News
Events
- Caring Communities/Peace Church Risk Retention Group and ECRI Webinar | 1PM - 2PMAugust 18, 2020
Publications
- Healthcare Industry AlertFebruary 1, 2021
Cases & Deals
- September 21, 2015
Debra A. Weinrich Partner
weinrichd@whiteandwilliams.com
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Drawing on her many years of clinical nursing experience, Debbie primarily focuses her legal practice on defending 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 in complex medical malpractice litigation on behalf of a variety of healthcare clients, including physicians, nurses and other healthcare personnel, as well as hospitals, multi-site healthcare systems and physicians' practice groups. 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 also handles nursing licensure 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, surgical care, cardiac care and procedures, oncology and other areas of medical practice. Debbie has also developed significant experience in issues concerning electronic medical records, has authored related articles and has been an invited speaker on the topic on numerous occasions.
Importantly, Debbie uses technology creatively to increase efficiency and hold down costs when handling cases. Debbie focuses on protecting her clients in current cases but also on minimizing future risk and potential liability by identifying areas of possible improvement to assist her clients’ risk and practice managers.
Representative Matters
- 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
- Has 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
Recognition & Involvement
Debbie was selected in a survey of her peers as a Pennsylvania "Rising Star" by Super Lawyers® in 2013 and 2014. Debbie was named a 2019 Distinguished Advocate by the Support Center for Child Advocates for her pro bono service.
News
- April 11, 2019
- January 14, 2016
- October 22, 2014
- October 3, 2014
Events
- Caring Communities/Peace Church Risk Retention Group and ECRI Webinar | 1PM - 2PMAugust 18, 2020
- Philadelphia Area Society for Healthcare Risk Management (Plymouth Meeting, PA)June 28, 2018
- 17th Annual Advanced Forum on Obstetric Malpractice Claims (Philadelphia, PA)June 26, 2018
- 17th Annual Advanced Forum on Obstetric Malpractice Claims (Philadelphia, PA)June 26, 2018
- Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society Annual Conference (Philadelphia, PA)June 5, 2018
- Pennsylvania Bar Institute (Philadelphia, PA)April 27, 2018
- Ways to Use Deposition Testimony and Videotaped DepositionsPennsylvania Bar Institute, Taking and Defending DepositionsNovember 2, 2015
- 2015 Healthcare SummitMay 7, 2015
- Creative Approaches to Catastrophic Damages: ObamaCare and Beyond2014 ASHRM Annual Conference (Anaheim, CA)October 28, 2014
- Creative Solutions For Catastrophic Damages: The Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid And MoreWhite and Williams Coverage CollegeOctober 2, 2014
- Ethics Issues During TrialWhite and Williams LLP CLE PresentationJune 25, 2013
- The Paralegal’s Guide to Designing a Medical Records Organization and Management StrategyInstitute for Paralegal Education (IPE) WebinarNovember 7, 2012
- Institute for Paralegal Education Seminar (Philadelphia, PA)June 26, 2012
- I Just Don't Have Any More Time for Notes - Litigators' Effective Use of OmissionsGeisinger Health System's 2nd Annual Current Concepts in Medication Safety ConferenceMarch 23, 2011
- Pass the Parcel - Speed Dating Risk Management StylePhiladelphia Area Society of Healthcare Risk Management (PASHRM)January and February 2011
- The Impact of Electronic Health Records on the Discovery ProcessPMSLIC's Annual Defense Counsel ConferenceMay 2010
- Survivor: PASHRMPhiladelphia Area Society of Healthcare Risk Management (PASHRM) Annual MeetingDecember 2009
Publications
- Healthcare Industry AlertFebruary 1, 2021
- Healthcare AlertJanuary 28, 2021
- Cyber Law and Data Protection and Healthcare AlertJanuary 8, 2021
- Cyber Law and Data Protection and Healthcare AlertOctober 30, 2020
- Healthcare AlertApril 20, 2020
- Healthcare AlertMarch 31, 2020
- Healthcare AlertMarch 25, 2020
- Healthcare AlertMarch 25, 2020
- Healthcare AlertMarch 11, 2020
- Healthcare AlertNovember 7, 2019
- Healthcare AlertApril 9, 2019
- Healthcare AlertMarch 8, 2019
- Healthcare TalksMay 10, 2017
- Healthcare AlertSeptember 4, 2015
- Healthcare AlertAugust 21, 2013
- American Society For Healthcare Risk Management2013
- American Society For Healthcare Risk Management2013
Cases & Deals
Practice areas
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
Memberships
Lawyers Club of Philadelphia
Philadelphia Area Society for Healthcare Risk Management
American Society for Healthcare Risk Management