Mr. Leitch focuses his practice on the defense of medical malpractice and products liability claims. His clients include a wide variety of health care providers, including physicians, nurses, hospitals, managed care organizations, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and ancillary health care providers. He also counsels hospitals and physicians on patient care issues, medical staff relations, risk management and quality assurance. His guidance is based on his extensive trial and Alternative Dispute Resolution experience during his nearly twenty-five years of practice in this area.

Mr. Leitch has lectured on various topics, including EMTALA (Emergency Medical Transfer and Active Labor Act), informed consent, patient confidentiality, general quality assurance/risk management topics to numerous groups of medical professionals, such as the Alleghany-Bath Medical Society, the Virginia Society of Hospital Risk Managers, Virginia Western Community College, and the Parish Nurse Association.

Extended Information

• Successfully defended family counselor in jury trial in which parents of patient asserted independent claims for damage/emotional distress;
• Successfully defended emergency medicine physician in jury trial in which plaintiff alleged improper treatment for a fractured finger;
• Successfully defended radiologist in jury trial in which an infant plaintiff alleged the radiologist failed to identify a hip fracture (posterior acetabulum);
• Successfully defended endocrinologist in jury trial in which plaintiff alleged the endocrinologist failed to diagnose Cushing’s Syndrome;
• Successfully defended certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) in jury trial in which plaintiff alleged CRNA injured the phrenic nerve during the administration of an interscalene block;
• Successfully defended wrongful death claim against gastroenterologist in jury trial in which plaintiff alleged the physician failed to diagnose mesenteric ischemia in a patient.