Congratulations to Bryan Larsen (with Local Counsel Lynne Nahmani). Bryan’s client, a physician and medical group, received a not guilty verdict this afternoon in a case where his co-defendants were found guilty. The case was on trial for 5 weeks in Ocean County (Toms River), New Jersey, and closing arguments were Friday. The case was transferred to the firm in April and was extremely complex in both the substantive medicine and in having to learn New Jersey law. Bryan did a fantastic job, as always.

In the span of three months, Vito Masciopinto tried three cases to verdict resulting in a not guilty verdict for his clients each time.

The first, tried in March, was a victory for an emergency department physician at a south side hospital. Partner Lee Williams assisted at trial. The plaintiffs alleged a failure to inform the family of a lesion on the plaintiffs’ decedent’s liver which was detected on a routine abdominal CT scan. The plaintiffs claimed this resulted in a failure to have her liver cancer diagnosed resulting in her death two years later. Plaintiffs asked the jury for over 16 million dollars, but the jury ruled in favor of the defendants.

In April, Mr. Masciopinto tried a case with associate Kelly Pachis involving a Polish national who presented at a suburban hospital with complaints of abdominal pain. Mr. Masciopinto and Ms. Pachis successfully defended the internist who cared for the patient during the hospitalization. The plaintiffs alleged a failure to diagnose possible surgical abdomen, as well as discharging the patient prematurely resulting in her developing multiple abdominal abscesses and peritoneal infection requiring surgery upon her return to Poland. Plaintiff requested $350,000 in damages. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding a not guilty for the physician.

The third trial took place in May. Mr. Masciopinto and associate Caitlin Ewing successfully defended a north side hospital on a wrongful death claim. The allegations against the hospital’s nurses were for failing to properly provide VTE prophylaxis. The plaintiffs claimed this resulted in plaintiff’s decedent developing a pulmonary embolism resulting in his in-hospital arrest and death. The plaintiff’s requested $3.3 million from the jury, which returned a verdict in favor of the hospital in one hour.

BLACKHAWKS 2015 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!