Barbara Zurek

Barbara focuses her practice on defending healthcare providers who are faced with claims of medical malpractice – including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, dentists, chiropractors, podiatrists, social workers, physician assistants and physical therapists, and entities such as hospitals and nursing homes.

Barbara and her colleagues serve as defense counsel for the leading underwriter of medical malpractice insurance in Minnesota. They are also approved local defense counsel for the leading medical malpractice insurers of chiropractors and dentists.  She has tried approximately 75 such cases – in trial and on appeal. 

I pride myself on being efficient, thoughtful, supportive and available – and on achieving the best possible outcomes for my clients and their employers.

She often speaks to healthcare organizations and providers on the issues surrounding professional liability and is an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.

In addition to her medical malpractice work, Barbara represents healthcare providers in their dealings with professional licensing boards. Since she is a registered nurse in addition to being a lawyer, she is intimately acquainted with these venues and issues.

Representative Trials and Verdicts

1. Hennepin County, MN
   Court File No. 27-CV-10-5917
   Claim(s) alleged:  Negligent management of wrist fracture, resulting in increased disability.
   Defense verdict, December 2011
2. Ramsey County, MN
   Court File No. 62-CV-09-5836
   Claim(s) alleged:  Negligent diagnosis of superior mesenteric artery stenosis, resulting in bowel perforation and ultimate death.
   Defense verdict, November 2011
3. Hennepin County, MN
   Court File No. 27-CV-10-20407
   Claim(s) alleged:  Negligently failed to timely evaluate symptoms of blurred vision, resulting in death.
   Defense verdict, August 2011
4. Hennepin County, MN
   Court File No. 27-CV-10-13394
   Claim(s) alleged:  Negligently performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery resulting in a bile duct injury.
   Plaintiff verdict, August 2011
5. Ramsey County, MN
   Court File No. 62-CV-10-336
   Claim(s) alleged:  Negligence in failing to properly manage post-op care, including failure to timely place an NG tube, resulting in death.
   Defense verdict, July 2011
6. Hennepin County, MN
   Court File No. 27-CV-10-402
   Claim(s) alleged:  Negligent chiropractic care to cervical spine.
   Defense verdict, June 2011
7. Ramsey County, MN 
   Court File 62-CV-08-12649
   Claim(s) alleged: Negligent failure to diagnose complications of Crohn's Disease in pregnancy, resulting in bowel perforation and fetal death.
   Defense verdict, November 2010
8. Hennepin County, MN
   Court File 27-CV-08-12902
   Claim(s) alleged: Negligent failure to diagnose and properly treat pseudo-tumor cerebri, resulting in blindness.
   Defense verdict, October 2010 
9. Hennepin County, MN
   Court File 27-CV-07-1959
   Claim(s) alleged: Negligent failure to diagnose lung cancer, leading to death.
   Defense verdict, September 2010
10. Crow Wing County, MN
    Court File 18-CV-09-2229
    Claim(s) alleged: Negligent recommendations for and performance of LASIX eye surgery, resulting in vision complications.
    Defense verdict, July 2010
11. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File 27-CV-08-17606
    Claim(s) alleged: Negligent recommendation for abdominal hysterectomy and negligent failure to diagnose post-op bowel perforation.
    Defense verdict, February 2010
12. Anoka County, MN
    Court File 02-CV-07-5289
    Claim(s) alleged: Negligent intra-partum care, allegedly leading to birth injuries.
    Defense verdict, November 2009
13. St. Croix County, WI
    Court File 07-CV-472
    Claim(s) alleged: Allegations of improper adjustments to ankle, claiming damage to ankle structures.
    Defense verdict, August 2009
14. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File 27-CV-08-7546
    Claim(s) alleged: Allegations of improper post colonoscopy monitoring and safety.
    Defense verdict, July 2009
15. Dakota County, MN
    Court File 19HA-CV-08-746
    Claim(s) alleged: Patient's death due to negligent care by hospital and physician following Laser Vein Ablation Procedure for varicose veins.
    Defense verdict, July 2009
16. Washington County, MN
    Court File CX-07-1762
    Claim(s) alleged: Failure to recognize bowel perforation.
    Defense verdict, March 2009
17. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File CV-07-2521
    Claim(s) alleged: Failure to diagnose myocardial ischemia.
    Defense verdict, August 2008
18. Cottonwood County, MN
    Court File 17-CV-07-263
    Claim(s) alleged: Negligent chiropractic care causing a neck fracture.
    Defense verdict, June 2008
19. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File CV-06-2747
    Claim(s) alleged: Failure to properly evaluate and diagnose radiologic studies done to evaluate for thoracic outlet syndrome and Paget-Schroetter’s Syndrome.
    Defense verdict, October 2007
20. Crow Wing County, MN
    Court File C8-06-000460
    Claim(s) alleged: Defamation, breach of patient confidentiality, breach of contract, HIPAA violations intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, punitive damages as a result of publication of patient photographs for advertising purposes.
    Defense verdict, July 2007
21. Beadle County, SD
    Court File CIV 03-58
    Claim(s) alleged: Delayed diagnosis and associated complications therewith of bowel perforation post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
    Defense verdict, July 2007
22. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File MP 05-016785
    Claim(s) alleged: Malpractice in cosmetic surgery related to a variety of aesthetic reconstructive procedures, including brachioplasty surgery.
    Defense verdict, February 2007
23. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File WD #04-009322
    Claim(s) alleged: Psychiatric malpractice case involving successful suicide in hospital’s acute locked psychiatric unit.
    Defense verdict, December 2006
24. Crow Wing County, MN
    Court File C3-04-703
    Claim(s) alleged: Common bile duct injury and stenosis in the course of performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy resulting in the need for reconstructive surgery.
    Defense verdict, November 2006
25. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File MP 05-003938
    Claim(s) alleged: Spinal cord injury during the course of neurosurgical spine surgery on the thoracic spine.
    Defense verdict, July 2006
26. Anoka County, MN
    Court File C3-04-1121
    Claim(s) alleged: Failure to recognize bowel perforation and gastric leak post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.
    Defense verdict, May 2006
27. Crow Wing County, MN
    Court File C9-03-3160
    Claim(s) alleged: Improper surgical decision-making and skill in the performance of abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery resulting in patient death.
    Defense verdict, February 2006
28. Dakota County, MN
    Court File C0-04-009562
    Claim(s) alleged: Chiropractic malpractice, purportedly exacerbating a lumbar herniated disc.
    Defense verdict, January 2006
29. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File MP 04-007720
    Claim(s) alleged: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome secondary to anti-viral medication administered for HIV disease resulting in severe corneal damage.
    Defense verdict, July 2005
30. Anoka County, MN
    Court File C1-03-989
    Claim(s) alleged: Intra-operative and post-operative vascular surgery malpractice allegedly resulting in neurologic injury and spastic dyplegia post-abdominal aortic bi-femoral bypass.
    Defense verdict, June 2005
31. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File MP-03-15601
    Claim(s) alleged: Failure to properly recognize additional injuries in traumatic arm amputation case, with residual nerve injury claimed.
    Defense verdict, November 2004
32. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File C8-03-863
    Claim(s) alleged: Carotid and vertebral artery dissection secondary to cervical spine adjustment, resulting in patient death.
    Defense verdict, September 2004
33. Hennepin County, MN
    Court File MP 01-19512
    Claim(s) alleged: Failure to diagnose and delay in diagnosis of diabetes insipidus.
    Defense verdict, July 2003
34. Dakota County, MN
    Court File 19-C1-02-7802
    Claim(s) alleged: Failure to recognize patient’s presenting symptoms as those of vascular insufficiency, ultimately culminating in the patient having bilateral leg amputations.
    Defense verdict, May 2003
35. Freeborn County, MN
    Court File C4-01-661
    Claim(s) alleged: Improper obstetrical care, labor, and delivery management, uterine rupture and hypoxic ischemic brain injury.
    Defense verdict, April 2003