On October 27, 2016, a unanimous Virginia Supreme Court held that Tazewell County Circuit Court abused its discretion by excluding the testimony of two of defendant’s rape victims as trial witnesses under Virginia’s Civil Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators Act (“SVPA”), Va. Code §37.2-900, et...
On October 27, 2016, a split Virginia Supreme Court affirmed grant of summary judgment by Richmond Circuit Court on allegations of gross negligence in the wrongful death suit of Elliot v. Carter, No. 160224. The majority of five concluded: “although [defendant’s] effort may have been...
On November 7, 2016, a federal court granted preliminary injunction against the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) enforcing its new regulation that effectively bars “nursing homes receiving federal funds from entering into new pre-dispute arbitration agreements with their residents, effective November 28, 2016.”...
Mr. Waterman is representing the Plaintiff patient against the Defendant nursing facility in the patient fall wrongful death medical malpractice case of William M. Snovell, Executor of the Estate of Bernadette Teresa Connelly Snovell, v. Williamsburg Facility Operations, LLC d/b/a Consulate Healthcare of Williamsburg, et...
On October 19, 2016, Portsmouth Circuit Court rejected an arbitration clause in a medical malpractice case against a nursing facility, Foster/Bults v. GGNSC Portsmouth, LLC t/a Golden Living Center – Portsmouth, No. CL16 – 1067. Its “first impression” letter opinion found that the arbitration agreement...
Plaintiff patient estate is represented by Mr. Waterman against the Defendant nursing home in the patient fall wrongful death medical malpractice case of Hubbard A. Davis, Executor of the Estate of James Clifton Davis, Jr., Deceased, v. Virginia Health Services, Inc. d/b/a Lancashire Convalescent Center,...
During November 4-5, 2016, Mr. Waterman attended the “Mastering the Medicine: Birth Trauma & Medical Negligence Seminar” of the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”), formerly American Trial Lawyers Association (“ATLA”) in Atlanta, Georgia. It was co-presented by AAJ’s Birth Trauma Litigation Group and its Medical...
Mr. Waterman’s law firm has been selected for the 23rd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Patten Wornom Hatten & Diamonstein again was one of the few law firms to receive a Tier I ranking for 2017 in “Best Law Firms” by U.S. News...
During October 28-29, 2016, Mr. Waterman attended the Nursing Home Litigation Fundamentals Seminar of the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”), formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association (“ATLA”) in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Nursing home seminar topics included pressure ulcers, falls, abuse, elopement, delayed diagnosis, medication...
Mr. Waterman represents the Plaintiff resident estate against the Defendant nursing facility in the patient fall wrongful death medical malpractice case of Patrick Lee Cherrie, Administrator of the Estate of Gerda A. Harvey, Deceased, v. Virginia Health Services, Inc. d/b/a Walter Reed Convalescent & Rehabilitation...
Since 2012, nursing homes have been required to report their nursing staffing levels to the federal government. Staffing for RNs, LPNs, and Aides are tracked. Form 671 reports staffing levels for the 2-week period prior to the government’s annual inspection. Each nursing facility is rated on...
The Trial Lawyer is the quarterly journal for The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers. Its issue for Fall 2016 covers three deadly “health” industry products. First, “Concerta Teen Suicide Link – Is This Drug Appropriate?” marquees the alarmingly increased rate of “ADHD” prescriptions of...
On September 29, 2016, the United States’ Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) released 700+ pages of new comprehensive federal nursing facility regulations and explanatory material that will bear on medical malpractice suits. Pro-resident changes include increased training requirements for all staff (especially for...
On October 12, 2016, the Virginia Supreme Court refused the Defendant’s Petition for Appeal for denial of Virginia Model Jury Instruction 35. 040 [“Unsuccessful Outcome Is Not Proof of Negligence”] in the medical malpractice case of OrthoVirginia F/K/A West End Orthopaedic Clinic v. Jurewicz, Record...
This month Mr. Waterman resolved without litigation the personal injury claim of a motor vehicle accident victim from Newport News who was broadsided by a Chesapeake offending driver at a stoplight intersection in Portsmouth, Virginia. GEICO paid it’s liability insurance policy limits for the offending...
On July 9, 2016, Norfolk Circuit Court held that Defendant Sentara’s policies, protocols, and procedures are discoverable, not privileged as claimed, in the medical malpractice lawsuit of Smith v. Sentara Healthcare, No. 15-8467. Id. at 2. Also, the Court found that the “factual material” contained...
Effective November 1, 2016, a new rule of a United States Health and Human Services Department agency prospectively prohibits any nursing facility receiving Federal funding from requiring that any resident dispute be resolved secretly by arbitration instead of publicly in court. That agency is the...
On August 3, 2016, in the pharmacy malpractice case of Holley v. CVS Caremark Corp., No.4:16-cv-00017, United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, Danville Division, denied defendant CVS’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s claim against it for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Id....
Trial is the monthly journal of the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”), formerly the American Trial Lawyers Association (“ATLA”). Its issue for September, 2016, marquees “Trial Tactics: THE POWER OF BIAS”. September 2016’s Trial features 4 lead articles: “By The Numbers,” which counsels “Be Specific” and...
On September 23, 2016, Mr. Waterman was an invited speaker at the 2016 Long Term Care Litigation Retreat of the Virginia Trial Lawyers (“VTLA”) at Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia. His presentation was “Punitive Damages: Medical Malpractice Cases!” VTLA’s Long Term Care Litigation Section focuses on...
The Virginia Supreme Court handed down Holiday Motor Corp. v. Walters, Record No. 150391, on September 8, 2016. It reversed a $20,000,000.00 Roanoke jury verdict in a product liability case arising out of a convertible vehicle crash – and rendered final judgment in favor of...
On September 8, 2016, the Virginia Supreme Court issued Granado v. Commonwealth, Record No. 150936, an appeal involving driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Id. at 1. Granado held that the appeal’s revised statement of facts signed by the parties and trial judge was filed...
On March 31, 2016, the Twenty-First Judicial Circuit of Virginia for Henry County, Patrick County, and City of Martinsville issued a scholarly 11-page opinion in Dennis v. PHC-Martinsville, Inc. t/a Mem’l Hosp. of Martinsville & Henry County, No. CL14-483. It disposed for only $523.89 the...
On August 15, 2016, a medical malpractice case resolved 3 key discovery issues in favor of Plaintiff. It is Jones v. Jones, 2016 WL 4398686 (Richmond Aug. 15, 2016). In Jones, Richmond Circuit Court held discoverable - not privileged – all factual information in the following...
On August 15, 2016, Mr. Waterman’s peers selected him for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America for 2017 for two practice areas again: Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs. This marks the 10th consecutive year since 2008 that he...
On July 18, 2016, the Motion to Quash of non-party healthcare provider, Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, was denied in the medical malpractice case of Newsome v. Ressler, No. CL14-3514T-01 in Circuit Court for the City of Newport News, Virginia. The judge ordered in camera review...
On July 22, 2016, the United Department of Justice (“USDOJ”) released that in Miami it charged the owner of skilled nursing and assisted–living facilities, a hospital administrator, and a physician assistant with a $1,000,000,000.00 healthcare fraud scheme. “Medicare fraud has infected every facet of our...
On July 25, 2016, Virginia Lawyers Weekly headlined “Nursing-Home policy doc denied”. Id. at 2. It reports the Virginia Supreme Court’s adverse decision in Cherrie v. Virginia Health Servs., Inc., Mr. Waterman’s consolidated appeals seeking nursing home policies through administrative regulations for companion medical malpractice...
The Trail Lawyer is the quarterly journal of the National Trial Lawyers “Top 100 Trial Lawyers”. Its issue for Summer 2016 is entitled “Monsanto’s Deadly Harvest” and features articles “The EPA’s Ties to Monsanto Could Be Disastrous for the U.S.,” id. at 52-53, and “Are...
On July 18, 2016, the National Academy of Jurisprudence (formerly American Academy of Trial Lawyers) announced that Mr. Waterman was recognized by it as one of the “Premier 100” trial lawyers in Virginia. Its invitation for him to be a member to the Academy is...