PRACTICE AREAS

Health Care Litigation

Thomas G. Kokoruda is the chair of the Firm's Trial Department and the Health Care Litigation group. He is a commercial trial lawyer with a focus on hospital liability, physician malpractice and medical staff privilege litigation.

DISTINCTIONS

KC Magazine, in 2005 and 2006, recognized Tom as one of the Top 10 Super Lawyers in Missouri/Kansas.

Listed in The Best Lawyers In America for Health Care Law and Personal Injury Litigation and Medical Malpractice Law.

Mr. Kokoruda was selected for inclusion in Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers 2008 for Personal Injury Defense: Medical Malpractice

Recognized in Chambers U.S.A. Client's Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers in General Commercial Litigation (2008).

Recognized in Chambers U.S.A. Client's Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers as leading individual trial lawyer in Health Care litigation (2006, 2007).

Tom Kokoruda has been chosen six times by the Kansas City Business Journal Best of the Bar for Commercial Litigation, Medical Malpractice Defense and was the highest vote getter in Health Care Law.

Mr. Kokoruda was honored in the Kansas City Business Journal's "Best of the Bar" for 2008.

COMMUNITY AND BAR INVOLVEMENT

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers

American College of Legal Medicine

Circuit Court Advisory Committee

Past Chair

Hospital-Medico-Legal Committee

Past Chair

Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association

Executive Committee (1986-94)

President (1993)

Kansas Hospital Attorneys

Missouri Society of Hospital Attorneys

Missouri Supreme Court

Civil Jury Study Committee (2000-01)

National Health Lawyers Association

University of Kansas School of Law

Board of Governors (1991-93)

NOTABLE EXPERIENCE

Jenkins v. Saint Joseph Health Center: Obtained defense verdict on behalf of hospital in first negligent credentialing case tried against a hospital in Missouri. Complication of surgery performed by a non-Board certified neurosurgeon resulted in permanent paralysis of patient.

Heide Carver v. Independence Regional Health Center: Obtained defense verdict in brain damage baby case on behalf of hospital labor and delivery room nurses for alleged negligent failure to monitor labor and to report fetal distress in a sufficient time to perform cesarean section.

Raquel Green v. Baptist-Lutheran Medical Center: Obtained defense verdict on behalf of hospital in a birth injury case involving profound neurologic injury to a baby delivered vaginally in the face of Group B strep.

Cammisano v. Trinity Lutheran Hospital: Obtained defense verdict in a case arising out of the death of a 21 year old mental health patient allegedly as a result of being overdosed with Haldol and allegedly due to improper restraint practices utilized by nursing.

Shandy v. Kirkpatrick: Obtained defense verdict on behalf of family practice physician in a case wherein the plaintiff alleged that she sustained disabling reflex sympathetic dystrophy as a result of negligent delivery by the physician of a local anesthetic.

Charles R. Wilman v. Saint Joseph Medical Center: Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a hospital in separate state and federal court actions arising out of the revocation of Medical Staff privileges of a surgeon.

Wilman v. Heartland Hospital East: Successfully represented two hospitals in St. Joseph, Missouri with summary judgment affirmed in an anti-trust conspiracy and monopolization claim by the United State Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit.

State ex rel HMW Development Corporation v. Daugherty, Mo.Sup. Ct. 965 S.W.2d 841 (Mo. 1998): Argued significant case before the Missouri Supreme Court resulting in clarification of the peer review statute in Missouri, 537.035 R.S.Mo.

EDUCATION

J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, 1972

B.S., University of Kansas, 1968

BAR ADMISSIONS

Kansas, 2005

Missouri, 1972