Suing the VA for medical malpractice requires experienced lawyers who have sued the Department of Veterans Affairs before. There are a number of steps to undertaking such a law suit that are different from the things required to bring an ordinary medical malpractice case against a civilian doctor.
Many surgeons use an arbitration clause. This does not mean you give up any rights but rather than going to court your case would go to an arbitration panel. It's actually better for you because you wouldn't have to go to court and face a jury if there is a dispute.
A written agreement to submit any existing controversy to arbitration or a provision in a written contract to submit to arbitration any controversy thereafter arising between the parties is valid, enforceable and irrevocable, except upon such grounds as exist at law or in equity for the revocation of any contract.
Virginia's Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations This law gives claimants two years from the date the medical error occurred to file. It states that every action for personal injuries must be brought within two years of the accrual of the cause of action.
Unless otherwise provided in this section or by other statute, every action for personal injuries, whatever the theory of recovery, and every action for damages resulting from fraud, shall be brought within two years after the cause of action accrues.
(a) Any contract for medical services which contains a provision for arbitration of any dispute as to professional negligence of a health care provider shall have such provision as the first article of the contract and shall be expressed in the following language: "It is understood that any dispute as to medical ...
The current options include different types of arbitration. Some states have voluntary binding and non-binding arbitration; others have mandatory arbitration for all medical malpractice claims, while in others it is mandatory if the damage claims are under a specific amount.
Proving causation is often the most difficult element of a medical malpractice case. However, it is not impossible. With the help of an experienced medical malpractice lawyer, plaintiffs may be able to overcome the challenges of proving causation and win their cases.
Would you sign it? In most instances, medical malpractice claims go to arbitration because patients do end up signing "arbitration agreements," giving up their right to file a medical malpractice lawsuit in court, often before they've seen a doctor.
These cases range from breach of contract or licensing agreements, business torts, and franchise to construction and infrastructure disputes in companies from start-ups to the Fortune 500 in a variety of industries.