Friends – I read an article today in Virginia Lawyer’s Weekly about a brave woman who took on the VA hospital system herself, without an attorney. Sadly, the case was dismissed for procedural reasons – she didn’t have the experts federal law requires.
We help families evaluate whether they have a valid Virginia medical malpractice claim against the VA all the time. If we turn the case down, we encourage families get a second opinion. Battling in federal court without an attorney should always be the last option because plaintiffs can easily have their cases (even valid ones) dismissed for missing deadlines, failing to have experts, etc.
If you feel like something wrong happened, call an experienced attorney and find out if you have a case. Only after you have been turned down by multiple firms would we ever recommend filing a FTCA Form 95, and federal lawsuit against the VA hospital in Virginia, without help.
This woman is clearly a fighter – I’m only sad the system and rules didn’t allow her to keep fighting.
