Medical Malpractice
Like any large hospital, Meritus is not immune to medical mistakes. Yes, malpractice lawsuits are filed against Meritus Medical Center. That does not necessarily mean it is a bad hospital. But it does mean that patients have suffered serious harm in preventable situations, and those cases deserve scrutiny.
Cases Filed Against Meritus Medical Center
Below are some medical malpractice lawsuits filed against Meritus Medical Center. These are allegations made in lawsuits. The filing of a lawsuit does not mean that Meritus or any doctor named in the case was negligent.
- 2026, Ott v. Cabezas, M.D.: Plaintiff filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Meritus Medical Center, Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, and an orthpedist. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on January 29, 2026.
- 2021, Brown v. Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics: Plaintiff filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Meritus Medical Center, Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics, and Bruce Edwards, M.D. The case was filed in federal court in Maryland in December 2021.
- 2020, Fraley v. Meritus Medical Center: This medical malpractice lawsuit alleged that Meritus and other healthcare providers failed to diagnose Jessica Haynes with a brain abscess. The lawsuit named twelve healthcare providers, including Meritus Medical Center, physicians, a nurse practitioner, radiology providers, and a hospitalist group.
- 2013, Lopez-Krist v. Salvagno: This medical malpractice case involved a 14-year-old boy who ultimately underwent an above-the-knee amputation after treatment at Washington County Hospital, the predecessor to Meritus Medical Center. The plaintiffs alleged that an orthopedic surgeon was negligent and sought to hold Meritus responsible for the doctor’s alleged negligence. Meritus argued that the doctor was an independent contractor. The federal court found that whether Meritus was responsible under actual or apparent agency principles presented factual issues that could not be resolved on summary judgment.
Verdicts and Settlements Involving Meritus Medical Center
Since Meritus Medical Center replaced Washington County Hospital in 2010, it has been hard to find any verdicts or settlements against Meritus Medical Center. Our law firm, Miller & Zois, has resolved a few cases against Meritus in the last year (confidential settlements).
Hospital malpractice settlements are frequently confidential. So the absence of publicly reported settlements does not mean that claims against Meritus are not being filed or resolved.
About Meritus Medical Center
Meritus Medical Center remains the flagship facility of Meritus Health, a nonprofit healthcare system based in Hagerstown, Maryland. As of 2026, Meritus Health includes Meritus Medical Center, the Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine, and Brook Lane.
The hospital opened in 2010 as a much-needed replacement for the deteriorating Washington County Hospital. Now a modern 327-bed facility, Meritus Health employs more than 4,400 staff members. While the system emphasizes preventive care through its network of primary and specialty practices, Meritus also provides comprehensive hospital services, including cancer care, urgent care, and emergency services.
Key offerings at Meritus Medical Center include a special care nursery, a primary stroke center, a wound care clinic, a cardiac diagnostic lab, and a state-designated Level III trauma center. The emergency department alone sees over 70,000 patient visits per year. For less critical medical needs, Meritus operates urgent care centers to reduce the burden on the ER.
Medical Malpractice and Quality of Care at Meritus
That said, Meritus has made measurable strides in recent years. According to recent Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data, approximately 64% of surveyed patients reported they would “definitely recommend” Meritus to others. This is an improvement compared to previous years.
In terms of accolades, Meritus Medical Center has been recognized for high performance in multiple areas. It previously earned the Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence, ranking among the top 5% nationally in clinical outcomes. It was also honored with the Women’s Health Excellence Award for superior care outcomes across 15 key conditions and procedures affecting women.
Most recently, in 2026, Meritus Medical Center received an “A” grade from the Leapfrog Group for the seventh consecutive grading round. Meritus is among the top 5% of participating hospitals nationwide to achieve seven straight A grades.
Credit where it is due: that is a meaningful leap forward from its performance a decade ago.
Of course, an overall hospital safety grade does not answer whether malpractice occurred in an individual patient’s case. That depends on what happened to the patient, whether the doctors and nurses met the standard of care, and whether a medical mistake caused an injury.
Meritus Medical Legal Defense Team
Meritus Medical Center has been defended by Armstrong, Donohue, Ceppos, Vaughan & Rhoades in Rockville and Anderson, Coe & King in Baltimore. Our medical malpractice lawyers have experience working with these law firms on medical negligence claims. These are good lawyers who fight hard to defend the hospital.
In the 2026 Ott lawsuit, Meritus is represented by Megan Green Anderson and Jimmy Nghieu.
Who Can Be Responsible for Malpractice at Meritus?
One issue in a Meritus malpractice case is figuring out exactly who was responsible for the care. The doctor treating a patient at Meritus is not necessarily employed by Meritus Medical Center.
The Fraley case is a good example. That lawsuit named Meritus along with individual doctors, a nurse practitioner, radiology providers, and a hospitalist group.
The Lopez-Krist case raised the issue directly. Meritus argued that the orthopedic surgeon accused of malpractice was an independent contractor. The plaintiffs argued that Meritus could still be responsible because the doctor was an actual or apparent agent of the hospital. The federal court found there was enough evidence for the agency issue to go to a jury.
This can be an important issue in a hospital malpractice case. Identifying all of the doctors, physician groups, and hospital entities involved in the patient’s care is one of the first things a lawyer needs to do.
Meritus Medical Center Malpractice FAQs
Can You Sue Meritus Medical Center for Medical Malpractice?
Yes. If negligence by Meritus Medical Center, one of its employees, or a healthcare provider for whom the hospital is legally responsible caused an injury, you have a medical malpractice claim.
The tricky question is who is legally responsible. Many doctors at Meritus work for separate physician groups rather than the hospital itself, and they just have “privileges” at the hospital. Whether Meritus is responsible for these doctors is a complicated legal question but the answer is often no. In many cases, this difference is moot because you can still sue the doctor, and they usually have ample malpractice insurance. Where it becomes more of an issue is birth injury lawsuits where the damages exceed the doctors’ malpractice coverage and you need the deeper pocketed hospital to be responsible.
How Do You File a Malpractice Lawsuit Against Meritus Medical Center?
A Maryland medical malpractice claim starts with a filing in the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office. The plaintiff must also file a Certificate of Qualified Expert in almost every malpractice case before the case can move forward. After the statutory requirements are satisfied, the case is always always waived out of arbitration and filed in a Maryland Circuit Court.
How Long Do You Have to Sue Meritus Medical Center?
Maryland medical malpractice lawsuit generally must be filed within the earlier of three years from discovery of the injury or five years from the time the injury was committed. There are exceptions and special rules, particularly for minors, so you should not assume you have five years to bring a Meritus malpractice claim. But, really, you should not assume anything when it comes to the statute of limitations. It is often far more complex than the basic rule we just gave you. Call a lawyer sooner rather than later if only to figure out what your deadline to file is.
Can Meritus Be Responsible for a Doctor Who Is Not a Hospital Employee?
Meritus will argue that a doctor was an independent contractor rather than a hospital employee. But, depending on the facts and apparent agency law is complicated, a hospital can be responsible. That issue came up with this very hospital in Lopez-Krist v. Salvagno that we talk about above.
What Types of Malpractice Claims Can Be Brought Against Meritus?
Malpractice claims against a hospital can involve emergency room errors, failure to diagnose a serious condition, surgical mistakes, birth injuries, medication errors, radiology mistakes, delayed treatment, infections, and failures to properly monitor a patient. Whether there is a viable case depends on the particular medical facts and whether the mistake actually caused an injury.
Where Are Meritus Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Filed?
Meritus Medical Center is located in Hagerstown, so almost all medical malpractice lawsuits against Mertius will be filed in Washington County Circuit Court unless the plaintiff is not a Maryland resident (then potentially federal court).
Obtaining a Lawyer for Your Hospital Malpractice Claim
If you or someone you know was treated at Meritus Medical Center and was injured due to a potential medical malpractice, contact us at 800-553-8082. You can also go online for a free case consultation. Miller and Zois has a long history of verdicts and settlements in Maryland hospital malpractice cases.
More Information & Related Topics
- Information about hospital malpractice claims
- Emergency room medical malpractice lawsuits
- Lopez-Krist v Salvagno: federal court opinion finding that whether Meritus is responsible for the alleged negligence of a doctor (and the Center for Joint Surgery and Sports Medicine) was an issue the jury must decide