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Virginia Has Seen No Increase in Medical Malpractice Claims and Payouts

One of the popular myths being perpetuated by tort reform advocates is that health insurance premiums have increased substantially due to an increase in medical malpractice claims and payouts. This is false, especially in Virginia (VA).

Virginia (VA) medical malpractice claims are actually below the national average and have been stagnate the past two years.

Even more confounding is the notion that in order to solve this problem, we need to place more restrictions on medical malpractice claims. People need to realize there are already caps on damages in Virginia (VA) and some level of tort caps in 45 other states.

Another popular inaccuracy is that the courts are inundated with frivolous law suits. This is also false. A Harvard study showed that 97 percent of all medical malpractice claims have merit.

As an injury lawyer who regularly represents victims in medical malpractice cases, I get so frustrated when the facts get distorted and people fail to see the real issue at hand. Whats the real issue? The fact that nearly 100,000 people die every year due to preventable medical errors. This is the real injustice and we need to do something to correct this problem. Lets stop vilifying lawyers with incorrect rhetoric and actually talk about important issues to help save peoples lives.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and our attorneys have experience handling medical malpractice cases. Check out our case results to see for yourself. In addition, check out our FREE special reports on the Top 10 Tips from a Medical Malpractice Insider and the top 5 surgical errors you must know about. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA) and we also have a North Carolina (NC) law office. Our lawyers hold licenses in NC, SC, WV, KY and DC. We are ready to talk to you by phone right nowwe provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042. Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service.

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Our Injury Lawyers Have Been Selected For Many Achievements Outlined Below:

Several  Injury Attorneys With Our Firm have been included among the "Best Lawyers in America" 2010 Edition (Lewis-Injury Law, Shapiro-Railroad Injury Law) and been Named As Virginia "Super Lawyers" For Personal Injury Law  (Lewis, Shapiro - 2009 Ed.)(Less than 5% of Outstanding Lawyers are Chosen); also selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum (Lewis, Shapiro - 2009); named among the Top 100 Lawyers in Virginia by ATLA (Shapiro - 2009), and our law firm was the first Injury Law Firm in Virginia Invited to Join Primerus, a select group of Highly Ethical, Respected Law Firms

In October, 2000 our law firm and co-counsel obtained, what was then, the largest record verdict for an injured person in Virginia history (46 Million Dollar Verdict, with Interest, 60 Million Dollars, Settled confidentially during appeal).  Click on the icons below for more details.

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