MEDICAL DEVICE, MASS TORT AND PHARMACEUTICAL LITIGATION
For virtually a decade, O’Brien & Ryan, LLP served as liaison counsel between Pennsylvania plastic and reconstructive surgeons in the national silicone breast implant litigation and the courts. We were one of the most active firms in the Pennsylvania consolidated breast implant litigation, working for the defense of plastic surgeons involved in those mass tort lawsuits. We represented healthcare provider defendants in over two hundred cases. Of those cases, we successfully tried to verdict two breast implant cases, including the first in the state.
Additionally, attorneys of the firm have served as counsel for physicians in the pedicle screw litigation and pharmaceutical litigation cases including Fen-Phen, Rezulin, Baycol, Celexa and Vioxx. In these capacities, we have accumulated experience not only in medical device and pharmaceutical litigation, but in the particulars of mass tort litigation. Our firm has worked with the courts to develop systems for becoming proficient in case management and discovery including obtaining, organizing and utilizing massive numbers of manufacturer documents and manufacturer employee depositions produced through the course of consolidated and multi-district litigation, in both hard copy and electronic form.
Contact:
Marshall L. Schwartz
(610) 834-6294
(610) 834-1749 Fax
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O'Brien & Ryan News
Defense Verdict in Philadelphia County on behalf of Urology Group in Bowel Perforation Case
Mary Kay Plyter-Eigner and Emily A. Giradi obtained a defense verdict on behalf of a urology group in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The matter involved a patient who was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the prostate following a biopsy. The urologist...
Defense Verdict for Orthopedic Surgeon in Prosthetic Joint Infection Matter in Bucks County
A defense verdict was recently received by partners Michael O. Pitt and Mary Kay Plyter-Eigner on behalf of an orthopedic surgeon in Bucks County. Plaintiff claimed that the surgical management of a spontaneous prosthetic joint infection was improper. Plaintiff’s...
Orthopedic Surgeon Found Not Liable by Jury on Claims of Two Unnecessary Surgeries in Delaware County
A defense verdict was recently successfully obtained by Partners Tracie A. Vizza and Lisa Peters, in Delaware County. An Orthopedic surgeon, who specializes in hips was sued on claims that he failed to appropriately diagnose the patient’s condition and, as a result,...
Defense Verdict in Philadelphia County on behalf of Podiatrist in Spinal AVM Case
Tracie A. Vizza and associate, Sarah Holtzhauer, obtained a defense verdict in Philadelphia County in a case where it was alleged that a podiatrist failed to appropriately appreciate symptoms of a neurological issue and failed to refer the patient to a neurologist. ...
Defense Verdict in Favor of Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist in Stillbirth Case
Carolyn M. Bohmueller and Joana Gaizelyte-Lacy represented a maternal fetal medicine specialist in a four-day trial in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, and secured a defense verdict. The claim involved the stillbirth of fetus at 36 weeks gestation. The fetus had...
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Changes Venue Rules in Medical Malpractice Actions
Since 2003, Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1006 required plaintiffs in medical malpractice actions to only file a claim in the county in which the cause of action arose, or in instances where multiple healthcare providers are defendants, any county where venue...
Pennsylvania Superior Court Vacates A Grant Of Summary Judgment Related To MCARE’s Equitable Tolling Of The Statute Of Limitations
In an opinion authored by the Honorable J. McLaughlin, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania recently vacated an entry of summary judgment based on The Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act’s (“MCARE”) equitable tolling of the statute of limitations...
Pennsylvania Superior Court Remands Medical Malpractice Matter For New Trial Due To Excessive Damages And Addresses Waiver Issues
In a non-precedential opinion authored by the Honorable Mary P. Murray, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania recently remanded a medical malpractice matter for a new trial on the issue of damages based on a finding that the verdict may have been excessive....
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Finds Seven-Year Limit to Bring Forth Medical Malpractice Claims Unconstitutional
In Pennsylvania, regardless of when a medical injury was discovered, plaintiffs had only seven years from the actual causation of injury to bring forth a medical malpractice claim. The so-called limit to the discovery rule no longer applies. On October 31, 2019 the...
PA Supreme Court Holds Plaintiff Less Accountable Under Discovery Rule
On October 17, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned a Superior Court ruling involving an exception to the Pennsylvania statute of limitations for medical malpractice actions. The discovery rule allows a patient to bring a claim after the statute has passed,...
Daniel F. Ryan, III, Esq., Founding Partner of O’Brien & Ryan, LLP, Announces Retirement
True leadership means lifting others up.
O’Brien & Ryan, LLP is blessed to have had partner and owner Daniel F. Ryan as its leader for more than 40 years. As we congratulate and honor Dan Ryan in his retirement, we reflect on what a tremendous leader and brilliant litigator he was throughout his career. Not only was Dan a highly skilled, intelligent, and intuitive lawyer, but he was also a gifted, lead-by-example mentor and kind person who was respectful to all those he encountered. We are fortunate to have had Dan leading the way all these years and we wish him the very best that life has to offer in retirement!
Carolyn Bohmueller, Esq. Appointed as Commissioner of PHRC
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) today announced the appointment of seven new commissioners, including O’Brien & Ryan’s Carolyn Bohmueller, who will help guide the agency’s ongoing work to promote accountability, fairness, service to Pennsylvanians, and institutional improvement across the Commonwealth.
8 OBR Attorneys Selected to 2026 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
Each year, on a state-by-state basis, Super Lawyers selects attorneys using peer nominations and evaluations along with third party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, and those selected represent the top five percent of the total lawyers in each state.
8 OBR Attorneys Selected to 2025 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
Each year, on a state-by-state basis, Super Lawyers selects attorneys using peer nominations and evaluations along with third party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, and those selected represent the top five percent of the total lawyers in each state.
7 OBR Attorneys Selected to 2024 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
Each year, on a state-by-state basis, Super Lawyers selects attorneys using peer nominations and evaluations along with third party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement, and those selected represent the top five percent of the total lawyers in each state.
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