News

Medical Malpractice

• Jonathan Petty Wins Medical Malpractice Trial in Prince Edward County
  Apr 15, 2009

  PLEASE NOTE CASE RESULTS DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE AND THAT CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE UNDERTAKEN BY THE LAWYER.
  
  In February 2009, a Prince Edward County, Virginia jury returned a verdict in excess of $3.7 million verdict on behalf of one of our clients in a medical malpractice case.  The case involved a radiologist’s failure to recognize a bowel injury that our client had sustained in a motor vehicle accident.  The resulting delay in diagnosis caused her to suffer horrible injuries.  Despite the obvious error, the radiologist’s insurance carrier never offered one penny to settle the case.  It is believed that this verdict is the largest plaintiff’s verdict in a medical malpractice case in the history of Prince Edward County.
  

  
  Click here to learn more about this case.
  
  If you or a loved one is a victim of medical malpractice or other serious injuries, please call us at (804) 288-1661 or click here to email us for answers to your legal questions. - 1 - 10

• Tom Williamson Wins in the Virginia Supreme Court
  Apr 14, 2009

  On October 31, 2008, Tom Williamson prevailed in an important medical malpractice case in the Virginia Supreme Court.  Our client suffered permanent injuries with the birth of her child.  Her obstetrician, employed by the Eastern Virginia Medical School practice group, argued that she could not be sued for medical malpractice because she worked for a "charity."  Tom Williamson successfully argued before the Virginia Supreme Court that the Eastern Virginia Medical School was not a charity and its physicians must be held accountable for medical malpractice.  Please click here to read this Virginia Supreme Court decision.
  
  Tom Williamson has prevailed in numerous court decisions protecting the rights of medical malpractice victims to hold their doctors, hospitals, and nurses accountable for their severe injuries or wrongful deaths.  Tom Williamson is also a frequent speaker and is well-published on the topics of medical malpractice, products liability, and trial practice.  You can read his articles in our online library.
  
  If you or a family member has been a victim of medical malpractice, please contact us by email or call us at (804) 288-1661 for a free consultation.

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• Jonathan Petty Wins Medical Malpractice Arbitration
  Apr 14, 2009

  
  PLEASE NOTE THE RESULTS OBTAINED IN SPECIFIC CASES DEPEND ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. PAST CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN FUTURE CASES UNDERTAKEN BY A LAWYER.
  
  Attorney Jonathan Petty obtained a $1.6 million arbitration award in a medical malpractice case.  Jonathan represented the family of a 56 year old woman admitted to the hospital with a small bowel obstruction.  The general surgeon failed to take her to surgery in a timely fashion and she died of consequences of her small bowel obstruction without ever being operated upon. 
  
  Click here to learn more about this complex medical malpractice case. 
  
  At Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C. we represent victims of medical malpractice, defective products, and other types of personal injuries throughout Virginia including Richmond, Hampton Roads, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Petersburg, and northern Virginia.  If you or a loved one is a victim of medical malpractice, please call us at (804) 288-1661 or click here to email us discuss your legal rights.  - 3 - 10

• Carolyn Lavecchia Recognized as One of the Top Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Virginia
  Sep 18, 2008

  Carolyn Lavecchia is one of only seventeen Virginia attorneys recognized in the publication Virginia Super Lawyers 2007 for expertise in representing victims of medical malpractice. The magazine Virginia Super Lawyers 2007 mailed surveys to approximately 19,000 active Virginia attorneys and asked them to nominate the best attorneys they have seen in action. Only the top 5% were selected for publication in Virginia Super Lawyers 2007. Carolyn has over 20 years of experience handling serious injury and death cases due to medical malpractice. Prior to becoming an attorney, Carolyn was a nurse practitioner on the faculty of the Medical College of Virginia. Combining her health care experience with her skills as a trial lawyer has earned Carolyn the admiration of her clients and the respect of her opponents. Carolyn leads the elder abuse section of Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C. representing victims of abuse at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. For more information about Carolyn, please view her profile or contact us for more information.
  
  Please call us at (804) 288-1661 or click here for a free consultation.
  
  Carolyn Lavecchia represents victims of medical malpractice and other serious injuries throughout Virginia including Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Petersburg, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Hampton Roads, Farmville, Lynchburg, and northern Virginia. - 4 - 10

• Tom Williamson Publishes an Article on Finding Qualified Experts
  Sep 18, 2008

  One of the biggest challenges in pursuing medical malpractice lawsuits is finding qualified experts who are willing to testify for the plaintiff. New to our website is Tom Williamson's article on effective strategies to locate experts. The article was published in the VTLA Journal. Tom's article is supported by over 30 years of experience representing victims of medical malpractice and defective products.  Click here to read Tom's article on finding qualified experts and numerous other publications authored by Tom Williamson and the attorneys at Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C.
  
  If you would like a free consultation with Tom Williamson, please call us at (804) 288-1661 or click here.  Tom represents victims of medical malpractice, defective products and other serious injuries throughout Virginia including Richmond, Fredericksburg, Petersburg, Henrico County, Chesterfield County, Charlottesville, Farmville, Hampton Roads and northern Virginia. - 5 - 10

• Tom Williamson Obtains Medical Malpractice Verdict in Richmond, Virginia.
  Dec 19, 2005

  PLEASE NOTE THE RESULTS OBTAINED IN SPECIFIC CASES DEPEND ON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE. PAST CASE RESULTS DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN FUTURE CASES UNDERTAKEN BY A LAWYER OR LAW FIRM. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A CASE, PLEASE CONTACT US SO WE CAN DISCUSS THE SPECIFIC FACTS OF YOUR CASE AND YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS.
  
  In this case, Tom obtained a $1.5 medical malpractice verdict in Richmond Circuit Court for a patient who suffered brain damage when he underwent a procedure to implant an ICD, which is commonly called a pacemaker. According to Virginia Lawyers Weekly this was tied for the fifteenth highest verdict of all cases tried in Virginia in 2005. After the device was placed, the plaintiff was administered 50mg Brevital for deep sedation in order to test the device. Defendant cardiologist had been trained and certified in deep sedation anesthesiology and was responsible for administration and monitoring of the patient during deep sedation; an electrophysiologist was implanting the ICD. Testing was uneventful. During the procedure the oxygen saturation levels dropped and following the testing the electrophysiologist noted that plaintiff was not breathing properly. At some time after the device was implanted and before patient was intubated, defendant had left the procedure room and was in the monitoring room when he was called back to the patient. Plaintiff's expert was an anesthesiologist who testified as to the standard of care for monitoring during deep sedation. Plaintiff's expert testified that the injury was caused by failure to manage the airway and assist the breathing of the sedated patient. Click here to read the full trial report published in Virginia Lawyer's Weekly on December 16, 2005. - 6 - 10

Bowel Injuries

• Jonathan Petty Wins Surgical Malpractice Trial
  Feb 03, 2010

  Jonathan Petty recently won surgical malpractice jury trial in Federal Court in Richmond, Virginia.  Our client presented to the emergency department with complaints of severe abdominal pain.  Despite radiology studies consistent with a large bowel obstruction, the surgeon failed to timely operate causing him to suffer severe injuries.  Click here to read more.

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Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility Abuse

• Josh Silverman Lectures at a Recent Nursing Home Conference
  Mar 16, 2010

  Josh Silverman was invited to speak at the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association's first Long Term Care Litigation conference in Richmond, Virginia.  The conference brought together leading attorneys from around the country to discuss tips and strategies for litigating injury and wrongful death cases against nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
  
  Josh presented two topics: Informal Discovery and Certificates of Merit.  The Informal Discovery presentation addressed techniques for overcoming nursing home cover-ups to discover what really happened to the patient.  Some of the techniques Josh discussed were using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to obtain reports from government investigations and locating and interviewing former employees.
  
  The second topic, Certificates of Merit, focused on a recent Virginia law requiring a plaintiff to obtain a written expert opinion in most medical malpractice cases.  Josh discussed the requirements of the law, the various exceptions where an expert opinion is not required, and the legal consequences for failing to obtain the necessary written expert opinion.
  
  The Virginia Lawyers Weekly published a front page article about this successful conference.  Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C. was a co-sponsor for a dinner following the conference to honor the out of town speakers.
  
  If you would like to learn more about Williamson & Lavecchia's elder abuse practice and the rights of nursing home and assisted living facility residents, please visit www.virginia-elder-abuse-law.com. - 8 - 10

• Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C. Launches Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Website
  May 15, 2006

  For the past twelve years attorneys Joshua Silverman and Carolyn Lavecchia have teamed up to represent victims of nursing home and assisted living facility abuse and neglect.  Their goals are to hold long term care facilities accountable for mistreating residents by obtaining justice for the victims.  For example they have representing victims who have been injured due to assaults, unheated facilities, illegal restraints, pressure ulcers, malnutrition and medication errors. 
  
  Josh and Carolyn have created a separate and unique website devoted solely to the legal rights of nursing home and assisted living facility patients.  On the website you can find important resources including how to file a complaint against a nursing home, how to learn if a nursing home or assisted living facility has been sanctioned, how to recognize signs of abuse, and what to do if you believe a loved one is a victim of abuse or neglect.  Click here to visit our nursing home and assisted living facility website.
  

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Products Liability

• FDA Press Release: One Million Pounds of Pistachios Recalled
  Mar 31, 2009

  The FDA has announced that a California company has recalled 1 million pounds of pistachios that may be contaminated with Salmonella.  Salmonella food poisoning can cause serious injuries and can be fatal to the very young, the elderly, and those with impaired immune systems. Click here to go to our blog to read more about the recall. - 10 - 10