Julie Hancock successfully defended a pediatric emergency room physician in a medical malpractice trial in Little Rock, Arkansas. The patient, an 18-year-old male, presented to the emergency department of a children’s hospital with a complaint of chest pain. The patient was examined, given pain medication, and an EKG was performed. He was discharged from the emergency department when no emergent problems were detected. He died two months later of an aortic dissection which was a complication of an undiagnosed, rare genetic disorder. Plaintiff alleged that if the emergency department physician had ordered a chest x-ray, the condition would have been diagnosed, the patient would have undergone a timely surgery, and the patient would have survived.

The defense presented expert testimony to demonstrate that a chest x-ray was not required by the standard of care under these circumstances and that it would not have revealed anything at the time of the patient’s presentation to the emergency department. Plaintiff argued that statistics supported her position that a chest x-ray would have been revealing and that it was a deviation from the standard of care to fail to order it.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the defendant emergency room physician.

Mark Wankum and David Littleton successfully defended a clinical pharmacist in a multi-week medical malpractice trial in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The plaintiff and her husband alleged that the pharmacist recommended a contraceptive medication contraindicated by the FDA given her history of an arterial clotting disorder. The pharmacist had a brief curbside consultation with the plaintiff’s family physician, who subsequently prescribed a progestin-only injectable contraceptive. As a result of the injection, the plaintiff claimed that she sustained an acute clotting event that resulted in the amputation of her leg. The plaintiff was in her mid-20s.

In addition to the parties, the jury heard from leading experts in the field on hormonal contraception, clotting disorders, and injectable progestin-only contraceptives. Representatives of the pharmaceutical company also offered testimony regarding the contraindication contained in the package label. Much of the trial centered on the conflict between the package label approved by the FDA and recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The case also presented issues of first impression under Arkansas law regarding duties owed by a clinical pharmacist in the context of a curbside consultation with a physician. Plaintiffs sought damages well in excess of $2 million based upon an extensive life care plan, permanent disability, and significant pain and suffering.

The jury returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the pharmacist.

Mariam Hopkins was recently named a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Brandon Cole joined Anderson Murphy & Hopkins on April 16, 2018. Brandon has four years of experience with an insurance defense litigation firm where he primarily handled medical malpractice litigation. Brandon has been involved in multiple jury trials and has handled over a hundred depositions of both expert and lay witnesses. He will handle a broad variety of litigation cases at our firm.

Brandon graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and was seventh in a class of 131 graduates. While at the University of Arkansas, he worked on the Arkansas Law Review and published Comment, Unjust Enrichment: A Proposed Arkansas Model Jury Instruction for Claims Based on Implied-In-Law Contracts. He also worked with Professor Howard Brill in writing the 2013 supplement to his book, Arkansas Law of Damages.

On January 8, 2018, Governor Asa Hutchinson appointed AMH partner Mark Wankum to serve as a Special Associate Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court. The Arkansas Constitution permits the governor to appoint special justices in the event of a recusal for a specific case, and the firm is proud of Mark’s willingness to accept this appointment and serve our legal community.

Anderson, Murphy & Hopkins lawyers recently selected by their peers as Mid-South Super Lawyers for 2017 are: Overton S. Anderson, Randy P. Murphy, Mariam T. Hopkins, Michael P. Vanderford, David A. Littleton, and Jason J. Campbell. Mark D. Wankum was named as a Mid-South Rising Star.

Attorneys recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers as top-rated attorneys in Medical Malpractice in the Little Rock, Arkansas, area are: Overton S. Anderson, Mariam T. Hopkins, David A. Littleton, Julie M. Hancock, and Mark D. Wankum.

Randy P. Murphy and Michael P. Vanderford were recognized as top-rated in Personal Injury Defense.

Jason J. Campbell was recognized as a top-rated attorney in Civil Litigation.

Anderson, Murphy & Hopkins, L.L.P., received a Tier 1 ranking in the 2018 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” in the following areas of practice:

Little Rock – Appellate Practice
Little Rock – Insurance Law
Little Rock – Litigation – Construction
Little Rock – Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants
Little Rock – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Little Rock – Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants

The Tier 1 ranking was determined through the firm’s overall evaluation, which was derived from a combination of our clients’ impressive feedback, the high regard that lawyers in other firms in the same practice area have for our firm, and the information provided in response to a law firm survey.

Jason Campbell and Adam Franks recently received summary judgment on behalf of a title company and its owners and agents in a suit filed in Van Buren County Circuit Court. The suit alleged breach of fiduciary duty and misrepresentation regarding title searches performed on an undeveloped tract of property in Van Buren County.

Jason Campbell has been selected to speak on the topic of materialmen’s liens at the 2017 Arkansas AIA Convention in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Jason Campbell was recently named a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America (CLSA).