Robert A. Shuman | Attorney

Robert Shuman is acknowledged as one of the pre-eminent personal injury litigators in Massachusetts. He started his firm in 1978 and with over 35 years of trial experience, Mr. Shuman concentrates primarily in the litigation of medical malpractice and other serious personal injury and wrongful death claims. The medical negligence cases which Mr. Shuman has successfully tried or settled have encompassed numerous specialties, including oncology (failures to detect, diagnose, and treat cancer in a timely manner); cardiology (failures to diagnose, prevent, and timely treat heart attacks and other cardiac conditions): neurology (failure to timely diagnose strokes and other neurological conditions); emergency room and internal medicine; anesthesiology; orthopedic surgery; and chiropractic treatment. He has received the distinction as being named by Boston Magazine as one of the state's medical malpractice SuperLawyers for the past four consecutive years.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Shuman has also obtained substantial compensation for people tragically injured by nursing home negligence, pharmacy errors, motor vehicle accidents, and negligent maintenance of premises. "Standing tall for the rights of the less fortunate in the face of the increasing hard ball tactics of the insurance industry and their representatives is a daunting but rewarding endeavor. I am very mindful of the responsibility that comes with the trust that our clients put in us to handle their cases with integrity, ingenuity, and passion. I am extremely proud of the quality of law that our dedicated and compassionate staff provides for the needlessly injured and the recoveries we have achieved."

Mr. Shuman is a member of both the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Bars and has been specially admitted to try cases in numerous other states. Verdicts and settlements obtained by Mr. Shuman have been reported in both the legal and public media. He has been invited by prominent legal organizations including the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys to present lectures on trial tactics; invited to act as a moot court judge by institutions of higher learning; given lectures to doctors during their residency training at grand rounds; appeared on television programs at the request of a Massachusetts state legislator and authored numerous legal articles.

Out of the office and the courtroom, Mr. Shuman volunteers his time to help local sports organizations. He is a past president and currently active coach for his town's Pop Warner Football organization, and is especially proud of his 2008 team winning the Massachusetts State Championship.

In The News

Failure to Diagnose Colon Cancer Results in $1.4 Million Settlement - Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly February 11, 2002 30 M.L.W. 4142, in which Attorney Shuman's settlement on behalf of a 46-year-old mother whose colon cancer went undiagnosed due to an incompletely performed colonoscopy was spotlighted.

Med Mal Case Settles for $1 Million with Discovery Master's Aid - Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly - May 12, 1997, in which Attorney Shuman's settlement with the assistance of a discovery master was reported on the front page of Lawyers Weekly in the 'Trial Report Plus' section.

Hemorrhage of Man with 'Worst Headache' Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly January 19, 1998 26 M.L.W. 1119 Spotlighting Attorney Shuman's settlement in the amount of $1 Million on behalf of a 52-year-old man who suffered a stroke due to failure to diagnose a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Failure to Diagnose Cases are the Rise Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly October 29, 2001 - Vol. 30, No. 9 - in which Attorney Shuman was interviewed and noted as one of two attorneys who are 'frequently involved in significant verdicts or settlements for failure to diagnose medical problems.

Osteosarcoma Goes Undetected Spreads to Lungs Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly October 6, 2003 spotlighting Attorney Shuman's $775,000 settlement on behalf of a 58-year-old plaintiff whose osteosarcoma was misdiagnosed.

The Problem with Medical Malpractice Tribunals - Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly July 29, 2002 - 30 M.L.W. 5428, in which Attorney Shuman was interviewed for commentary regarding the controversy regarding Medical Malpractice Tribunals in Massachusetts.

Paying Attention to Mandatory CLE Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly December 13, 1999 in which Attorney Shuman was the lead attorney interviewed regarding the need for compulsory legal education in Massachusetts.

Williams Pushing for Creation of Night Court Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly September 10, 2001 Vol. 22, No. 20 in which Attorney Shuman was interviewed regarding a pilot project conceived by Chief Justice Frank J. Williams of the Rhode Island Supreme Court.