Washington, DC Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Schochor, Federico & Staton
When it comes to a child's birth injury or the wrongful death of a loved one--perhaps caused by a medical mistake--sometimes the hardest part about moving forward is figuring out where to start. At Schochor, Federico and Staton, P.A., we are experienced Washington, DC medical malpractice lawyers, and we can help. Above all, we understand the costs and challenges ahead of you. And while we can’t erase the emotional burden, we can help ease your worries by working to make sure you receive financial compensation if a mistake has been made.
Since its inception over 20 years ago, our firm has focused on medical malpractice cases, developing a systematic approach to investigation and preparation for trial. The knowledge and experience we've gained through thousands of cases is applied to each new case through this team approach.
Our team makes sure each case is personally reviewed and carefully evaluated by our experienced attorneys, as well as a team of full-time medical researchers and the highest-caliber, Board-Certified medical experts from throughout the United States. We are committed to helping people who have legitimate and substantial claims of medical malpractice, including claims for:
- Medical Malpractice
- Cerebral Palsy
- Birth Trauma
- Birth Injuries
- Misdiagnosis
- Lung Cancer
- Wrongful Death
- Defective Drugs or Products
- Anesthetic Errors
- Wrong Treatment
- Breast Cancer
- Medication Errors
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Surgical Errors
- Adverse Drug Reactions
- Medical Procedure Errors
Some of our recoveries include:
- Hospital Negligence/Spinal Cord Injury--$5,250,000
- Cerebral Palsy/Birth Injury--$3,500,000
- Brain Injury/Birth Injury--$1,500,000
- Misdiagnosed Bladder Cancer--$1,750,000
- Misdiagnosed Cervical Cancer--$1,200,000
- Products Liability/Spinal Cord Injury--$1,900,000
- Nursing Home Negligence--$1,390,000
- Misdiagnosed Pulmonary Embolism--$1,200,000
- Erb’s Palsy--$1,368,000
- Misdiagnosed Heart Attack--$1,000,000
- Misdiagnosed Aneurysm--$2,000,000
- Surgical Negligence--$1,000,000
- Misdiagnosed Lung Cancer--$1,500,000
- Surgical Malpractice--$2,350,000
- Post-Surgical Negligence--$1,900,000
- Misdiagnosed Colon Cancer--$1,700,000
- Misdiagnosed Renal Cancer--$1,250,000
- Misdiagnosed Heart Attack--$2,500,000
- Misdiagnosed Meningitis--$3,600,000
- Misdiagnosed Heart Aneurysm--$1,500,000
- Misdiagnosed Appendicitis--$1,600,000
*Please Note that each case is different, and our past record is no assurance that the firm will be successful in reaching a favorable result in a particular future case. Many of the largest cases are settled on a confidential basis. As a result, they can not be published on this site.*"
Our firm has more than two decades of experience litigating medical malpractice cases in Maryland and the District of Columbia, and we have been specially admitted, on a case-by-case basis, to courts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Nevada. On special motion and with approval of courts elsewhere, our attorneys are available to participate in cases throughout the
If you or someone you know needs the counsel of an experienced
"A few of the definitions appear below. Publication of all practice areas would be impractical. Call us to discuss any questions you may have."
Medical Malpractice:
Medical malpractice is the failure of a health care provider (doctors, nurses, technician, etc.) to follow the accepted standards of practice of his or her profession. The applicable standard is a national standard, not just a local custom. it is the course of action that a reasonably prudent doctor with the defendant's would have taken under the same or similar circumstances. Hospitals can also be held liable for the negligence of their employees, including staff nurses and technicians.
Examples of Medical Malpractice include:
- Damage to a nearby organ or tissue during surgery
- Failing to order necessary and appropriate medical tests
- Failing to diagnose a condition in time to treat it properly
- Failing to refer a case to a medical specialist
- Prescribing incorrect medication
- Brain Injury
- Birth Injury
- Cerebral Palsy
- Incorrect diagnosis that results in a failure to treat a medical condition
- Failing to properly administer anesthesia
- Emergency room negligence
Cerebral palsy is permanent brain injuries that affect an infant in the womb, during birth, or in the months following birth and is one of the most common birth injuries in the United States. Cerebral palsy patients are subject to limited motor skills, speech difficulties and learning disabilities, and/or severe global brain injury. When cerebral palsy occurs as the result of medical malpractice, the responsible party inflicting said injuries can be held legally responsible. Examples of medical malpractice during delivery include leaving the baby in the birth canal too long resulting in oxygen deprivation, and/or failing to perform or delaying a necessary C-section.
Wrongful Death:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company, or organization. A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children. If health care providers, including doctors cause the wrongful death of a patient due to negligence, they can be held legally responsible to provide compensation to appropriate wrongful death claimants. Contact us for more information.
Birth Defects or Injuries:
Most births and deliveries are handled appropriately by medical care professionals. However, medical negligence can occur during pregnancy, and/or delivery. Sometimes physicians may not diagnose or properly treat various conditions that arise during pregnancy. One such condition is known as placenta previa. This occurs if the placenta, which nourishes the fetus during pregnancy, attaches to the inside of the womb in such a fashion that prohibits the baby from being delivered properly. If it is not diagnosed, significant blood loss can occur. Such bleeding can cause damage to the fetus, or even death. It can also cause the mother to lose a dangerous amount of blood.
Birth injuries can also occur if the delivery process is allowed to go on for too long a period of time despite signs and symptoms. In these cases, a cesarean section delivery may be required. If a cesarean section delivery is delayed, the child may be injured from lack of oxygen. Injury can occur if newborns are deprived of oxygen before, during, or after birth.
The emotional and financial cost to a child who has been damaged or injured by doctors who have committed negligence can be catastrophic. If you or your child has been injured during pregnancy, labor, or delivery, or if you have lost a child for an unknown reason, medical negligence may have played a role.
Anesthesia Negligence:
Medical malpractice injuries can occur when anesthesia is improperly given or not given in a timely manner to a patient during a surgical procedure. If the failure of the anesthesiologist is the cause of injury or death to a patient, damages may be recoverable under the laws of medical malpractice.
Nursing Home Liability:
Sadly, when people age, they become more vulnerable to abuse, neglect and exploitation. Some older people opt to move into nursing homes or long-term care facilities to ensure that they are well cared for and will be protected from the effects of deteriorating physical and/or mental conditions. In these settings, however, older people are sometimes actually physically and/or psychologically harmed by the negligent or intentional acts of their caregivers.
Many people in the U.S. discount the feelings and rights of the elderly because they associate aging with physiological, psychological and social disability. Senior citizens should be allowed to live out their lives free from pain, suffering and distress caused by the negligence or abuse or others. One could argue they have an even stronger right to live in peace and comfort than any other segment of society, given the contributions they have made to society over their many years.
In institutional settings, several factors have been shown to contribute to the abuse or neglect of residents, including poorly qualified and inadequately trained staff, staff with a history of violence, inadequate numbers of staff, the isolation of residents and the known reluctance of residents to report abuse out of embarrassment or fear.
Specifically, these cases present the challenge of overcoming a tendency on the part of others, including insurance adjusters and even physicians, to discount an elderly person's injuries and the diminished quality of life that results from them.
If you or someone you know needs the counsel of an experienced
ADDRESS OF FIRM:
Schochor, Federico and Staton, P.A.
1050 Connecticut Avenue, NW
10th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 866-821-3637
MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:
Jonathan Schochor, managing senior partner
Attorney Jonathan Schochor graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 1968. In 2006, he was awarded the Outstanding Liberal Arts Alumni Award from the College of Liberal Arts. He has been President of the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, and has been the Maryland State Delegate and Governor to the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
Mr. Schochor has taught and lectured both locally and nationally in the fields of medical negligence and trial law for medical groups, as well as various legal organizations including the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association; the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers, Inc. (MICPEL Deposition Training Program, the Nine Day Trial Advocacy Program and Medicine for Lawyers); the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; and the National Litigation Conference. He has testified before the Maryland Legislature on issues involving law, medicine and tort reform, and has been asked to speak on various radio and television programs on the subjects of law, medicine, tort reform and physician discipline.
His biography has been selected for publication in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in American Law, the Bar Register of Pre-eminent Lawyers, The Million Dollar Advocates Forum and other reference works.
EDUCATION:
- The Pennsylvania State University, 1968
- American University School of Law, J.D., 1971
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
- American Bar Association
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Bar Association of the District of Columbia
- Maryland State Bar
- Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, past President
- Bar Association of Baltimore City
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity
Philip C. Federico, senior partner
Attorney Philip C. Federico is a senior partner with the law firm of Schochor, Federico and Staton where he focuses on the preparation and trial of medical malpractice claims, product liability cases and other serious civil litigation and personal injury lawsuits. He is admitted to practice in the Supreme Court for the United States and has handled numerous cases throughout the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia.
He graduated from the Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1980 and went on to graduate from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1983. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Maryland State Bar Association, Bar Association of Baltimore City and Bar Association of the District of Columbia. He is also an active member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the Justinian Society. He has appeared “pro hac vice” with special permission by courts in New Jersey, Delaware and North Carolina, among others. He has achieved an AV rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Directory which reflects the highest rating an attorney can receive for litigation skills and ethical standards.
Mr. Federico serves as a faculty member of the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers, Inc., educating attorneys on the preparation and trial of medical malpractice cases by presenting on such topics titled: Deposition Training Program, Preparation and Presentation of the Life Care Plan Expert, and Trying the Case. He has Lectured physicians at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Union Memorial Hospital, and other health care facilities on “How to Avoid Malpractice.” He has also lectured at seminars for the National Business Institute to Lawyers and Paralegals in Maryland on such issues as “Medical Malpractice in Maryland” and “Analyzing Medical Records.” Additionally, Mr. Federico has testified before the Maryland State Legislature on issues within law, medicine and tort reform.
Mr. Federico has been a member of the Associated Italian American Charities of Maryland since 1993, receiving the Bud Ecalano Award in 1998, and has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Boys’ Latin School of Maryland since 1995.
EDUCATION:
- Johns Hopkins University, B.S., 1980
- University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., 1983
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
- American Bar Association
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Bar Association of Baltimore City
- Bar Association of the District of Columbia
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- Maryland Trial Lawyers Association
- The Justinian Society
Kerry D. Staton, Senior Partner
Attorney Kerry D. Staton, a senior partner with the law firm of Schochor, Federico and Staton, is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts of Maryland and the District of Columbia, and has handled medical negligence cases, with special permission by courts in Pennsylvania, Alabama and other jurisdictions.
Upon graduation from Oberlin College in 1976, Mr. Staton attended the University of Maryland School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1980.
Mr. Staton served as a member of the Special Committee on Audit Procedures for the Maryland State Bar Association; has lectured on Medical Negligence Case Evaluations for the National Bar Association; was a member of the Committee on Civility for the Baltimore City Bar Association; and was a member of the Circuit Court for the Baltimore City Special Committee on ADR and the Monumental City Bar Association Judicial Nominating Committee. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, and is a permanent member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association and, as a member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Mr. Staton served as the Maryland State Delegate and Minority Caucus Member for Maryland. Additionally, Mr. Staton is a Fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation, a Fellow of the Howard County Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the Reginald Heber Smith Law Fellowship.
Mr. Staton participates on the Attorney Grievance Commission where he has served as Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Review Board, as well as a member of the Review Board and the Inquiry Panel. He has been an instructor at the University of Maryland School of Law and a faculty member of the Maryland State Course on Professionalism for Lawyers. He has also served as invited faculty for the Office of the Attorney General and for the Maryland Institute for Continuing Education of Lawyers, Inc. (MICPEL). Mr. Staton has lectured at Risk Management seminars for Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Western Shore Dental Society, and has testified before the Maryland Legislature on issues in law, medicine and tort reform. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
EDUCATION:
- Oberlin College, 1976
- University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., 1980
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
- Maryland State Bar Association, member of the Special Committee on Audit Procedures
- Baltimore City Bar Association, member of the Committee on Civility
- National Bar Association, lecturer, Medical Negligence Case Evaluations
- Monumental City Bar Association, Judicial Nominating Committee
- American Bar Association
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
- Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity
- Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference, permanent member
- Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Governors
- Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Maryland State Delegate and Minority Caucus Member for Maryland
- Maryland Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Howard County Bar Foundation, Fellow
- Reginald Heber Smith Law Fellowship, Fellow
James D. Cardea, Associate
Attorney James D. Cardea is an associate at the firm of Schochor, Federico and Staton where he practices medical malpractice law, product liability law and civil litigation.
Born in Englewood, New Jersey, Mr. Cardea graduated from Western Maryland College in 1989. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore, where he graduated cum laude in 1995.
Mr. Cardea was admitted to the bar in Maryland, 1995; District of Columbia, 1996; United States District Court for the District of Maryland, 1996; United States District Court for the District of Columbia, 1997.
He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, Maryland Trial Lawyers Association, Prince George’s County Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
- Western Maryland College, 1989
- University of Baltimore, J.D., 1995
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Maryland Trial Lawyers Association
- Prince George’s County Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Scott P. Kurlander, Associate
Attorney Scott P. Kurlander is an associate at the firm of Schochor, Federico and Staton where he practices medical malpractice law, product liability law and civil litigation.
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Kurlander attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts where he graduated cum laude in 1991. He went on to receive his Juris Doctor from Widener University in Wilmington, Delaware in 1994.
Mr. Kurlander was admitted to the bar in Maryland, 1994; United States District Court for the District of Maryland, 1995; United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, 1998; Supreme Court of the United States, 1999. He is a former judicial clerk to the Honorable Paul Alpert, Associate Judge of the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland, and also to the Honorable Edward Angeletti, Judge of the Circuit Court of Baltimore City, Maryland.
He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Baltimore County Bar Association, Baltimore City Bar Association and the American Bar Association.
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Tufts University, 1991
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Widener University, J.D., 1994
-
Maryland
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Maryland State Bar Association
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Association of Trial Lawyers of America
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Baltimore County Bar Association
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Baltimore City Bar Association
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American Bar Association
Lisa J. Smith is an associate with Schochor, Federico and staton, P.A. She graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science degree, earned a Master of Arts degree from Auburn University, and Later graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law. Ms. Smith is a former clerk to the Honorable Carol E. Smith, Judge for the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland.
Ms. Smith is licensed to practice law in the State of Maryland. She is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association.
Jeremy K. McDonald
Jeremy K. McDonald is an associate with Schochor, Federico and Staton, P.A. He Graduated from East Carolina University with a Bachelor of Science degree, and later graduated from the Washington College of Law at American University. Mr. McDonald is a former judicial clerk to the Honorable James L. Ryan, Judge for the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland.
Mr. McDonald is licensed to practice law in the state of Maryland, the District of Columbia, and the State of North Carolina. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Maryland Atate Bar Association, and the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association.
Lauren A. Schochor
Lauren A. Schochor is an associate with Schochor, Federico and Staton, P.A. She Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (cum laude) with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and later graduated from The George Washington University Law School (with honors) where she served as the executive Managing Editor of the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal (2000-2001)
Ms. Schochor is licensed to Practice law in the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the State of New Jersey. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Additional Questions or need further information?
Jonathan SchochorSchochor, Federico & Staton, P.A.
1050 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Ste. #1000
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: 866-821-3637
Fax: 410-234-1525
