Arizona Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Despite legislation in Arizona impacting claims against physicians and hospitals, medical malpractice lawsuits continue to threaten health care providers. Medical malpractice has become one of the most intense and complex forms of litigation.
In addition to defending healthcare providers in litigation, our attorneys represent physicians, nurses, other healthcare providers before state regulatory boards and in matters involving privileging and credentialing. We are also provide risk management counseling to avoid potential litigation.
Schneider & Onofry, P.C. ● A Full Service Law Firm
Call 602-903-6853 for an initial consultation.
We work closely with our health care clients from the beginning of the investigative process, to advising on potential claims before suits are filed, through jury verdicts and appeals. The firm has represented physicians, nurses, physician assistants, hospitals, HMO's, dentists, nursing and long-term care facilities, chiropractors, and other healthcare providers and facilities in most areas of medicine including:
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology
- General Medicine
- Infection Control
- Neurology
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Oncology
- On-site Injuries (falls, etc.)
- Pathology
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Surgery, including Neurosurgery, Cardiac, Orthopedic, General and Oral
- Urology
- Rehabilitative Care
- Nursing
- Privileging and Credentialing
Comprehensive Malpractice Litigation by Veteran Trial Lawyers
Several key characteristics distinguish Schneider and Onofry when it comes to medical malpractice.
Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Our attorneys in this area devote all or virtually all of their practice exclusively to medical malpractice cases. This focus allows them to coordinate complex medical issues and to develop a winning strategy. Our medical malpractice attorneys actually study the medical issues in a case. This expertise is critical to effective cross-examination of opposing experts and to asserting successful defenses that often turn on a standard of care or causation issue that might be missed without the attorney's thorough understanding of the medicine.
Our experience also means our attorneys develop expertise in, and focus their attention on, particular medical fields, such as cancer, cardiology, emergency practice, and gynecology. The depth and breadth of our trial attorneys' knowledge allows us to quickly and efficiently develop a thorough strategy.
Legal Analysis
No medical malpractice claim can be litigated without an intimate knowledge of the law unique to medical and dental malpractice. Recent legislative efforts at tort reform have resulted in a modest decrease in the number of medical lawsuits filed. At the same time, however, these efforts have produced a complicated set of statutes and appellate decisions.
Our attorneys guide health care providers and their carriers through complicated medical and legal issues. Our knowledge ensures that we advise clients pro-actively to avoid legal pitfalls inherent in medical practice these days, that we identify and pursue innovative legal arguments, and that we aggressively pursue motions to dismiss or limit the scope of the plaintiff's claims.
Trial Experience
Our medical malpractice attorneys are experienced trial attorneys with expertise in trying medical malpractice, dental malpractice, personal injury, and other professional liability cases. We have defended at trial cases against nursing homes, cardiologists, neurologists, urologists, nurses, hospitals, dentists, and providers in virtually all aspects of health care. We are prepared to try every case and believe that preparation gives our clients the strongest tactical advantage and the best position to achieve a favorable outcome.
Coordination with Leading Physicians
Our experience and integrity as lawyers have allowed us to establish good relationships with highly qualified, credible local and national specialists. As a result, we are able to retain some of the best expert witnesses in the country on behalf of our clients. Our contacts are not limited to the courtroom, but provide access to specialists for consultation on strategy and the medical and legal issues confronting our clients. Partnering with physician experts benefits our clients and strengthens our ties with the physician community across the country.
Adverse Experts
A significant challenge in any medical malpractice case is cross-examining the opposing party's witnesses. We have seen many cases dismissed or settled for minimal amounts after the deposition of the plaintiff's expert who was forced to concede faulty assumptions, incomplete information, or an incorrect analysis that destroyed their opinions.
Our attorneys have deposed countless physician. We also maintain an expert witness library with prior expert trial and deposition testimony. We research every expert's education, training, publications, certifications, experience, and background. We can recognize and address theories and tactics used by the opposing party's counsel. As a result, we can predict and defuse expert criticisms before they are rendered.
Innovative Approaches and Cost-Effective Solutions
There is no question the cost of medical malpractice cases keeps going up. The rising cost impacts what physicians pay for liability insurance and, in turn, what they must charge for their services.
We do everything possible to reduce this expense, from coordinating the work to be done with other defendants (when possible) to implementing a state-of-the-art software system that streamlines communication, document preparation, and legal research. We look to dismiss or limit cases at the earliest juncture. This approach includes looking for innovative legal arguments and constantly monitoring changes and developments in case law affecting medical malpractice issues. We use video conferencing facilities and on-line reporting capability to reduce travel and processing costs. Our background as medical malpractice attorneys also means we review medical records and process information faster and less expensively than attorneys with less experience in this area.
Other Health Care Law Services
Disciplinary Proceedings
In addition to medical malpractice, we represent physicians and other medical professionals in proceedings before the Arizona State Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Nursing, Board of Dentistry, and other regulatory bodies. We aggressively fight to defend their licenses to practice medicine and to avoid disciplinary sanctions.
Healthcare Practice
In today's world, healthcare providers have a number of business and insurance issues to deal with in addition to their medical practice. Additional legal services provided by our health care attorneys include:
- Credentialing and Hospital Privileges
- Licensing and Certification
- Risk Management Counseling
- HMO's, PPO's, and Traditional Health Insurance Plans
- Physician and Hospital organizations
- Medical Records and Confidentiality
- Healthcare Business Contracts
- Staff and Employee Contracts and Relationships
- Employment Litigation
Contact Us
When the medical and legal worlds collide, you want the representation of a firm with in-depth knowledge of both medicine and law. Contact us today. If you would like to review literature on the current state of the health care industry, tort reform, or other medical/legal matters, please click on the "Articles" link below.
Back to Top
