We successfully represent hospitals, physician practice groups, skilled nursing facilities, physicians, nurses and other healthcare industry specialists in a wide variety of medical malpractice actions. Our experience spans across nearly every area of medical expertise, including anesthesia, ophthalmology, transplant medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, orthopedics, internal medicine, neurology, general surgery and various surgical specialties. We routinely defend our clients in cases involving:
- Anesthesia complications
- Birth trauma
- Drug induced injuries
- Emergency treatment
- Failure to diagnose
- Failure to properly manage or treat conditions
- Medication errors
- Obstetrics and pediatric claims
- Surgical complications
- Treatment errors or omissions
- Wrongful death
Our medical malpractice attorneys are experienced trial lawyers who have achieved defense verdicts across the country in both state and federal courts. Our current relationship with several major healthcare providers demonstrates the responsibility and trust placed in our firm's medical malpractice attorneys. This representation requires that our attorneys appear in difficult jurisdictions - including the Circuit Courts for the City of St. Louis, Missouri, and Madison County and St. Clair, Illinois - on nearly a daily basis. Our firm’s proven record in these forums demonstrates our willingness and ability to defend the most difficult cases in the toughest jurisdictions in the country.
Our representation extends beyond litigation, and we actively work with clients and risk managers to identify, avoid and resolve risk. We also proactively investigate claims before a suit is filed and endeavor to resolve matters using arbitration, mediation and other dispute resolution methods whenever possible. In addition to our courtroom experience, we represent professionals before various licensing boards.
Representative Experience
- Obtained a complete defense verdict in a malpractice case involving allegations that physicians failed to administer an appropriate dose of preoperative antibiotics before knee replacement surgery that resulted in an infection that led to the eventual removal of plaintiff’s prosthetic knee and ultimately a knee fusion.
- Successfully developed a legal strategy leaving plaintiff with no other option but to dismiss her claims against two OB/GYN physicians sued for malpractice in a case involving a gynecological condition that can detrimentally affect pregnancy.
- Obtained a defense verdict in a wrongful death action in which a woman underwent an emergency Caesarean section during which she experienced significant blood loss when the surgeon transected her uterine vessels. Plaintiffs’ allegations included failure to insert an arterial line or a central venous pressure line and failure to administer appropriate volumes of blood products.
- Successfully defended a physician in a wrongful death action, resulting in a voluntary dismissal of the physician by the plaintiffs during the middle of trial.
- Obtained a complete defense verdict for an anesthesiologist who provided medical care to a 72-year-old woman who underwent a nerve block procedure. Plaintiff alleged that as a result of improper technique in performing the procedure, she suffered residual left sided weakness and was permanently paralyzed. Defense argued that the procedure was necessary and was performed properly and that plaintiff's current problems were caused by her pre-existing medical conditions.
- Received a significant defense verdict in which plaintiff underwent elective surgery. During the surgery the plaintiff suffered a perforated esophagus, most likely the result of the intubation efforts by our client, the anesthesiology team for the surgery. Although perforation is a known complication, it is extremely rare. The trial went forward against client and another doctor, and the jury returned a complete defense verdict. Plaintiff initially appealed the judgment but then dismissed the appeal.
- Represented two gastric bypass surgeons in a suit brought by one of their former patients who developed a neurological condition caused by a vitamin deficiency following her obesity surgery. Plaintiff alleged that for 10 weeks following surgery, she suffered from intractable nausea and vomiting and was unable to keep down any food, liquid or medications, including the daily multivitamins that she was directed by the doctors to take every day for the rest of her life. Throughout the trial, refuted plaintiff's assertion that she was unable to keep her oral multivitamins down. The jury returned a complete defense verdict.
- Successfully represented an anesthesiologist in an action in which plaintiff underwent a neurosurgical procedure and suffered a significant brain injury with hemiparesis. The neurosurgeon was sued and settled before trial for his policy limits. Plaintiff also sued our client for the surgery. Plaintiff was seeking $15 million in damages, primarily for future medical needs. The jury returned a complete defense verdict, which was confirmed on appeal.
- Successfully litigated numerous pharmacy malpractice cases in state and federal courts around the country involving allegations that the pharmacy dispensed contaminated medication compounded for intrathecal use.
- Obtained a complete defense verdict for a physician who allegedly unnecessarily removed a 28-year-old woman’s fallopian tubes during an emergency surgery to remove an ectopic pregnancy. Plaintiff claimed wrongful sterilization and battery (on the basis that she only consented to removal of one tube). The physician was unable to locate the fetus during laparoscopic surgery but removed one ruptured, bleeding tube. She then looked at the other tube and found it to be grossly swollen and could not rule out the possibility that the fetus was located in the swollen tube, so the second tube was removed rendering the plaintiff essentially sterile.
- Obtained a complete defense verdict defending a medical center in a suit brought by a patient after undergoing a spinal fusion surgery to treat injuries sustained in a four-wheeler accident. There were no apparent complications during the surgery, but after plaintiff started rehabilitation he developed a surgical site infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Plaintiff claimed the hospital's infection control practices were inadequate, that its MRSA rates were too high, and that the rehab mat was contaminated with MRSA, causing his infection.
- Obtained a defense verdict for a medical center in a wrongful death suit involving the death of a 62-year-old male who underwent an incisional hernia repair graft and peritoneal. The autopsy report indicated the cause of death as sepsis with possible septic syndrome.
- Represented a doctor and a hospital in a case that involved the wrongful death of a 75-year-old woman who died shortly after she aspirated barium during a barium swallow procedure. The jury and court sustained defendants’ motions for directed verdicts and entered judgment in their favor. Plaintiff filed an appeal, and the case was remanded. At retrial, the jury returned a defense verdict in favor of our clients.
- Obtained a complete defense verdict for a hospital and nurse against allegations that the obstetrician unnecessarily forced the delivery of the plaintiff-baby when forceps and fundal pressure were used to assist the mother’s labor. Plaintiff alleged these techniques prevented the baby from rotating while coming down the birth canal, impacting the baby’s left shoulder on the mother’s pelvic bone, causing a shoulder dystocia resulting in a permanent and severe injury to the baby’s left arm. The defense verdict was confirmed on appeal.
- Represented a hospital in a wrongful death and medical malpractice suit claiming failure to review an EKG report and inform the patient that the EKG was abnormal. After one week of trial, successfully settled on behalf of the hospital for a small pretrial offer.
- Obtained a defense verdict for a hospital in a suit involving a 59-year-old male who allegedly acquired an infection after a laminectomy. This was one case in a series of 50 infection cases that was successfully resolved.