Medical Malpractice

November 24, 2020

Recovering Compensation Through a Virginia Wrongful Death Claim

We trust our doctors and health care providers to keep us safe—especially when we’re at our most vulnerable and not feeling well. This, however, is not always the case, and instances of Virginia medical malpractice can have serious consequences. When such incidents cause injuries or even death, those who are responsible must be held accountable.

In a recent Virginia Supreme Court opinion, the court had to consider the merits of a wrongful death claim. The deceased was admitted to a local Virginia hospital because she was experiencing nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. After an abdominal CT scan, multiple doctors examined the decedent’s results and eventually sent her home. Later in Kentucky, she was admitted to the hospital again when she experienced severe abdominal pain. The doctors at this hospital performed an initial surgery, which was followed by multiple other surgeries to treat other stomach and abdominal issues in the following two months. Eventually, the decedent died “as a result of complications directly related and attributable” to the initial surgery she underwent in Kentucky.

Following the decedent’s passing, the executor of her estate brought claims in both states. In Virginia, he brought wrongful death claims against the doctors who initially treated the deceased and discharged her. The executor of the decedent’s estate argued that the Virginia hospital and the physicians who treated the deceased were negligent and their failure to identify and treat the deceased’s abdominal issues was a proximate cause of her death. The lower court dismissed the executor’s claims, finding that because he received a settlement in Kentucky, he was ineligible to receive damages from a wrongful death claim in Virginia.

December 4, 2018

Court Dismisses Plaintiff’s Medical Malpractice Case Due to Lack of Expert Affidavit

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

Recently, a state appellate court issued an opinion in a medical malpractice case illustrating the importance of expert testimony in Virginia medical malpractice cases. The case required the court to determine if the plaintiff’s case should proceed to trial although the plaintiff had failed to provide sworn expert testimony in support of her claim. Ultimately, the court concluded that the plaintiff could not prevail based on the lack of sworn expert testimony and dismissed her case.

The Facts of the Case

According to the court’s recitation of the facts, the plaintiff visited the defendant medical center to undergo knee surgery. The surgery was uneventful, but afterward, the plaintiff suffered from a shortness of breath. A doctor ordered an x-ray and kept the plaintiff at the medical center for the next few days before she was discharged.

Apparently, two days after she was discharged, the plaintiff noticed that her shortness of breath was worsening and was later admitted to another medical center. While at that center, the plaintiff was diagnosed with pneumonia and doctors believed that she had suffered a stroke over the past few days. The plaintiff filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against the defendant medical center.

August 14, 2018

Virginia Medical Malpractice Cases Are Subject to Strict Procedural Hurdles

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

When a Virginia personal injury case is classified as a “medical malpractice” case, there are certain requirements that apply to the plaintiff’s case. For example, Virginia medical malpractice plaintiffs are required to submit an expert affidavit supporting their claim, while victims who bring claims of traditional negligence are not required to do so. While it may seem like the distinction between a claim of medical malpractice and a claim of traditional negligence is clear, that is not always the case.In a recent case, the court heard an appeal from a hospital, claiming that the plaintiff’s lawsuit should be dismissed for failing to comply with the filing requirements for medical malpractice cases. The court, however, agreed with the plaintiff that her claims were not based on a theory of medical malpractice. Thus, the court permitted the plaintiff’s case to proceed.

The Facts of the Case

The plaintiff was a resident at an inpatient psychiatric facility when he was seriously injured after being attacked by another resident. The plaintiff filed a personal injury lawsuit against the facility, arguing that it failed to provide adequate security and to train staff on how to handle emergency situations like the one that resulted in his injuries. Since the plaintiff did not believe his case to be one of medical malpractice, he did not take the additional steps to comply with the state’s medical malpractice requirements. The facility argued that the plaintiff’s case was brought under a theory of medical malpractice and that he should have complied with the additional medical malpractice requirements.

March 11, 2018

Virginia Appellate Court Reverses Plaintiff’s Jury Verdict Based on a Lack of Causation Testimony

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

Earlier this year, an appellate court issued a written opinion in a Virginia medical malpractice case requiring the court to determine if the plaintiff presented sufficient evidence that the defendant’s alleged negligence was the cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. The court considered the evidence presented by the plaintiff, and it ultimately determined that there was a gap in testimony. As a result, the jury verdict rendered in the plaintiff’s favor was reversed.

The Facts of the Case

The plaintiff was a patient of the defendant doctor and arranged to have a laparoscopic hysterectomy performed. The defendant went over the risks of the procedure, and the plaintiff acknowledged the risks and opted to proceed nonetheless.

As a part of the procedure, the defendant needed to insert a small tube into the plaintiff’s abdomen. The first time the defendant attempted to do this, she realized it was too close to one of the organs in the abdomen, so she removed the tube and tried to insert it in a different location.

February 8, 2018

Court Rejects Medical Malpractice Plaintiff’s Case Based on Lack of Expert Witness Testimony in Support of Her Claim

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

In Virginia medical malpractice cases, the issues presented to the jury are often of a complex nature that may be beyond the understanding of the average juror. For that reason, Virginia lawmakers passed Virginia Code section 8.02-20.1, which outlines when expert witness testimony is required.

The idea is that in cases in which there are complex issues beyond the understanding of the average juror, an expert in the field can view the facts and present their opinion. Unlike the opinion of lay witnesses, an expert’s opinion can be used by the jury as substantive evidence.

Under section 8.02-20.1, an affidavit of support from a qualifying expert is required in all medical malpractice cases. However, “if the alleged act of negligence clearly lies within the range of the jury’s common knowledge and experience,” an expert is not needed. This leaves two questions for prospective medical malpractice plaintiffs. First, is a claim truly one of medical malpractice? And second, if it is a medical malpractice claim, are the issues presented within the range of a jury’s common knowledge? A recent appellate opinion wrestles with these issues.

January 10, 2018

Virginia’s Expert Affidavit Requirement in Medical Malpractice Cases

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

Medical malpractice cases are often complex, and in most instances, they require the testimony of at least one expert witness to explain certain medical or scientific issues to the jury. In an effort to ensure that only meritorious cases are filed and heard by the court, Virginia law makers passed a rule requiring Virginia medical malpractice plaintiffs to obtain a certification from an expert stating that the plaintiff’s case has merit.

Under section 8.01-20.1 of the Code of Virginia, the expert certification is required in all medical malpractice cases unless “the alleged act of negligence clearly lies within the range of the jury’s common knowledge and experience.” When a certification is required, it must state that the care provided by the named defendant “deviated from the applicable standard of care and the deviation was a proximate cause of the injuries claimed.”

A plaintiff’s failure to include an expert’s certification can result in the dismissal of an otherwise meritorious case. A recent case served as a major warning to one medical malpractice plaintiff, whose case was nearly dismissed with prejudice for the failure to file the necessary expert affidavit.

October 17, 2017

Expert Testimony in Virginia Medical Malpractice Cases

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

Doctors and other medical professionals are held to a high standard when it comes to the level of care that is expected of them. Indeed, when a medical professional fails to live up to the standards to which society holds them, they may be held liable for any resulting injuries though a Virginia medical malpractice lawsuit. However, proving a case of medical malpractice requires knowledge of both the science behind the medicine and also the law that applies to medical malpractice cases.

One of the most important decisions any medical malpractice plaintiff must make is in the selection of their expert witnesses. Since most judges and jurors do not have advanced medical knowledge, courts often require plaintiffs to present an expert witness who can explain certain complex issues to the jury and offer their expert opinion. Of course, expert witnesses are also held to a high standard and must be accepted by the court before their testimony will be admissible.

A recent case illustrates the difficulties one plaintiff had when attempting to establish the elements of her medical malpractice case after the court determined that her expert witness’ testimony was not admissible.

September 26, 2017

Plaintiff’s Lack of Diligence in Pursuing Claim Results in Dismissal with Prejudice

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

When hearing Virginia medical malpractice cases, courts enforce a strict set of procedural rules to ensure that cases proceed through the system in an orderly and efficient manner. While perhaps most cases are resolved without significant litigation over one party’s compliance with a procedural rule, occasionally the question of whether a party complied with a rule is the focus of significant litigation.

Virginia procedural rules are very important because a party’s failure to follow the rules may result in serious sanctions, including the dismissal of a case or a judgment entered in favor of the opposing party. A recent appellate decision in a medical malpractice case illustrates how one plaintiff’s failure to diligently pursue her case resulted in her case’s dismissal.

The Facts of the Case

The plaintiff claimed that the defendant hospital was responsible for an injury she received while being treated at the hospital in 2003. In 2005, the plaintiff filed her first medical malpractice case against the hospital, but, since she failed to attached a required expert affidavit, the plaintiff voluntarily withdrew her case in 2007 with the intention of obtaining the affidavit and refiling the case.

September 12, 2017

Statutes of Limitations in Virginia Medical Malpractice Cases

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

When a patient suffers an injury due to the negligence of a medical professional, the patient may be entitled to compensation for their injuries through a Virginia medical malpractice lawsuit. However, as with other personal injury cases, medical malpractice cases must be filed within a certain amount of time.

The time limits for medical malpractice cases in Virginia are outlined in Code of Virginia section 8.01-243. Under section 8.01-243, a plaintiff generally has two years from the date of the alleged negligent act to file a claim of medical malpractice. However, in some cases, that time frame can be extended. For example, in cases in which a foreign object is left in a patient’s body or the defendant is alleged to have engaged in any activity to prevent the plaintiff from discovering the alleged negligence of the defendant, the statute of limitations is extended until one year after the alleged act of negligence was discovered.

In certain cases in which the alleged act of negligence involved a “negligent failure to diagnose a malignant tumor,” the filing deadline is extended to one year after a medical professional properly diagnoses the tumor or cancer. A recent case out of Florida illustrates this principle.

August 29, 2017

Medical Malpractice Case Dismissed Due to Plaintiff’s Failure to Prove the Defendant’s Negligence was the Cause of Death

by Sidney Schupak, Esq.

Virginia medical malpractice cases are often won or lost on the issue of causation. While legal causation is an extremely complex concept, the basic idea behind it is simple: did the defendant’s actions cause the plaintiff’s injuries? Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued a written opinion in a medical malpractice case requiring the court to determine if the lower court was correct to dismiss the plaintiff’s case for a failure to establish causation. Ultimately, the court concluded that the plaintiff’s causation witnesses failed to meet the threshold requirement necessary to give their testimony weight. As a result, the lower court’s decision to dismiss the plaintiff’s case was affirmed.

The Facts of the Case

The plaintiff was the surviving spouse of a man who died as a result of liver cancer. The plaintiff’s husband was initially seen by the Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospital in 2011 for elevated liver function. A CT scan was conducted, and the results were interpreted by a VA doctor. The doctor noted that the patient had cirrhosis of the liver, but no additional findings were noted.

Two years later, the patient was hospitalized, complaining of painful urination, incontinence, slurred speech, and confusion. A second CT scan was ordered, and this time the results showed a suspicious mass that turned out to be cancerous. Since the patient was too weak, he could not receive medical treatment and was placed on palliative care until he passed away a short time later.