Areas of Practice

Douglas Sparks and Richard Silber have a history of successful litigation on behalf of persons injured through accidental or criminal negligence.  While money cannot compensate for the trauma of a serious injury or death, those injured are entitled to just and fair damages.  The firm is proud of its record of sustained success, obtaining compensation for over 95% of personal injury clients.

Sparks & Silber, LLP has filed lawsuits on behalf of over fifty families whose loved ones have died due to the negligent or purposeful misconduct of others, and have never failed to recover money after instituting litigation in a Wrongful Death case.

A sampling of just some of the cases which have been handled by Douglas Sparks and Richard Silber is listed below. Many of these cases have been profiled in the media, and you can learn more about them by visiting our Press Coverage page.

Wrongful Deaths
Sexual Assaults
Burn Injuries
Legal and Medical Malpractice
Victims of Crime
Automobile / Bus / Train / Pedestrian Injuries
Slip and Fall
Civil Rights Violations / False Arrests
Criminal Defense

Wrongful Deaths

  • Medical negligence causing death
  • Multimillion dollar verdict from case involving unlawful discrimination by DC EMS personnel and resulting in death from lack of medical attention
  • Prison inmate deaths
  • Domestic violence victim murdered after seeking police protection (the first successful case filed in DC under this legal theory)
  • Toddler death after fall from apartment building window
  • Police and security guard shooting deaths

Sexual Assaults 

  • Minor raped in public school
  • Minors sexually assaulted by students on school grounds
  • Woman raped by intruder in apartment building
  • Women sexually molested by ambulance attendants during transport to hospital
  • Teenage girl molested by basketball coach (convicted sex offender)

Burn Injuries

  • Woman scalded by water spewing from defective heater core in car
  • Restaurant patron burned by scalding soup spilled by waitstaff
  • Prisoner severely burned by boiling grease hurled by violent inmate

Legal and Medical Malpractice

  • Cancer misdiagnosed by hospital doctors caused drastically reduced life expectancy
  • Former attorney failed to prosecute claim
  • Failure to treat medical condition caused loss of sight

Victims of Crime

  • Woman stabbed by intruder in apartment building elevator
  • Man shot by carjackers (suit filed against victim’s own auto insurer)
  • Patient in mental hospital blinded by violent schizophrenic
  • Inmate sustained spinal cord injuries from jailhouse stabbing
  • Autistic man assaulted by bus attendant

Automobile / Bus / Train / Pedestrian Injuries

  • Woman pedestrian killed in hit and run
  • 5 year old boy killed by motorcycle
  • Pedestrian’s leg crushed by police cruiser while in crosswalk
  • Pedestrian’s hip broken by reckless bicycle courier
  • Mother and child permanently injured in intersection auto collision
  • Innocent bystander severely injured after high speed police chase
  • Thousands of other motor vehicle collisions

Slip and Fall

  • Out of town senior citizen permanently injured on escorted D.C. tour
  • Teacher required multiple surgeries after tripping over restaurant step
  • Postman injured knee when steps to house collapsed
  • Homeowner required surgery after tripping over exposed water meter cover adjacent to sidewalk
  • U.S. Park Ranger underwent surgery after tripping on temporary stairs at Labor Day Concert
  • Retired jeweler tore rotator cuff after tripping over defect on public median walkway

Civil Rights Violations / False Arrests

  • Hearing impaired man severely beaten and unlawfully arrested by hotel security guards
  • Middle school student unconstitutionally suspended for walking on public sidewalk
  • College intern falsely arrested and assaulted by police officer
  • Inmates beaten, maced, and abused in DC Jail
  • Latin American teenager falsely arrested for shoplifting by department store security guards
  • Domestic violence victims deprived of constitutional rights to bodily integrity by police failure to protect from assaults

Criminal Defense

Douglas Sparks has successfully defended numerous persons accused of serious criminal offenses including First Degree Murder, Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Drug Offenses.  Although now focusing primarily on civil personal injury matters, Sparks continues to accept meritorious criminal cases from clients seeking top-notch legal representation.

 

*** This information is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding specific legal issues, concerns and conditions.***


Sparks & Silber, LLP | 3221 M Street, NW | Washington, DC 20007

Tel. 202-338-0687 | Fax 202-333-0858