Chalk up another medical malpractice victory for LT defense lawyers, this time in the Court of Appeals.
Last week, the Western Section of the Tennessee Court of Appeals issued its decision in affirming a jury verdict for the defendant physician.
The main issue in the appeal was whether the trial judge erred in refusing to allow plaintiff’s counsel to pursue a theory that the defendant physician breached the standard of care by an alleged failure to render the “best possible care” in the treatment of the plaintiff.
The Court of Appeals agreed with the trial judge that the standard of care required of a physician does not include providing the “best possible care.”
Maggie Cooper and Laura Deakins served as defense counsel, and the combination of Laura’s brief-writing and Maggie’s appellate argument skill was an unqualified success.
Congrats to Maggie and Laura on the victory.
Maggie Cooper is a shareholder in the firm’s Memphis office. A native Memphian, Ms. Cooper has a diverse litigation practice throughout West Tennessee, with particular emphasis in representing defendants in healthcare liability, transportation, and personal injury litigation. Ms. Cooper has successfully defended numerous cases prior to trial and through verdict, and she routinely obtains favorable results for her clients at the appellate level as well. Ms. Cooper regularly litigates in both state and federal courts. She is also frequently retained before litigation to assist in evaluating and controlling her clients’ exposure to potential lawsuits.
After serving four years as the judicial law clerk to the Honorable Holly Kirby on both the Tennessee Supreme Court and Tennessee Court of Appeals, Ms. Deakins joined Lewis Thomason as an associate in 2015. During law school, Ms. Deakins also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Jon P. McCalla of the Western District of Tennessee and the Honorable Janice M. Holder of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Ms. Deakins was also the business editor of the University of Memphis Law Review editorial board, the research assistant to Professor Ernest Lidge, and both a student ambassador and orientation leader.