Defending the Rights of Injured Women

By By Scott Bowling

Southern Maryland is the home of many gifted medical professionals who provide excellent and compassionate care to our community. However, some physicians and medical staff in offices, hospitals and nursing homes, fail to practice with the care and diligence required by law. Women suffer catastrophic surgical injuries during procedures and then receive the cold explanation that the permanent disfigurement or disability was due to a “known risk.” Sometimes, the explanation comes with the excuse that a woman “consented” to the procedure knowing these risks. These are the comments made by those medical providers that are not always practicing to the standard of care required by the medical profession and the law. It is simply not what any mother or daughter deserves to hear.

More than 20 years ago, David Chapman and I formed a law practice, Chapman & Bowling, LLC. It seems that my life was shaped by the philosophy of strong willed men; I am a fifth generation native of Charles County and grew up on a tobacco farm on the Wicomico River. My life changed in 1989 when I married my wife, Susan, a soft-spoken woman from Richmond and had three daughters together. Those events have had a profound impact on the way that I have built my law practice.

Over the years, my law practice developed into one that provides legal representation to seriously injured people in southern Maryland. The vast majority of serious medical malpractice cases and personal injury issues, in my practice, involved women and still do. Sometimes those cases involve the loss of life. Women have so much responsibility today and we owe them aggressive legal representation in return. In the past decade, the cases of malpractice and injuries to women have increased at a significant rate. I have entered courtrooms for women who have suffered perforations to their bowls, bladders and other organs as well as instances where they have been injured in collisions, dog attacks or unsafe buildings. Other cases include women with surgical sponges left in their abdomens, facial burns, crushed ankles or brain damage.

In one instance, a woman undergoing surgery to correct an ovarian cyst had her uterer severed in the process. After days of urinating internally, her surgeon examined her again and failed to diagnose the life threatening condition. After months of agonizing treatment she raised an allegation of malpractice and the doctor denied it. I took her case to trial several years later and the jury awarded the woman over 5 million dollars.

In a recent 2011 case, a woman’s bowels were damaged during a laparoscopic procedure, which again went undetected. The situation was truly terrible for a terrific woman and her husband. After denials of negligence, the case went to trial and the client received the first malpractice verdict in Charles County in years.

My wife and I have taught our daughters to lean forward, ask questions and solve problems. The same holds true in my approach to defending women who have sustained injuries. Such cases always require the lawyer to mount an offensive against the negligent party, examine it carefully and bring the matter to a fair conclusion whether that results in a settlement or a costly trial.

You can schedule a meeting with Mr. Bowling by calling 301-934-9969. For more information please visit www.chapmanbowling.com

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About By Scott Bowling

Scott help founded Chapman & Bowling in 1988. Scott’s primary areas of concentration include
personal injury litigation in cases involving motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, and
premises liability. Over his career, Scott has litigated personal injury matters in the state courts of Maryland, as well as participated in cases in Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida. He also has extensive
experience in construction and real estate litigation. Scott earned his law degree from George Washington University, National Law Center
and a B.A. from North Carolina State University.

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