Medical Malpractice
Our firm actively represents many medical professionals, including physicians, hospitals and health care providers, in medical malpractice litigation in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Professionals and insurance companies have turned to us throughout the years for high quality representation in the defense of complex negligence claims. In both state and federal courts, the firm has an outstanding trial record. Success in this area is the result of our extensive contacts in the community, our abundant expert resources and the firm’s strong commitment to continued medical and legal training of its associates. Additionally, we have remained on the cutting edge of technological advances in both the office and courtroom settings. With the capability to electronically submit billing information and a variety of billing formats to meet client needs and specifications, we are able to successfully defend medical professionals of any nature with efficiency, as well as the highest degree of professionalism.
We served as liaison counsel for Pennsylvania plastic surgeons in the silicone gel breast implant litigation. In this capacity, the firm represented many plastic surgeons individually and coordinated national discovery efforts for defense attorneys state wide. We successfully defended the first such case ever tried in Pennsylvania. We were also extensively involved in the orthopedic bone screw (pedicle screw) litigation, and also successfully defended the first such case ever tried in Pennsylvania.
Our firm has developed a comprehensive network of highly specialized medical experts from many of the leading health care and teaching institutions across the country. Our extensive litigation experience has enabled us to develop an exhaustive expert data bank which allows our attorneys to retain experts whose credentials match the specific facts of each malpractice case. Whether the case calls for a pediatric neuroradiologist or a medical ethicist, the department is able to provide quality experts in the growing and ever changing environment of medicine and its subspecialties.
- The attorneys of the firm often give presentations in the area of professional liability defense, and have served as lecturers to medical professionals and attorney groups, both locally and state wide. Articles and presentations by members of the firm have covered such topics as the Peer Review Protection Act, the Health Care Services Malpractice Act and the interplay between health care providers and the strict liability provisions of Section 402A of the Restatement (Second) of Torts.
- Attorneys from the firm also serve as faculty members at the ABA National Institute on Medical Malpractice.
- The department is involved in the defense of mass tort cases and, in that capacity, is experienced in compiling and collating massive document productions.
- The department is also experienced in handling and litigating diverse insurance coverage issues and has extensive litigation experience concerning insurance company insolvencies.
Contact:
Carolyn M. Bohmueller
(610) 834-6254
(610) 834-1749 Fax
Click to Email
O'Brien & Ryan News
Defense Verdict on Behalf of Neurologists and Nurse Practitioner in Philadelphia County
Daniel F. Ryan, III and Michael O. Pitt obtained a defense verdict in favor of defendant neurologists and a nurse practitioner in a medical malpractice action in Philadelphia County. In February 2009, plaintiff’s decedent, a 25 year old female, presented for a...
Defense Verdict in Favor of Internist in Failure to Diagnose and Treat Lung Cancer Case
Dan Ryan received a defense verdict in a case in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County in which the Plaintiff, the estate of a deceased patient, alleged that an Internist failed to diagnose and treat the patient's lung cancer. The patient ultimately died...
Defense Verdict for Neurosurgeon in Montgomery County
Heather Hansen obtained a defense verdict for a neurosurgeon in Montgomery County. The plaintiff alleged that the neurosurgeon negligently performed a complete laminectomy with foraminotomy procedure on her, thereby injuring her spinal cord. Although the plaintiff...
Defense Verdict for Orthopedic Surgeon in Philadelphia County
Heather Hansen obtained a defense verdict for an orthopedic surgeon in Philadelphia County. The plaintiff alleged that the orthopedic surgeon negligently opted to perform a bilateral total knee replacement despite alleged vascular compromise in the patient; and...
Defense Verdict for Urologist in Philadelphia County
Heather Hansen obtained a defense verdict for a urologist in Philadelphia County. The plaintiff alleged that the urologist was negligent in the performance of a vesicovaginal repair suffered by the plaintiff after a hysterectomy. They contended that the urologist...
PA Superior Court Analyzes Discovery Rule & Permits Chest Tube Case to Proceed
On March 5, 2015, the Pennsylvania Superior Court reversed the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas' grant of summary judgment in a case involving a surgical tube left in a man's chest after surgery and that remained in the man until he died. Following his death,...
PA Supreme Court Hears Debate on Ostensible Agency and MCARE Limits on Expert Testimony
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania recently heard arguments on whether a hospital can be held vicariously liable for a resident physician who undertakes care of a patient without a prior physician-patient relationship, and whether a nurse employed by the hospital can...
PA Superior Court Grants New Trial due to Violation of “Collateral Source” Rule
A split Pennsylvania Superior Court recently granted a new trial for a minor based on testimony elicited by defense counsel at trial regarding federal and state benefits that the minor-plaintiff received for her birth injuries. Although plaintiff's counsel...
NJ Supreme Court to Decide if Physicians Must Disclose Insurance Coverage to Patients
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently heard arguments as to whether a physician must disclose his medical malpractice coverage for a procedure to be performed on his patient. The Court also heard arguments that, in the event that a physician did not have...
NJ Supreme Court Reverses Superior Court Ruling, Finds in Favor of Patient Safety Act’s Privilege of Self-Critical Analysis
The New Jersey Supreme Court recently reversed a finding that an internal memorandum conducted following a roundtable review of an infant’s anoxic injury was discoverable and concluded that New Jersey’s 2004 Patient Safety Act rendered the document...
OBR Supports Toys for Tots
For the 2015 holiday season, O’Brien & Ryan, LLP proudly partnered with the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program to collect new unwrapped toys for distribution to less fortunate children around the country. To find out more, or to make a donation, please visit www.toysfortots.org.
OBR Presents at Global Pressure Ulcer Prevention Conference
On November 18th, 2015, partners Dan Ryan, Heather Hansen, Carolyn Bohmueller, Anthony DeMichele & Amanda A. O’Dea, along with IT Director Joseph Quirk presented “The Arbitration of a Hospital-Acquired Pressure Ulcer Lawsuit”, part of Jefferson Health’s 2nd Annual Global Pressure Ulcer Prevention Conference.
Heather Hansen Speaks at Hospital Conference in Ireland
On October 3, 2015, Heather Hansen presented Medical Indemnity Challenges for Acute Hospital Services: The United States and Pennsylvania Experience at the Irish Hospital Consultants Association’s Annual Conference in Dublin, Ireland.
Heather Hansen at Coverys Law Day
On September 18, 2015, Heather Hansen presented Recent Changes in PA and NJ Medical Malpractice Law and Practice as part of Coverys Law Day in Princeton, NJ.
Heather Hansen Speaks at Physician Symposium
On September 16, 2015, Heather Hansen presented a segment on Electronic Medical Records at Main Line Health’s Physician Symposium at Lankenau Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA.
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