Our mission is to seek justice and fair compensation for seriously injured people. Those who suffer harm from the negligent or reckless acts of another person or company have a right to compensation for their losses.

The Abelson Law Firm has 35 years of history representing personal injury victims in Washington, D.C. We are known for our powerful ability to negotiate successful settlements, win cases, and help our clients get back to their normal lives. Our mission is to fight for justice on behalf of those who have suffered from negligent or reckless behavior.

The Abelson Law Firm is led by senior attorney Michael A. Abelson, who has decades of success practicing personal injury law in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia. We also work with the support of a medical consultant and board-certified physician who is available to provide additional insight and guidance on all cases. We are proud to offer our clients the most skilled and knowledgeable assistance possible.

We represent individuals facing serious injury due to car or truck accidents, medical malpractice, construction and workplace accidents, defective products or drugs, and more. Whatever your circumstances, we will advocate hard for your rights and your deserved compensation. Our team is here to help you and your family obtains the financial security and resources you need to keep your future on track.

PRACTICE AREAS:
Washington DC Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Car Accident Attorneys Washington DC
Washington DC Truck Accident Law Firm

CONTACT:
The Abelson Law Firm
1717 K Street NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 202-331-0600
Business Email: michael@seekingjustice.com

5 WAYS TO POTENTIALLY AVOID A MISDIAGNOSIS

Everyday, doctors and other specialists must quickly sift through a sea of patients with a variety of different ailments and illnesses. They must make quick decisions and diagnoses on a variety of symptoms. Sometimes, for one reason or another, a medical professional will make a mistake. A misdiagnosis could cause a patient severe injury, or even death. While a medical professional should catch the correct diagnosis, there are ways a patient can potentially avoid a misdiagnosis. Below are five ways to potentially avoid a misdiagnosis:

MAKE NOTE OF SYMPTOMS

Most patients wait before seeing a doctor. In this waiting period, a variety of symptoms can come and go. It is imperative for a person to make note of the different symptoms affecting them. Some symptoms can rule out certain diagnoses, while some symptoms can be a sign of a certain diagnosis. Keeping a list of symptoms can help a doctor greatly.

AVOID DRAWING CONCLUSIONS

When a patient is describing their symptoms, it can be tempting to come to certain conclusions. Jumping to a conclusion could potentially cause a doctor to rule out different ailments. One should always just give their symptoms and how the symptoms are affecting them.

BRING MEDICATIONS

If one is taking any medications, whether they were prescribed by the current doctor or not, it can help for a patient to being in their current medications. This could help a doctor determine whether the medicine is to blame.

CLEAR MEDICAL HISTORY

A patient should know whether or not certain conditions run in the family. Conditions like heart disease, depression, anxiety, cancer, and more could help a doctor determine whether or not a genetic facet is at play during diagnosis.

ASK PLENTY OF QUESTIONS

It’s not uncommon for a patient to try and do all the talking during a visit. While all that talking is done, a patient should take care to ask questions regarding their diagnosis and their doctor’s reason for arriving at that conclusion. Moreover, a patient should ask for a second opinion from another doctor if they are feeling uneasy or if the diagnosis is particularly heavy. This two-step verification of a diagnosis can greatly lower the chances of being misdiagnosed.

These tips can serve as a great help in avoiding a misdiagnosis. But despite following these and many other tips, misdiagnoses occur everyday and their effect on a person could be far worse than the original symptoms.

If you or a loved one has been harmed due to a doctor’s misdiagnosis, contact a lawyer who could help.

LEAVING AFTER COLLIDING AND WRONGFUL DEATH IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Law enforcement officers are investigating a 6-year-old child’s death after he was struck by a car several weeks ago. He was struck by a car on his birthday as he attempted to cross the street in the 5300 block of Livingston Road, SE in D.C. at about 8:30 p.m. Friends and family at the birthday party called an ambulance right away. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, but was pronounced dead after resuscitation attempts failed.

LEAVING AFTER COLLIDING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

The driver initially fled the scene of the accident. This potentially criminal action is commonly called a hit-and-run accident. The driver didn’t automatically report the accident and he didn’t wait for D.C. police to arrive at the scene. Washington, D. C. law refers to the event as a “leaving after colliding” event. When this type of accident occurs, the driver must 1) stop to ensure that emergency assistance is called, as needed, and 2) identify himself or herself to law enforcement officers, as well as the injured person.

• In this example, if the driver is a first-time violator, he faces a maximum 180 days in jail, plus a maximum $1,000 fine.

• If he was involved in a leaving while colliding accident before, he’s subject to a maximum 12-month jail term plus $2,500 fine. 

CONSIDERATIONS IN THE EXAMPLE

In this example, the driver didn’t stop to contact emergency assistance, didn’t identify himself to witnesses, and didn’t wait for officers to arrive at the scene. Fortunately, witnesses of the accident were able to describe the vehicle to police. Several hours after the accident, the driver contacted police and admitted to the hit and run accident that killed the child. He later turned himself in to police in Prince George’s County.

WRONGFUL DEATH IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

District of Columbia Code Section 16-2701 says wrongful death is an injury that leads to the death of an individual, caused by wrongful act, neglect, or default of another party. In D.C., the definition of wrongful death says that the action that caused death would have been the possible basis for a personal injury claim if the injured party had lived. Next of kin, such as parents in this example, may file a wrongful death claim against the negligent driver and his insurer. If the plaintiff is awarded damages, the insurer distributes them to the parent(s) or next of kin in a proportionate manner according to the loss suffered.

If you or someone you love has suffered serious bodily injury or wrongful death as a result of a negligent driver in Washington, D.C., contact an experienced, compassionate personal injury law firm now. Contact The Abelson Law Firm to discuss your case now.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU’RE INJURED OUT-OF-STATE

A few weeks ago, a father and son from Iowa were traveling on Interstate 81 in Virginia when a 34-year-old truck driver from Georgia caused multiple vehicle crashes. A tractor-trailer truck was unable to avoid hitting the father and son in a Mercedes, and a chain reaction accident involving a total of five vehicles occurred. The father and son died at the accident scene. The Georgia trucker was charged with reckless driving by the Virginia State Police.

WRONGFUL DEATH

The conclusion of this tragic accident involves much more than vehicle property and casualty damages. Two innocent people died from serious bodily injuries because of someone else’s negligence. After dealing with the shock of the loved ones’ deaths, we assume that the next of kin will bring wrongful death lawsuits against the negligent truck driver. Questions such as “Where should the next of kin of the father and son from Iowa bring wrongful death claims?” and “Was the negligent driver a self-employed trucker or did he work for a trucking company?” should be discussed in the aftermath.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU’RE INJURED OUT-OF-STATE?

It’s quite common to travel out-of-state if you’re on vacation, on business travel, or visiting a loved one. If you’re injured out-of-state or you’re killed in an accident like the example referenced here, where can you bring a lawsuit against the negligent driver?

WHAT IS JURISDICTION?

This question concerns jurisdiction, a legal term that refers to a certain court’s authority to consider a case. Jurisdiction might be related to the cause of the case or the individuals involved in the case. For instance, an accident that occurs within a single state’s boundary may be heard in that state. So, in our example, if the negligent truck driver was in Virginia instead of Georgia and he hit a father of son also from Virginia, the driver would face a lawsuit in Virginia state court. If other parties involved in the multiple-vehicle crash were from foreign countries, the case would be heard in federal court. It’s simple when everyone involved in an accident is from the same state. When an accident concerns parties from other states, the question is a bit more complex.

HOW DO I BRING A LAWSUIT AGAINST SOMEONE LIVING IN ANOTHER STATE?

The individual filing a lawsuit is the plaintiff. The negligent individual or business is the defendant. In this example, the driver from Georgia has certain rights that may include where he may be sued. Although special jurisdiction rules may apply to a motor vehicle accident, let’s assume that the negligent driver wants to be sued in Georgia. In that case, the Georgia court has personal jurisdiction over its citizens. However, if the truck driver has a “certain amount of contact” with the state of Virginia, the courts might have jurisdiction over the driver. According to Code of Virginia Section 8.01 to 328.1, the negligent individual may be subject to personal jurisdiction in Virginia because business activity in the Commonwealth caused “tortious injury.” An experienced, compassionate personal injury law firm will always argue in the client’s best interests concerning jurisdiction and will aggressively fight for the client’s right to receive compensation and damages.

HOW DO I SUE A BUSINESS?

If the negligent truck driver from Georgia works for a large trucking business, the question of where to sue the business is an important one. Assuming the business’ headquarters are also in Georgia, the plaintiff will need to travel to Georgia for hearings involving the case. However, there may be an opportunity to sue the business in Iowa as well if it has a branch office in that state or even if the trucking business advertises there.

If you or a loved one has been injured because of someone else’s negligence in or around greater Washington, D.C., you need a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. Let The Abelson Law Firm help you. Contact us now.

FEW MEDICAL MALPRACTICE VICTIMS FILE A LAWSUIT

A Maryland woman with constant pulsatile tinnitus was seen by three doctors in a local hospital. She said that interminable pulsing made it difficult to focus, work, or sleep. A primary care doctor referred her to a neurologist after ordering MRIs of the skull with and without contrast. The neurologist recommended a psychiatrist visit to ease the woman’s stress and anxiety about the condition.

The psychiatrist ordered medicines to help the patient relax. After the visit, the patient received more prescriptions to treat the unknown constant pulsatile tinnitus. Less than six months later, the woman lost her job. The doctors recommended a lower-stress occupation. Two years went by, and the patient fell down a flight of stairs at a local library. She was rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors found a neuroendocrine tumor in the left jugular vein. The original neuroendocrine cancer spread to her lungs. She was now deaf, sick, and unemployed.

Comparing the older MRIs to the latest scans, doctors found the tumor in the MRI with contrast. The radiologist responsible for reading the images provided incorrect information to the primary care, neurologist, and psychiatrist. An experienced medical malpractice law firm knows how to get just compensation for injuries, failure to diagnose cancer, lost wages, and pain and suffering for clients like this one. The Abelson Law Firm seeks justice for clients.

When you visit a physician or hospital because of an injury, illness, or another condition, your well-being is in the provider’s hands. No one anticipates becoming a medical malpractice victim, but cases like this one happen all the time. If you or someone you have has suffered a serious injury or death because of a doctor or hospital’s negligence, contact The Abelson Lawat (202) 331-0600. Let us help you.