Patricia C. Schabath

Trish has over 25 years of experience representing hospitals, physicians, and healthcare professionals in medical malpractice litigation. Clients appreciate her subject-matter knowledge, her attention to detail, and her availability to counsel them through the stress of litigation. Her experience allows her to manage a number of cases in a complex practice area while providing hands-on, day-to-day advice and consultation to clients. She also represents physicians in defense of licensing investigations and formal licensing actions. Trish’s background also includes general civil litigation and defense of personal injury, general negligence, and legal malpractice matters.

Early in her career, Trish had the opportunity to participate in the defense of two physicians in multi-state litigation that included a four-month out-of-state trial of one matter and a two-month out-of-state trial in a second matter which together totaled over 225 days in trial. Her responsibilities during discovery in those cases included dozens of fact witness depositions, cross-examination of adverse expert witnesses, preparation and presentation of defense expert witnesses for deposition, and extensive motion practice. Her trial responsibilities involved drafting and argument of limine motions, cross-examination of multiple fact and expert witnesses, and the presentation of several defense experts.

Trish has also benefited from her experience as in-house counsel to a large academic medical center where she was involved in ground-level investigations of adverse events as part of a root cause analysis committee. In this capacity she also developed experience in release of patient information, HIPAA privacy and security, peer review, quality assessment, and risk management. Trish also led two specialty task forces charged with investigating claims in Obstetrics and Radiology designed to improve outcomes and reduce claims and authored the reports to executive and hospital leadership detailing the findings and recommendations of the task forces. In combination with other professionals, her efforts led to a 27% reduction for the organization in liability and indemnity payments that was recognized by local media. In that endeavor, Trish benefited from her communication skills in bringing together various stakeholders throughout a large and complex organization and directing everyone to a common goal.

Building on that extensive and valuable experience, since joining Kerr Russell Trish has consistently achieved successful outcomes for physician clients in diverse specialties such as internal medicine, radiology, anesthesiology, nephrology, obstetrics, and others. An accomplished writer and litigator, her successes have included securing summary disposition prior to trial as well as several no cause defense verdicts at trial. She has also participated in appeals and evidentiary hearings stemming from her medical malpractice matters.

Trish has held a number of leadership positions within the State Bar of Michigan Health Care Law Section. She served two three-year terms on the Health Care Law Section’s governing council and served as the Chair of the Pro Bono committee for the council. Before serving on the council, she had also been Chair of the Medical-Legal section of the Substantive Law Committee, where her responsibilities included developing educational programs and speakers on current topics in health care law.