Pennsylvania & New Jersey
Medical Malpractice
Since 1992, Kilcoyne & Nesbitt has defended physicians, physician groups, hospitals and other healthcare providers in malpractice litigation.
Since the firm was founded, our attorneys have successfully achieved defense verdicts in over 200 trials.
Bold Representation
We specialize in professional healthcare & medical malpractice.
Creative Approach
Our firm offers a proven track record of providing cost-effective, aggressive representation.
Our Capabilities
With a combination of both raw talent and extensive industry expertise, our team of superior trial attorneys is built for the future of MedMal defense.
News & Insights
Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America
Kilcoyne & Nesbitt, LLC is proud to congratulate Jessica L. Harlow on her recognition in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America for Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants. Recognized since 2024, Jessica brings dedication and experience to her work on behalf of our clients.
Congratulations, Jessica, on this well-deserved recognition!
Recent Verdicts
Congratulations to Jim Kilcoyne and Jackie Drygas on securing a defense verdict for a radiologist in Lancaster County. The plaintiff alleged that the radiologist misinterpreted an ultrasound, resulting in the termination of a pregnancy. The defense successfully demonstrated that the ultrasound interpretation was accurate and that the pregnancy involved a rare form of ectopic pregnancy. This condition posed a potentially life-threatening risk to the mother and would not have resulted in a viable pregnancy.
Congratulations to the firm for securing a defense verdict on behalf of an orthopedist. Plaintiff alleged significant (three centimeter) leg length discrepancy following hip replacement resulting in the need for revision of the hip replacement and subsequent spinal surgery. The defense team was able to establish that a leg length discrepancy is an inherent risk of hip replacement, and the jury returned a unanimous verdict in the doctor’s favor.
Attorneys Jim Kilcoyne and Jacqueline Drygas successfully defended two radiologists in Lancaster County following a five-day jury trial. Plaintiffs asserted that both radiologists failed to recognize imaging abnormalities that were suspicious for breast cancer and recommend an immediate biopsy. They alleged that the delay caused Plaintiff to suffer advanced breast cancer. In the face of a seven-figure demand, Jim and Jackie established that both radiologists met the standard of care by recognizing a focal asymmetry and recommending close follow up imaging to watch the area. Evidence was also presented that Plaintiff’s treatment and prognosis would have been the same even if there was an earlier diagnosis.
Attorneys Jim Kilcoyne and Jacqueline Drygas recently obtained a defense verdict for a urologist in Philadelphia County following a seven-day trial. Plaintiff made a seven-figure demand in a case involving allegations of a delay in identifying a rectal perforation following a radical cystectomy surgery. Specifically, Plaintiff claimed that the decedent suffered from an undiagnosed perforation which lead to worsening sepsis and death. Defendants presented evidence that despite a perforation ultimately being found, it was not present initially and the Defendant physician acted diligently in following the patient after the cystectomy and even returning the patient to the OR for exploration to investigate the cause of the patient’s decline. The jury returned a verdict of no negligence on behalf of the Defendant doctor.
Kilcoyne & Nesbitt finished the year strong with another win for our clients! Congratulations to the firm in obtaining a defense win in Luzerne County. The case involved allegations by the Plaintiff that the defendant urologist failed to appropriately diagnose and treat a 9-year-old boy’s testicular torsion, resulting in on-going pain and loss of the organ. Through effective cross-examination of Plaintiff’s witnesses and experts, the defense team disproved the claim of continuing pain and established that the testicle was beyond salvage by the time Plaintiff came under the treatment of the urologist. The team was able to have the claims against the urologist dismissed halfway through trial by nonsuit after arguing that Plaintiff failed to establish that the defendant urologist had breached the standard of care.
Congratulations to Laurie Shannon and Gregory Nesbitt for their teamwork in achieving yet another defense verdict together, this time in Philadelphia County. Laurie led the defense team in this case which involved an ER physician who Plaintiff claimed failed to timely diagnose him with a serious ocular emergency, resulting in permanent damage to his vision. Plaintiff claimed that the physician anchored to a headache diagnosis and overlooked the possibility of acute angle closure glaucoma. In fact, the defense was able to prove to the jury during the week-long trial that the doctor met the standard of care in evaluating and treating Plaintiff and did timely diagnose him, particularly where the patient failed to provide an accurate history regarding prior eye surgery. The jury returned a unanimous verdict of no negligence in under an hour.
