Skip to content
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Injury Lawyers | Attorney At Law
Pribanic & Pribanic | Pittsburgh Injury Attorneys Logo
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Injury Lawyers | Attorney At Law
  • Practice Areas
    • Medical Malpractice
    • Personal Injury
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Birth Injuries
    • Catastrophic Injuries
    • Nursing Home Abuse
    • Defective Product
  • About the Firm
    • Our Attorneys
    • Case Results
    • Reviews & Testimonials
    • Careers
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Legal Glossary
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
  • Contact
  • Search

"What is Medical Malpractice?" An Interview with 'Lawyer of the Year' Victor Pribanic

Home  >  Pribanic & Pribanic Archives  >  “What is Medical Malpractice?” An Interview with ‘Lawyer of the Year’ Victor Pribanic

Published September 12, 2016 | In Defective Products
“What is Medical Malpractice?” An Interview with ‘Lawyer of the Year’ Victor Pribanic

Interview: "What is Medical Malpractice?"

Medical Malpractice Super Lawyer Victor Pribanic, founder of the Tier 1 law firm Pribanic & Pribanic, was selected by his peers as “Lawyer of the Year” for his region in two areas of law – medical malpractice and product liability. I sat down with Victor Pribanic last week to talk about his career and get a laywoman’s understanding of "what is medical malpractice?"Victor Pribanic discusses "What is medical malpractice?" in this exclusive interview. © Crowell Photography

MT: So Victor, how many times have you been selected as ‘Lawyer of the Year' now?

Victor: "I’m not exactly sure, but around a half a dozen or so.”

MT: What is ‘medical malpractice?’

Victor: “Medical malpractice is anytime a doctor makes a ‘negligent mistake’ that’s considered ‘below the standard of care.’ In other words, they have to behave as well as the average doctor would. If they don’t, and they hurt someone, there’s a potential case.”

MT: There’s a two-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice cases, is that right?

Victor: “Two years is the general rule, with a couple of important exceptions. One is for minors – for instance, if a child is injured at birth by a doctor or nurse at the hospital, they have until they’re 18 plus two years to file a lawsuit. The other important exception is the ‘discovery rule,’ where, for instance, if you had your appendix taken out and the doctors left an instrument inside of you and you didn’t find it for five years, you’d have two years from the time you discovered it to file a claim.”

MT: How do I know if I have a case?

Victor: “Unfortunately, a patient has to suffer an injury with long term consequences, or death. Doctors and hospitals make many mistakes that they get a ‘free pass’ for because they don’t do enough harm for it to make economic sense to pursue the case. By the time you spend the money and time required to put a case together, the recovery from a jury or whomever isn’t going to exceed what’s been invested in the case. So it has to be a serious case with serious consequences."

MT: Let’s say I have a case – how much will it cost me?

Victor: “It won’t cost you anything. These cases are very expensive to pursue, which limits the kind of cases we can accept, but we advance the $20–$100,000 required for the case on a contingency basis, which means if we win, the client pays us back, but that’s if – and only if – it’s a successful case for our client.”

MT: What information do you need for the free, initial consultation?

Victor: “We’ll need general background information, the event or events that the patient or family thinks were result of negligence or mistakes. We need to know the type of injury and timeline for treatment. Sometimes patients have only vague recollections, but we can gather a lot from medical records. We’ll then have experts and in-house staff with medical training review the records and see if the doctor or hospital was guilty of negligence that harmed the patient.”

MT: Are subsequent consultations free?

Victor: “In effect, all consultations are free until there’s a successful outcome, at which time we recoup our costs from the overall reward.”

MT: What was the hardest case you’ve ever tried?

Victor: “The hardest cases I have ever tried were probably in my youth, defending criminals. But that’s very different from medical malpractice cases. Every case is challenging, I don’t think ‘hard’ is quite the right word. But if you’re on the right side of the law, even the hardest case is worth the fight.”

MT: What’s the most rewarding part of your work?

Victor: “We can never replace a loved one, nor fully restore health, but we can help those who’ve been left behind or have become disabled by their injury by improving the rest of their lives and making sure they have the care they need. Dealing with injuries and medical malpractice cases, I have clients I still hear from after 25, 30…35 years whom I helped as children, who send me cards every year for the holidays. That’s the best part of my work – knowing that I’ve improved the lives of people for the better.” The medical malpractice attorneys at Pribanic & Pribanic have worked on many multi-million dollar medical malpractice cases over the firm’s 27-year history. For a free case review, call the lawyers at Pribanic & Pribanic 1-(412) 674-5444.

Tell us your story

If You Suffered A Medical Injury Call Pribanic & Pribanic

Contact Our Top Rated Medical Injury Attorney in Pittsburgh

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Successful Results
For Our Clients


Accounting Negligence

$103M

A non-jury trial exposed an accounting firm’s role in financial misrepresentation, resulting in a massive verdict.

Product Liability

$21M

A severely injured child was awarded a settlement to ensure lifelong care.

Medical Malpractice

$10M

Medical malpractice case resulting in a significant settlement.

Automobile Accident

$8.5M

Permanent internal injuries from a car accident led to a favorable settlement.

Medical Malpractice

$2.67M

Failure to diagnose and treat a heart attack resulted in heart damage.

Medical Malpractice

$2M

Leg amputation due to post-operative infection.

Medical Malpractice

$1.9M

Excessive steroid use during chemotherapy caused avascular necrosis.

Truck Accident

$1.9M

Settlement for the family of a man killed in a collision with a garbage truck.

Motorcycle Accident

$1.3M

Settlement for a motorcyclist suffering closed-head and nerve injuries.

Automobile Defect

$1.255M

Brain damage from a rear-end collision caused by a truck lacking front brakes.

Medical Malpractice

$1.1M

Orthopedic surgeon negligently lacerated an artery, causing compartment syndrome.

Medical Malpractice

$1M

Failure to diagnose diabetic ketoacidosis, resulting in a heart attack.

Motor Vehicle Accident

$9M

Client suffered a concussion and post-concussion syndrome.

Motor Vehicle Accident

$675K

Injuries from a vehicle accident.

Medical Malpractice

$600K

Mother lost her child due to miscommunication among physicians.

Medical Malpractice

$500K

Settlement for a medical malpractice victim.

Truck Accident

$500K

A favorable settlement after substantial injuries from a snowmobile-truck crash.

Federal Government in Fatal Boating Accident

$435K

Two men drowned due to the lack of warning signs near a dam.

Premises Liability

$375K

Injuries due to premises negligence.

Nursing Home Neglect

300K

Nursing home assault led to settlement.

Nursing Home Neglect

$250K

Nursing home negligence resulted in injury.

Motor Vehicle Accident

$140K

Leg injury sustained in a vehicle crash.

Motor Vehicle Accident

$125K

Client suffered a back injury following a car accident.

Medical Malpractice

Multi-Million

A young man with sickle cell disease suffered organ damage due to delayed transfusion. The case was settled at mediation.

Cerebral Palsy

Multi-Million

A multi-million settlement was achieved during jury selection in this case on behalf of a little girl who suffered from cerebral palsy due to delayed delivery and improper administration of Pitocin.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

The lawsuit claimed Chantix use led a father to commit homicide and suicide. The settlement was among the highest in this multi-district litigation.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

A physician negligently discontinued Coumadin, causing a fatal stroke.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

A $300,000 settlement was reached for a delayed leukemia diagnosis that worsened the prognosis.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

A woman became functionally blind due to delayed retinal detachment diagnosis. The case settled at mediation.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

Paraplegia caused by negligently performed laminoplasty.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

Death of a teenager due to failure to diagnose hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

Failure to diagnose and treat hyponatremia.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

Common bile duct injury during gallbladder removal.

Medical Malpractice

Confidential

Death of a child due to hyperkalemia.

 

View Case Results

Tell Us Your Story.

NO FEE$ UNLESS YOU WIN

FREE CONSULTATION (412) 674-5444

 

Pittsburgh Office

513 Court Place,
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
P: 412-281-8844
F: 412-281-4740

White Oak Office

1735 Lincoln Way,
White Oak, PA 15131
P: 412-672-5444
F: 412-672-3715

Brookville Office

1 Sylvania Street,
Brookville, PA 15825
P: 814-849-1278
F: 412-672-3715

© 2025 Pribanic & Pribanic All rights reserved. Sitemap | Privacy Policy | Phone: (412)-674-5444