medical malpractice

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers in America Honors Frei, Mims and Perushek

Partners Steve Frei and Gary Mims have once again been recognized and named to the peer-reviewed, 28th edition of Best Lawyers in America. Matt Perushek is once again recognized on the Best Lawyers’ “Ones to Watch” list, which premiered in 2021.

Both Frei and Mims have received the Best Lawyers distinction, continuously, since 2007. They are recognized in Personal Injury Litigation and Medical Malpractice Law for plaintiffs.

The Ones to Watch roster recognizes attorneys for outstanding professional excellence in private practice, who are earlier in their careers and typically in practice for five to nine years.

December 19, 2019

New Year, New Name: Frei, Mims and Perushek

by Gary Brooks Mims

It is with great pleasure that we announce an exciting new chapter for our firm. Effective, January 1, 2020, Sickels, Frei and Mims becomes Frei, Mims and Perushek.

This change marks the addition of Matthew Perushek as partner and the retirement from the firm of our friend and partner Charles Sickels, after 45 years in law. Gary Brooks Mims is the new managing partner of the firm.

As a team of personal injury trial lawyers, we are entering 2020 with both a renewed determination and passion to achieve just results for our clients. We will continue to serve clients in our key practice areas of medical malpractice, serious accidents, products liability, wrongful death and all other areas of personal injury law. There is no greater reward in our practice than to fight for our clients’ rights and to win just compensation.

March 23, 2019

Challenges in medical malpractice: juries give doctors the “benefit of the doubt”

by Gary Brooks Mims

Research confirms what most medical malpractice attorneys have experienced for many years — the deck is stacked in favor of doctors in medical malpractice lawsuits.

A study published in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research examined 20 years of medical malpractice cases and found that the doctor most often wins. Researchers compared lawsuit outcomes to outcomes predicted by physician reviewers. Remarkably, they found that physicians win 50 percent of the cases that independent reviewers said had strong evidence of medical malpractice. In other words, they win 50 percent of the cases that they should lose.

This high success rate, according to the study, suggests that more is at play than just the evidence: “Juries may be skeptical of patients who sue their doctors” and “juries tend to give doctors the benefit of the doubt when experts for both sides are credible.” In addition, the study suggests that the defendants are much more likely than plaintiffs to hire experienced attorneys. Obviously, these factors make it difficult for malpractice plaintiffs to win even the strongest of cases.

September 13, 2017

Matthew Perushek Named “Top 40 under 40” by the National Trial Lawyers Association

by Frei, Mims and Perushek, LLP

Sickels, Frei and Mims, LLP associate Matthew Perushek was named to the “Top 40 under 40” roster by the National Trial Lawyers Association. The honor is by invitation only and is awarded exclusively to civil plaintiff and/or criminal defense attorney.

The Top 40 membership is extended to a select few from each state who exemplify “superior qualifications, trial results and leadership as a young lawyer under 40.” Selection is based on a thorough multi-phase objective process which includes peer nominations combined with third-party research.

A graduate of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason, Perushek clerked for the Honorable Michael F. Devine of the Fairfax Circuit Court. He joined Sickels, Frei and Mims in 2013. He is active in the Fairfax and Virginia bar associations and will serve as district representative of the Young Lawyers Conference. He was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star 2015-17.