New York Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice Attorney
Barry Washor has practiced law since 1981, building a career around personal injury and medical malpractice litigation in New York. He is a senior partner at Washor Kool Sosa Maiorana & Schwartz, LLP, and he began by representing doctors and hospitals on the defense side of medical malpractice cases before moving to plaintiff representation in 1988.
He spent seven years learning how these cases are defended before he ever brought one, and that is the perspective you get on the first call.
Call us at (212) 406-1700 to speak with one of our attorneys about what happened.
From Medical Malpractice Defense to Plaintiff Representation
Barry began his career representing physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice matters. Within his first two years, he was trying major malpractice cases, and he became a partner at age 27.
In 1988, he moved to representing injured patients and their families, and the defense experience did not go with the old job. It gave him a firsthand understanding of how defendants approach these cases and what a claim brought on behalf of an injured person has to address.
That background still shapes how he prepares. A malpractice claim can turn on records, competing professional opinions, and the standard of care, meaning the level of skill and caution a reasonably careful provider would have used in the same situation.
Why Does Preparation Begin Long Before Trial?
Because cases are won and lost in discovery, not on the courthouse steps, Barry has described discovery as the point where a case takes its shape, which is why preparation cannot wait for a trial date.
Discovery is the stage of a lawsuit where each side obtains information and evidence from the other. It covers document demands, medical records, and depositions, sessions where a witness answers questions under oath while a stenographer records every word.
Each side must also identify, on request, the professionals it expects to call at trial and the substance of their opinions, under CPLR 3101(d)(1). For Barry, preparing means understanding that early and spotting the issues that will matter later.
It also means developing demonstrative evidence, the charts, timelines, and exhibits used to show a jury what the records say. Each case is built with a trial in mind rather than a settlement conversation.
What Kind of Results Has Barry Obtained?
More than 200 verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 million across his career. Results may vary. Prior case outcomes do not guarantee similar results.
Those results span serious injury and malpractice claims, including matters affecting a person’s ability to work, live independently, or keep the life they had before an injury. The facts, evidence, defendants, and applicable law differ in every case.
New York also gives malpractice claims a shorter filing window than most injury cases, two years and six months in most instances under CPLR 214-a.
If you are trying to work out whether you still have time, call us at (212) 406-1700 and ask for a free case review.
The Person Behind the Case
A serious injury case is more than records and legal arguments. Behind every claim is a person whose life may have changed in ways a case number cannot capture.
Clients arrive while treatment, financial concerns, family responsibilities, and uncertainty all compete for their attention. The work still requires rigorous preparation, but that preparation serves a person rather than a file.
Where Does Barry Teach Trial Advocacy?
At Cardozo Law School, where he has served as an instructor in Trial Advocacy, and at St. Francis College, where he has taught Medical Malpractice Litigation. He has also lectured on trial advocacy through the New York State Trial Lawyers Association.
Teaching requires more than knowing the rules. It means breaking down the reasoning behind litigation decisions and showing how evidence, questioning, and courtroom presentation fit together, which is the same trial-focused approach that shaped his practice.
A Career Recognized by the Legal Community
Barry was admitted to the New York bar in 1981, the same year he earned his J.D. from New York Law School, after a B.A. from Brooklyn College in 1978. He was admitted to the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York in 1981, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in 1982, and the United States Supreme Court in 1990.
His memberships include:
- New York State Trial Lawyers Association, member since 2002, Board of Governors and Medical Malpractice Committee
- American Association for Justice
- New York County Lawyers Association
FAQs: Barry Washor, New York Medical Malpractice Attorney
These are the questions people ask most often before calling our office.
How Does His Defense Background Help My Case?
He spent seven years defending doctors and hospitals, so he knows how these claims get evaluated and contested. That shapes what he documents early and what he expects a defense to raise later.
How Long Do I Have to Bring a Medical Malpractice Claim in New York?
Most claims carry two years and six months, and a claim against a public hospital requires a notice of claim within 90 days. Ask early rather than assume.
What Happens During Discovery?
Both sides exchange records and documents and take depositions, which are sworn question-and-answer sessions held before trial. It is where most of the evidence that reaches a jury is developed.
Will My Case Go to Trial?
Most cases resolve before trial, but every case here is prepared as though it will not, and that preparation is what gives a case its position in any settlement discussion.
What Does It Cost to Hire the Firm?
Nothing up front. We handle these cases on a contingency fee, so our fee comes out of a recovery rather than out of your pocket.
Speak Directly With Our Attorneys
Choosing a lawyer for a serious injury or malpractice case is a significant decision. The first conversation is where both sides work out whether the relationship is a good fit, and the attorney who takes that call stays with the case.
Call Washor Kool Sosa Maiorana & Schwartz, LLP at (212) 406-1700 or reach out online for a free case review. Our office is at 233 Broadway #2020, in Manhattan.
Credentials and Admissions Summary
J.D., New York Law School
New York, New York
1981
B.A., Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, New York
1978
New York State Trial Lawyers Association
Member Since: 2002 – Present
Board of Governors
New York State Trial Lawyers Association
Member Since: 2002 – Present
Medical Malpractice Committee
The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum®
Lifetime Member
The Million Dollar Advocates Forum®
Lifetime Member
- New York, 1981
- U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1981
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1981
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1982
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1990
- Instructor, Trial Advocacy, Cardozo Law School
- Lecturer, Trial Advocacy, New York State Trial Lawyers Association
- Instructor, Medical Malpractice Litigation, St. Francis College
- American Association for Justice, Member
- New York County Lawyers Association, Member
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Rated
- Named as a Best Lawyer by New York Magazine, 2010 – Present
- Recognized in New York Times Magazine as One of the New York Metro Area Super Lawyers®, 2007 – Present
- Cambridge Who’s Who
- Selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America®, 2010 – Present