30+ Years of Litigation Experience in Florida Medical Malpractice and Severe Medical Injury Cases
Severe Medical Injuries Demand Trial-Ready Experience
A medical error can divide a family's life into before and after. When negligent care causes paralysis, permanent brain damage, an amputation, blindness, or another catastrophic injury, the consequences can last for decades. The patient may need ongoing treatment, rehabilitation, assistance with daily activities, adaptive equipment, home modifications, and financial support for a future that now looks very different.
The Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo, P.A. represents patients and families throughout Florida in serious medical malpractice cases involving permanent and life-changing harm. Casey D. Shomo has more than three decades of experience in medical malpractice litigation, including years spent representing physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers before dedicating his practice to injured patients and families. That background gives Mr. Shomo insight into how medical defendants evaluate records, causation, expert testimony, and future damages.
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That experience matters in a catastrophic case. Severe medical injury claims are rarely about one chart entry or one disputed decision. A lawyer may need to reconstruct a complicated timeline, identify each provider's role, work with qualified experts, separate underlying disease from preventable harm, and document what the patient will need in the future. Mr. Shomo personally oversees the matters his office accepts and prepares serious cases with trial in mind from the beginning.
Florida Severe Medical Injury Claims at a Glance
Severe medical injury claims in Florida often turn on a few core legal and medical issues:
When Medical Malpractice Causes Catastrophic Harm
Some medical malpractice injuries improve with time. Others permanently alter a person's ability to move, think, work, communicate, care for themselves, or live independently. Those cases require a legal strategy built around the full effect of the injury rather than the immediate medical bill alone.
Severe medical negligence can contribute to injuries such as:
Brain and Neurological Injuries
A missed stroke, medication error, lack of oxygen, surgical complication, brain bleed, or delayed diagnosis can cause permanent cognitive, neurological, or functional impairment.
Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis
Failure to diagnose spinal compression, delayed referral for surgery, a surgical error, or other negligent care can cause or worsen spinal cord damage and leave a patient with lasting weakness or paralysis.
Amputation or Permanent Loss of Limb Function
Errors involving vascular conditions, infection, surgery, or delayed treatment can result in loss of a limb or permanent loss of mobility and function.
Blindness or Serious Vision Loss
Medication mistakes, surgical errors, delayed treatment, or failures to recognize an eye emergency can cause irreversible damage to a patient's vision.
Severe Birth Injuries
Negligence during pregnancy, labor, delivery, or neonatal care can cause birth injuries involving cerebral palsy, neurological impairment, developmental limitations, or other lifelong disabilities.
Wrongful Death
Some preventable medical errors are fatal. Families may then have a medical malpractice wrongful death claim and difficult questions about whether negligent treatment caused the death.
Medical Malpractice Resources
- Medical Malpractice Overview›
- Medical Malpractice FAQ›
- Birth Injury›
- Medication Errors›
- Misdiagnosis / Delayed Diagnosis›
- Surgical Errors›
- Wrongful Death›
- Jupiter Medical Malpractice Claims›
- West Palm Beach Medical Malpractice Claims›
- When Is a Surgical Error Medical Malpractice?›
- Is a Delayed Sepsis Diagnosis Medical Malpractice?›
"I can't say enough about my experience working with Casey. My family suffered a sad, preventable tragedy. Casey helped guide us through the aftermath of that tragedy, including the hospitals and the insurance companies involved. He ensured that we fully understood all our options and what each would entail for our family. Above all, Casey was truly empathetic and never sought to have us pursue any resolution that wasn't in my family's best interest. We truly appreciated his practical and caring approach."— V.D.
Why Severe Medical Injury Cases Are Different
A catastrophic outcome does not automatically prove malpractice. Under Florida Statute § 766.102, the claimant must prove by the greater weight of the evidence that a health care provider breached the prevailing professional standard of care and that the breach proximately caused the injury. The statute also makes clear that the existence of a medical injury does not create a presumption of negligence.
That can make severe medical injury litigation especially demanding. A health care provider may argue that the patient's underlying illness, an unavoidable complication, or another medical condition caused the outcome. When several doctors, nurses, facilities, or specialists were involved, each defendant may also argue that someone else was responsible.
A lawyer has to address several questions at the same time: What should the provider have done? What actually happened? When did the patient's condition change? Would timely and appropriate care more likely than not have prevented or reduced the harm? What will the patient need because of the injury? Early legal review can help preserve the records and expert evidence needed to answer those questions.
Contact Us TodayBuilding the Medical and Causation Evidence
Serious medical malpractice cases are built from the medical timeline. Hospital records, physician notes, medication logs, diagnostic imaging, laboratory results, operative reports, nursing documentation, and follow-up care can reveal when warning signs appeared and how the medical team responded. A lawyer can compare timestamps across those records and identify gaps, delays, or conflicting explanations that may matter to the case.
Qualified medical experts are often needed to evaluate whether the care met accepted standards and whether a departure from those standards caused the patient's injury. In a complex case, more than one specialty may be involved. A claim involving permanent neurological damage, for example, might require an expert in the specialty responsible for the original care as well as physicians who can explain the patient's long-term prognosis.
Florida also requires substantial presuit work before a medical malpractice complaint can be filed. Florida Statute § 766.203 generally requires a presuit investigation and a verified written medical expert opinion corroborating reasonable grounds for the claim, while Florida Statute § 766.106 governs notice and the screening period. An experienced lawyer can coordinate that medical malpractice process, identify the correct potential defendants, and protect the claim while expert review is underway.
A Catastrophic Injury Claim Has to Account for the Patient's Future
When an injury is permanent, the legal case cannot stop at the cost of past treatment. It may also need to address decades of future medical care, rehabilitation, prescription medication, assistive devices, home modifications, transportation needs, personal assistance, and lost earning capacity.
A person who can no longer walk may need a wheelchair that will be replaced multiple times, an accessible vehicle, changes to the home, and help with transfers or personal care. Someone with a severe brain injury may need cognitive therapy, supervision, medication management, or assistance making everyday decisions. A child with a birth injury may have medical, educational, and personal-care needs that change as the child grows.
Those future losses have to be supported rather than guessed. Medical specialists, rehabilitation professionals, life care planners, economists, vocational experts, and other qualified professionals may become important when the case involves lifelong consequences. A lawyer can coordinate that work so the projections are tied to the medical evidence, the patient's functional limitations, and realistic future costs before settlement is considered.
Find Out If You Have A Case"When your world is flipped upside down in an instant and you're not sure where to turn, this team can help! I am eternally grateful for Attorney Shomo and his staff. They showed up for me and my family in the most difficult time in our life and worked diligently to bring some sort of light to our situation when I didn't think it was possible."— A.M.
Trial Experience Matters When the Stakes Are High
Mr. Shomo's medical malpractice case results include $2.5 million for permanent neurological losses after an inaccurate diagnosis and pharmaceutical error, $2.25 million for wrong-site surgery and failure to treat resulting in amputation, $2.05 million for spinal cord injury and paralysis after a failure to timely refer for surgery, and $2 million involving ophthalmic surgery medication errors and vision or eye injuries affecting multiple patients. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome.
Mr. Shomo brings experience from both sides of medical malpractice litigation. Before representing injured patients, he defended physicians, hospitals, and health care facilities. That background gives him insight into how medical defendants evaluate risk, develop expert testimony, challenge causation, and prepare witnesses.
Mr. Shomo is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an invitation-only organization dedicated to the civil jury trial system. His professional background includes decades of complex civil litigation throughout Florida, and he prepares serious medical malpractice cases with trial in mind from the beginning.
That does not mean every case should be tried. A fair settlement can spare a patient and family the time and uncertainty of trial. But meaningful negotiations are different when the other side knows the lawyer is prepared to present the medical evidence to a jury if necessary.
"Mr. Shomo provided sound legal guidance at a time I needed it most. My father had originally retained Mr. Shomo for his services but his health declined rapidly. I lived in another state and Mr. Shomo was not only my eyes and ears for when I couldn't be in FL, but he went above and beyond and checked in on my father. It was a long complicated case, but Mr. Shomo never faltered in his determination to get justice for my father. My father unfortunately passed away before conclusion came in favor for my father, but I know he would be very proud of all Mr. Shomo and his agency did in his honor. Words do not express how highly I would recommend Mr. Shomo's agency for their level of knowledge and professionalism!"— C.C.
Complex Medical Malpractice Cases Can Involve Multiple Defendants
Severe injuries often develop through a chain of medical decisions rather than one isolated mistake. An emergency physician may miss a diagnosis, a radiologist may fail to identify an abnormality, a specialist may not be consulted in time, and a hospital may have policies or staffing issues that affect what happens next.
That does not mean every provider involved in the patient's care is responsible. A lawyer has to evaluate each potential defendant separately by asking who had the relevant duty, what information was available at the time, what should have happened, and whether that provider's failure probably contributed to the final injury.
This is one reason serious malpractice litigation can require substantial resources. The legal team may need records from several facilities, different experts for different specialties, and testimony from doctors, nurses, and other providers to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine where the preventable harm occurred.
Multiple defendants. Complex medicine. Decades of consequences. Mr. Shomo has the trial experience and resources to take on these cases.
Count On CaseyAttorney Referrals for Complex Florida Medical Malpractice Cases
Mr. Shomo accepts referrals of severe medical malpractice and catastrophic injury cases from attorneys throughout Florida. A referral may make sense when a case involves unusually complex medicine, significant future damages, multiple health care defendants, extensive expert work, or the likelihood of a contested trial.
Referring counsel can contact The Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo, P.A. to discuss the medical issues, procedural posture, and litigation needs. Any referral or co-counsel arrangement is handled in accordance with applicable Florida Bar rules and with the client's interests as the priority.
Because Mr. Shomo personally oversees the matters his office accepts, referring attorneys can speak directly with an experienced medical malpractice trial lawyer about whether a case is a fit and what will be required to move it forward.
"Mr. Shomo's expertise and dedication were instrumental in representing me in my recent legal case, and I am thoroughly impressed by his professionalism and skill. His ability to navigate complex legal issues and provide clear, concise explanations helped me feel confident and informed throughout the entire process."— P.K.
Representing Patients and Families Across Florida
The Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo, P.A. is based in Palm Beach Gardens, but severe medical negligence is not confined to one hospital system or one part of the state. Mr. Shomo has litigated civil cases throughout Florida and can evaluate catastrophic medical injury claims and referrals statewide.
Mr. Shomo represents clients across Florida, including families pursuing West Palm Beach medical malpractice and Jupiter medical malpractice claims. Severe medical injury cases can require substantial presuit work before filing, so early legal review can provide more time to obtain records, identify qualified experts, and determine which providers may be responsible.
"He took on our case with remarkable diligence, providing clear communication, strategic counsel, and steadfast dedication from beginning to end. Thanks to their relentless commitment and expertise, we were able to find resolution and peace. Words cannot express our gratitude for what he did for our family."— L.M.
Frequently Asked Questions About Severe Medical Injuries
What Qualifies as a Severe Medical Injury in Florida?
A severe medical injury is one that causes permanent or life-changing harm. These cases may involve brain or neurological damage, spinal cord injury or paralysis, amputation, serious vision loss, severe birth injuries, or wrongful death. The legal analysis still depends on how the injury happened and whether negligent medical care caused or worsened the harm.
Does a Severe Medical Outcome Automatically Mean Medical Malpractice?
No. A catastrophic result by itself does not prove malpractice. Florida law requires evidence that a health care provider breached the prevailing professional standard of care and that the breach caused the injury. A lawyer and qualified medical experts may need to separate preventable harm from the patient's underlying condition or an unavoidable complication.
What Evidence Can Help Prove a Severe Medical Injury Claim?
The medical timeline is often central to the case. Hospital records, physician notes, medication logs, diagnostic imaging, laboratory results, operative reports, nursing documentation, and follow-up care can show when warning signs appeared and how providers responded. Qualified medical experts are often needed to explain the standard of care, causation, and the patient's long-term prognosis.
Can More Than One Doctor, Nurse, or Hospital Be Responsible?
Yes, depending on the facts. Severe injuries can develop through a chain of medical decisions involving several providers or facilities. Each potential defendant has to be evaluated separately to determine what duty applied, what information was available, what should have happened, and whether that provider's failure probably contributed to the final injury.
How Are Future Damages Evaluated in a Catastrophic Medical Malpractice Case?
A permanent injury claim may need to account for future medical care, rehabilitation, medication, assistive devices, home modifications, transportation, personal assistance, and lost earning capacity. Medical specialists, rehabilitation professionals, life care planners, economists, vocational experts, and other qualified professionals may help support those future losses rather than leaving them to guesswork.
When Should I Contact a Florida Severe Medical Injury Lawyer?
Early legal review can provide more time to obtain records, identify potential defendants, work with qualified experts, and complete Florida's medical malpractice presuit requirements. Mr. Shomo personally oversees the matters his office accepts and can evaluate severe medical injury claims throughout Florida. The firm offers free consultations and handles medical malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis, so there is no attorney's fee unless compensation is recovered for you.
Casey D. Shomo
Medical Malpractice Attorney
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
"I'm with you from start to finish."
— Casey D. ShomoSpeak With a Florida Severe Medical Injury Lawyer
When medical negligence causes permanent harm, the legal case has to account for the patient's medical history, the decisions that led to the injury, and the care and support that may be needed for years to come. Mr. Shomo can review the records, work with qualified experts, identify potential defendants, and build evidence of future care and financial losses. His prior defense experience also helps him anticipate the arguments doctors, hospitals, and insurers may raise.
If you or someone you love suffered a catastrophic medical injury in Florida, contact The Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo, P.A. for a free consultation. Our firm handles medical malpractice cases on a contingency fee basis, so there is no attorney's fee unless compensation is recovered for you. Attorneys seeking experienced counsel for a serious medical malpractice referral are also welcome to reach out.
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