Joseph F. Babiarz, Jr.

Joseph F. Babiarz, Jr. concentrates his practice in the areas of medical malpractice, nursing home malpractice, hospital liability, extended care liability, and general liability. Mr. Babiarz has published several articles on the topic of medical malpractice and frequently lectures on how to avoid medical and nursing home malpractice claims.

A senior trial attorney, Mr. Babiarz has 49 medical malpractice trials to his credit, 45 of which resulted in a verdict of no cause for action in favor of his clients. His cases typically involve high liability exposure amounts and complex issues pertaining to claims of catastrophic injury or death as a result of alleged malpractice on the part of doctors and other healthcare providers.

Representative Client Work

• Successfully defended a nursing home wrongful death claim involving allegations of side rail positional asphyxia
• Successfully defended an adult foster care facility in a wrongful death claim where plaintiff’s decedent was murdered while out for a walk in the community.  Plaintiff alleged that the facility failed to properly monitor and supervise a mentally disturbed resident
• Successfully defended several alleged failure to timely diagnose and treat breast cancer cases where plaintiffs’ demand to the jury was $1,000,000
• Successfully defended a claim in which plaintiff alleged the defendant hospital failed to comply with national experimental protocols in the treatment of breast cancer and lymphedema
• Successfully defended a birth trauma case involving paraplegia where plaintiff’s demand to the jury was $15,000,000
• Successfully defended three physicians before the State of Michigan Board of Medicine Disciplinary Subcommittee

Professional Affiliations

• Macomb County Bar Association
• Oakland County Bar Association
• State Bar of Michigan (Negligence Law Section)
• American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance Practice sections)
• Defense Research Institute

Community Involvement

• Michigan State University Alumni Association
• Detroit College of Law Alumni Association
• Economic Club of Detroit

Publications and Lectures  

• “Nursing Home Litigation – Impending Insurance Crisis,” Midwest Medical Doctor’s Seminar, Snowmass, CO, March 20, 2002
• “Concepts in Documentation in Nursing Homes,” in-service for Woodward Hills Nursing Home, Bloomfield Hills, MI, February 15, 2002
• “Confidentiality of Medical Records in Michigan,” Detroit, October 12, 2001
• “New Developments in Professional Liability,” Midwest Doctors’ Medical
  Seminar, Snowmass, CO, March 23, 2001
• “Healthcare Providers May Be Held Criminally Liable for ‘Reckless’ Care of a Vulnerable Adult,” Plunkett & Cooney, P.C. Medical Malpractice Newsletter, January 2001
• “Managed Care Litigation: Are You at Risk?” Presentation, Plunkett & Cooney, P.C., Detroit, MI, May 9, 1997
• “Avoiding Liability When Interacting With Consultants,” Sinai Hospital, Detroit, MI, September 27, 1995
• “Defending The Nursing Home In The ‘90s,” Michigan State University Management Center, Troy, MI, April 25, 1994
• “Avoiding Medical Malpractice Claims,” Physicians Insurance Company of Michigan, 1991-1993
• “Defensive Record Keeping,” Western Wayne County Organization of Medical Office Managers
• “Excellence in the Law,” Editor of Medical Malpractice Newsletter, 1990-1992