OVERVIEW
Drawing on her many years of clinical nursing experience, Debbie Weinrich focuses her practice on defending complex medical malpractice claims, many of which involve catastrophic injuries which implicate the possibility of excess verdicts and related coverage. She is responsible for developing and preparing all aspects of the defenses on behalf of a variety of healthcare clients, including physicians, advanced practice providers, intraoperative neuromonitoring specialists, perfusionists, nurses and other healthcare personnel, as well as hospitals, multi-site healthcare systems and physicians' practice groups. She often represents private healthcare companies which contract with other healthcare institutions including hospitals and long-term care facilities. In addition to medical malpractice matters, Debbie’s practice includes an assortment of general litigation, such as construction litigation, premises liability and other personal injury matters. She has tried numerous cases to verdict.
Debbie practiced as a registered nurse for nearly 10 years, principally in the area of Maternal-Newborn Services and was certified in inpatient obstetrics. She also has administrative experience. This background provides a distinct advantage in the investigation, discovery and trial phases of litigation, not only substantively, but also from an emotional standpoint for the practitioners experiencing litigation.
While her Labor & Delivery experience makes her uniquely qualified to handle complex obstetrical matters, and she has extensive experience handling such cases, she does not limit her practice only to cases involving catastrophic birth injuries. To the contrary, Debbie is experienced in handling cases throughout the healthcare spectrum such as those stemming from emergency care, cardiac care and procedures, neuro and other surgical care, as well as wound care.
Debbie has also developed significant experience with issues concerning electronic medical records and is often asked to speak on the topic, including about assorted aspects of healthcare documentation. She is a Certified HIPAA Privacy Security Expert (CHPSE), White and Williams’ HIPAA Officer and a member of its Information Security/Privacy Office Team.
Debbie uses technology creatively to increase efficiency and hold down costs when handling cases and understands the import of financial and other business concerns affecting decision making during the litigation process. She focuses not only on protecting her clients in current cases but also on minimizing future risk and potential liability by identifying areas of possible improvement.
Recognition and Involvement
Recognition & Involvement
In 2019, Debbie was honored as a Distinguished Advocate by the Support Center for Child Advocates for her pro bono service.
Credentials
Bar and Court Admissions
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
Education
Rutgers University School of Law - Camden, JD, 2004
Thomas Jefferson University, BSN, 1993
News & Insights
Memberships
American Society for Healthcare Risk Management
Lawyers Club of Philadelphia
Philadelphia Area Society for Healthcare Risk Management
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Achieved settlements in cases involving multiple defendants where her clients have made no payment or contribution
- Resolved many matters via Alternative Dispute Resolution formats including cases associated with catastrophic long-term injuries involving obstetric, oncologic, surgical, neurosurgical, emergency, gastrointestinal, neonatology, radiology and other specialty areas of practice
- Obtained a defense verdict in Centre County, PA for a hospitalist alleged to have caused the death of a man due to respiratory failure alleged to have occurred as a result of medication toxicity
- Obtained a defense verdict in a case brought against an internal medicine specialist and a pulmonologist practicing at a major teaching hospital in Philadelphia; plaintiffs alleged a delay in diagnosis and treatment of an infection causing death
- Obtained a defense verdict in a case naming several midwives and nursing personnel in a suburban hospital, where it was alleged that the providers’ failure to ensure earlier delivery of an infant lead to its death
- Obtained a defense verdict in Philadelphia County where it was alleged that an obstetrician improperly “stripped” a patient’s membranes which was alleged to have caused a neonatal Group Beta Strep infections and resultant catastrophic injuries
- Successful defense of an obstetrician in Lackawanna County, PA where it was alleged that obstetrician’s failure to perform a cesarean section caused a brachial plexus injury and long term developmental injuries including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Won motions having her clients dismissed from matters during the early phases of litigation