@nashlawfirm

November 16th, 2010

Brian J. Nash

Medical Malpractice and Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Head of Nash & Associates, LLC

Contributing Author to the Eye Opener legal blog

Today we’re tweeting with DC medical malpractice / personal injury lawyer and legal blogger @Nashlawfirm

  1. @Nashlawfirm, thank you for joining us on Twitter. Tell us, who is @Nashlawfirm?
    Lawyers & staff who luv their job of helping others, care about people are smart as hell & bring passion 2 the job every day…
    Peeps who inspire ea other 2 luv what we do & be the best we can be, 2 use the skills we have to assure victim’s rights
  2. Please tell us about your law practice.
    Boutique law firm in MD & DC w many yrs of successful exper. in civil litigation (med mal, catastrophic injury)…
    …former defense lawyers, who now represent people who are severely injured by bad healthcare and conduct of others.
  3. Tell us a little more about the clients you represent? Who are they?
    Mainly we represent victims & families of victims – real people, whose lives have been devastated by medical malpractice.
  4. What is the single most important legal issue affecting those clients?
    So many cynics think it’s all about money. It simply isn’t! Clients just want 2 know-what happened? Why? Can they have their…
    …voices heard and their cases judged by fair minded people. Are you surprised to learn – that’s what it IS about?
  5. What do you tell every new client before you start working for them?
    We make our philosophy clear: bad outcomes do NOT equal malpractice. However, when people are injured by care that is simply bad…
    …we will bring our skill and experiences 2 make sure their voice is heard. We’re very clear – it is not just about monetary…
    …compensation. It’s about having people who cause injury be held accountable & then change their ways so others don’t suffer
  6. Tell us about one of the more significant client representations you’ve had.
    Too many to count, frankly. It’s been a great career. I’ve represented so many wonderful people. In some small way…
    …I hope I’ve touched their lives 4 the better. People w injured kids or who lost children or a spouse, great folks with…
    … serious injuries & needs that we’ve been able to help in some small way. How do you pick one or two out? You can’t
  7. Understood. Why do your clients hire you?
    For our experience, trial skills, knowledge of law, medicine, the courts and not least – the passion we being to their case
  8. What’s the most active area of your practice at the current time? Is that typical?
    Representing people when they or family member has been severely injured by medical malpractice. Yes, that’s our specialty-
  9. Makes sense…. We hear a lot of talk about a “patients’ bill of rights.” What exactly does that mean?
    4 brevity, here’s a link: “what” – http://bit.ly/cTmH9Q. What started as a broader bill covering not only accessibility…
    ..but rights and FREEDOMS- http://bit.ly/aGE3Af -became a law stopping insurance company abuses in terms of coverage
  10. Doesn’t health care reform address many of those same issues? Is that enough?
    It addressed coverage issues mostly. It never really addressed core issues such as “refusal of care” “informed consent”…
    …meaningful protection of privacy rights – basically some of the key elements of the contract b/w a doctor & patient…
    …which is the type of interchange, responsibilities & partnered care-giving that is missing many times and leads to lawsuits
  11. How do you see your practice evolving over the next few years? Will you still be fighting the same battles?
    One would hope that bad care will end and people won’t be devastated..then I could be a full-time blogger (smile)…
    …but why do I suspect that won’t happen soon? So yes, I’ll still be here fighting 4 patient & victim rights. God willing!
  12. How do you describe what you do to people you meet at a cocktail party?
    Much the same thing I’m telling your audience: I represent people who are the victims of real medical malpractice and real…
    …wrongdoing. We don’t sue people because of bad outcomes; we represent people who are victims of bad, negligent care
  13. Your firm has a blog, Eye Opener (http://bit.ly/bqnokj). Who is it for? Why should they read it?
    Our mission is to be an aggregator 4 all – medicine & law, issues affecting your daily life. Trends, news, warnings to make people …
    …more knowledgeable about their healthcare rights so they can be smarter advocates for their own well-being and safety.
  14. In addition to the blog, you’re active on Twitter and have a Facebook page. What’s your social media strategy?
    multifactorial: getting the “word” out is our mission, networking w some incredible people (and we’ve met so many)…
    …sharing knowledge, thoughts, opinions. Getting known? Perhaps, but I’ve learned – that’s not the real value of social media.
  15. Have your Web 2.0 activities led to any additional referrals or client engagements?
    Yes, but again, that’s really not our goal. We do very well with our rankings thru blogs, SM – but not our SM objective…
    …when I started 1 yr ago, it was all about US. My eyes are now opened – it’s about connections…sharing, networking. Luv it!
  16. Sounds like a perfect strategy. Let’s switch gears: what’s the most sig issue currently facing the legal profession?
    Real access 2 justice 4 ALL! Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, litigation costs – they’re the insidious forms of tort reform.
  17. What will the legal landscape look like in 10 years?
    Hopefully caregivers stepping up and admitting fault when they should, early case resolution, creative fees – put the patient FIRST
  18. What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?
    Teach, build my networking skills, be creative in this expanding world of sharing knowledge via SM and the web
  19. How do you want to be remembered?
    Someone who truly cared about the law and people’s rights. Someone who made a difference in others’ lives
  20. What do you do when you’re not working?
    Not sure when that is (smile) Traveling, catching-up w family & friends, learning new things, photography – quiet relaxation
  21. What advice can you pass along to lawyers currently under- or unemployed due to the economic crisis?
    Don’t give up your pursuit of what you worked so hard 2 obtain. There’s always work for GOOD lwyrs who care. Find it.
  22. And our final question for you: What advice do you have for people going to law school today?
    Understand that what you are studying is a living, breathing instrument to do so much good for so many people…
    …it’s not just a job; never take the responsibility of representing people for granted. Follow your dream!

That’s very good advice. Thank you so much for tweeting with us today; enjoyed learning about you and your practice

Thanks to you, Lance. It was fun. I appreciate the opportunity very much. Be well…Brian

    TWEN·TY-TWO TWEETS

    \twən-tē tü twētz\ (noun)

    1. live Twitter interviews with practicing lawyers who tweet
    2. a forum where lawyers tell their stories, one tweet at a time
    3. the hottest legal marketing mash-up on Twitter

     

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