Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Lawyers’ Blog

Study Says Fatigue Linked to ER Mistakes in Virginia

Fatigued EMS workers are more likely to cause injuries in Virginia emergency rooms. Our DC medical malpractice lawyers explain why you should be concerned.

New Study Says Prostate Screenings Won’t Help Elderly Patients in Virginia

A new study finds that elderly patients may have little to gain from prostate cancer screenings. A Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer gives you the facts.

Woman Suffers Brain Damage after Virginia Birth Injury

A Virginia mother suffered severe bleeding in an overnight hospital error. Learn more about hospital negligence from a Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

Woman Suffers Mastectomy after Delayed Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Virginia

A woman finds out about her breast cancer a year late due to a hospital error. Get the facts on delayed diagnosis from a Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

Do I Have a Valid Virginia Medical Malpractice Case?

Does my doctor’s error count as malpractice in DC? Check our list and contact Shevlin Smith to see if your doctor can be held accountable by a Fairfax medical m

New Law Gives Virginia Medical Malpractice Victims Access to Hospital Records

Patients who suffered surgical errors in DC can now read the incident reports to learn what went wrong. Learn how from a Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

FDA Says Majority of Medication Errors Due to Wrong Dosage

Wrong dosages are the main cause of medication errors in DC. Learn more about Virginia drug mistakes from a trusted Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

FDA Cracks Down on LASIK Surgeons’ False Promises

How is the FDA working to prevent LASIK surgery errors in DC? Learn more about Virginia surgical errors from a trusted Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

Why don’t Virginia doctors realize they have the wrong patient in surgery?

Can wrong-patient surgeries be prevented in DC hospitals? Learn more about Virginia surgical errors from a trusted Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

Do Clinics Have the Highest Rate of Medical Malpractice in Virginia?

Are Virginia clinics just as dangerous for patients as surgical settings? Get the facts from a trusted Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

Why do so many wrong-site surgeries keep happening in Virginia?

Are wrong-side surgeries on the rise in DC hospitals? Get the facts on Virginia surgical errors provided by a trusted Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

Which clinics have the highest rate of medical malpractice in Virginia?

Are Virginia clinics just as dangerous for patients as surgical settings? Get the facts from a trusted Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

Waking Into a Nightmare: Anesthesia Awareness in Virginia

Can people really wake up during surgery in Virginia? Read one woman’s story of anesthesia awareness provided by a trusted Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

How likely am I to get an infection from a hospital in Virginia?

How do patients get deadly infections in Virginia hospitals? Find out how to avoid a hospital-acquired infection from a Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

What can I do if my stroke was misdiagnosed by a Virginia doctor?

What problems can result from a misdiagnosed stroke in Virginia? Find out if your doctor is liable for your injury from a Fairfax medical malpractice lawyer.

Medical Diagnostic Errors Occur Too Often

misdiagnosis, medical malpractice, Inova Fairfax Hospital

Hospitalizations Due To Side Effects From Prescription Medications Jump Dramatically

Medication errors Medication side effects

The Five Rights: Avoiding Prescription Drug Errors in Virginia Hospitals

How can nurses administer the wrong medication? Read the steps nurses must take before giving a patient a prescription, and what to do if the procedure wasn’t followed. If someone in your family has been a victim of a prescription drug error, don’t wait. Get advice from the experienced medical malpractice attorneys at Shevlin Smith today. Call today at (703) 591-0067 for a free consultation.

Virginia Heart Health: 5 Steps to Living a Long and Active Life

Worried about surviving a heart attack? Follow these steps to living a heart-healthy lifestyle, provided by the practiced attorneys at Shevlin Smith. If you have suffered a heart attack misdiagnosis in Virginia, contact our offices today at (703) 591-0067 to learn more about your medical malpractice case.

Virginia Breast Cancer Testing Reduces Fatalities

Are you living with breast cancer? The best chance of survival is early detection. Find out if your physician performed adequate screening before your diagnosis. Don’t pay for a negligent doctor’s mistakes! Get legal advice from caring, competent medical malpractice attorneys by calling Shevlin Smith today at (703) 591-0067.

What Happens When a Hospital is Negligent

You didn’t have control in the hospital when a staff member’s negligence caused you harm. You couldn’t prevent the hospital’s negligence from causing you physical pain or killing your loved one, but you can control your recovery. Read this blog to find out what to do if you’ve been hurt by hospital negligence and contact the experienced Virginia hospital negligence lawyers of Shevlin Smith for a free consultation.

Six Symptoms of Heart Attacks Every Woman Should Know

It is important to know the symptoms of female heart attacks so that you can seek proper medical treatment and insist on the proper tests. Knowing the symptoms may save your life.

Recovering Damages for Hospital Acquired Infections

If you’ve suffered from a hospital infection, or suffered from a loved one’s death due to a hospital infection, then you may be entitled to damages. An experienced Washington D.C. and Virginia medical malpractice lawyer can help you get the recovery you deserve. Call Shevlin Smith today for more information.

What You Need to Know in Order to Provide Informed Consent

Washington D.C. and Virginia informed consent laws require that your doctor provide you with information about your diagnosis, recommended procedure, alternative treatments, and other relevant information before you consent to treatment. If your doctor does not have your informed consent and these other conditions are met, then you may have a medical malpractice case against the doctor. Contact the Virginia and Washington D.C. medical malpractice lawyers of Shevlin Smith for more information.

Retained Foreign Object Cases Remain A Patient Safety Risk

The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) accredits and certifies more than 15,000 hospitals and other healthcare organizations in the United States.  Its mission is to improve the safety and quality of care patients receive at these entities.  It tracks "sentinel events," which it defines as "an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof."  Such events are called "sentinel" because they signal the need for immediate investigation and response.

One type of sentinel event that JCAHO tracks are retained foreign objects.  Retained foreign objects are surgical items left in patients following surgery.  Estimates indicated that surgical items are left in 1,500 people per year in the United States, including surgical sponges, surgical towels, and surgical instruments such as clamps and retractors.  These items are most often left in the abdomen or pelvis (54% of the cases), the vagina (29%) and the thorax (7%).  Mortality rates resulting from the unintended retention of foreign objects are as high as 11% to 35%.  In virtually all cases, the patient is required to undergo a second (needless) operation to have the foreign object removed.

The JCAHO has issued strategies in an effort to prevent, or at least reduce, the occurrence of retained foreign object events.  Hopefully, the implementation of these strategies, and dilgence by health care providers in the operating room, will
increase patient safety.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a retained foreign object, and you like to know more about your legal rights, the attorneys at Shevlin Smith would be happy to speak with you.