Healthcare Liability / Medical Malpractice

Whenever doctors, nurses, hospitals and other healthcare providers have been attacked in court, our attorneys have been there for decades to defend them. We have extensive experience in medical malpractice and defense litigation; we have tried in combination more than 200 cases to verdict. Retained by hospitals, national insurers, and local mutual companies, NZA has defended:

• individual physicians of all specialties
• nurses
• therapists
• clinics
• optometrists
• podiatrists
• dentists
• orthodontists
• medical and dental schools and universities
• research facilities
• hospitals and medical centers

We have defended all specialties and sub-specialties of medicine, including obstetrics and gynecology, neurosurgery, general surgery, oral surgery, ophthalmology, and psychiatry. NZA
attorneys have represented major hospitals and health care institutions throughout Northern Illinois and have maintained standing relationships with individual practice groups, medical professionals, medical insurers, and clinics. Our attorneys have received honors and accolades for their defense of the healthcare industry.

NZA’s services are not limited to representing healthcare entities and professionals in high-stakes litigation. Our attorneys also get involved on a pre-suit basis to:

• investigate potential claims
• evaluate exposure
• preserve evidence
• advise on root cause analysis and privileges

NZA attorneys represent healthcare professionals before the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and also provide deposition counseling services to medical professionals who have been subpoenaed to testify in matters in which they are not a party but require assistance. Our attorneys are often asked to give seminars to practice groups and professional organizations on minimizing legal exposure and navigating litigation when sued. Finally, our attorneys have represented hospitals and doctors in connection with disputes over hospital privileges.

Healthcare litigation not only brings significant potential economic exposure, but also has the potential to damage the reputation and standing of medical institutions and professionals in their respective communities. At NZA, we recognize these risks and work closely with the client to create a strategy that will result in a satisfactory outcome. Our track record in healthcare litigation is impressive. Below please find a list of our representative matters:

• We obtained a defense verdict in favor of an obstetrician in a alleged birth-related profound
  neurological injury. The jury retained the verdict in less than 30 minutes, sparing the client
  exposure to a claim for more than $40 million in damages.
• In a hotly contested, rancorous, two-month trial in which we represented a hospital and a
  physician accused of wrongful death, we obtained a directed verdict for the hospital before
  closing arguments and a defense verdict for the physician. Among the issues we defended
  was a claim for spoliation of evidence, involving missing crucial office records.
• A jury returned a verdict in favor of our client in a suicide case, involving a 32-year-old
  mother of two young children. Our client had declined to have the decedent involuntarily
  admitted for suicidal thoughts two days before her death.