained.
Yet the reality is that 37 families embarked on malpractice claims in the District and after all the effort, emotion and money, got nothing. Several received offers to settle, one for $150K and another for $100K but deemed those offers inadequate, went to trial, and received not a penny.
This reality is why it is essential that the attorney and the client have a relationship of trust. Why hire an experienced attorney only to ignore their advice about the value of a claim? If someone else did that you would think they were being foolish.
So if you are a victim of medical or hospital malpractice, call Clark and Steinhorn at 301-317-1001, you will be glad you did.
