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Donna P. Sturtz
Of Counsel
100 S. Charles Street
Suite 1600
Baltimore, MD 21201
Suite 1600
Baltimore, MD 21201
donna.sturtz@nelsonmullins.com
With more than 32 years of experience, Donna is passionate about defending clients and preparing them for the litigation process. She focuses her practice on the defense of physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice cases. She also defends product liability cases involving power tools, large industrial machinery, household, and other products. She is a seasoned trial...
With more than 32 years of experience, Donna is passionate about defending clients and preparing them for the litigation process. She focuses her practice on the defense of physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice cases. She also defends product liability cases involving power tools, large industrial machinery, household, and other products. She is a seasoned trial lawyer and has served as lead counsel in many medical malpractice and product liability cases in State and Federal Court.
lawyer and has served as lead counsel in many medical malpractice and product liability cases in State and Federal Court.
Experience
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.
Experience
- Prevailed in motion to dismiss Consumer Protections and Procedures Act claim on behalf of a large regional hospital in a medical malpractice action pending in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
- Experienced an advisory and manger to counsel in other states as part of a National Coordinating Counsel team for a major product manufacturer including risk assessment, developing case strategy, responding to discovery and coordinating case budgets for cases involving power tools and household products.
Representative Matters
- Obtained summary judgment, in 2024, of a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and also in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County in two separate wrongful death cases given the lack of sufficient expert testimony on causation.
- Obtained a defense verdict in the Circuit court for Baltimore City in February 2023. The case involved alleged brain injury from spinal meningitis. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a complete defense verdict.
- Obtained a favorable resolution in the middle of trial in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County in December 2021 in a wrongful birth case. The favorable resolution was obtained after extensive cross-examination of Plaintiff experts.
- Obtained, via appeal, judgment for the defense, notwithstanding the verdict, in a medical negligence case in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in case involving an alleged failure to perform a c-section on a patient actively counseled about the risks of proceeding with a vaginal delivery.
- Obtained judgment at the conclusion of the plaintiff case for one defendant and then a defense verdict for the manufacturer of a ladder in a product liability case the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
- Judgment upheld on appeal (U.S. District Court, District of MD/U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit) in product liability action involving alleged permanent lung injuries from inhalation of chemicals.
- Defense verdict in car accident victim claiming transfer from shock trauma to subacute rehabilitation led to negligent management of brain injury (Circuit Court for Baltimore City).
- Defense verdict in product liability action alleging permanent scalp injuries caused when plaintiff’s hair got caught in a paper mill (U.S. District Court of Maryland).
Education
-
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law,
JD
(1991)
- Order of the Coif
- Assistant Editor, Maryland Law Review
- Top 7% of the class
-
Duke University,
BA,
Political Science
(1988)
- Two-time ACC Scholar Athlete Award
- Duke University Senior Leadership award
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.
Experience
- Prevailed in motion to dismiss Consumer Protections and Procedures Act claim on behalf of a large regional hospital in a medical malpractice action pending in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
- Experienced an advisory and manger to counsel in other states as part of a National Coordinating Counsel team for a major product manufacturer including risk assessment, developing case strategy, responding to discovery and coordinating case budgets for cases involving power tools and household products.
Representative Matters
- Obtained summary judgment, in 2024, of a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and also in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County in two separate wrongful death cases given the lack of sufficient expert testimony on causation.
- Obtained a defense verdict in the Circuit court for Baltimore City in February 2023. The case involved alleged brain injury from spinal meningitis. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a complete defense verdict.
- Obtained a favorable resolution in the middle of trial in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County in December 2021 in a wrongful birth case. The favorable resolution was obtained after extensive cross-examination of Plaintiff experts.
- Obtained, via appeal, judgment for the defense, notwithstanding the verdict, in a medical negligence case in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in case involving an alleged failure to perform a c-section on a patient actively counseled about the risks of proceeding with a vaginal delivery.
- Obtained judgment at the conclusion of the plaintiff case for one defendant and then a defense verdict for the manufacturer of a ladder in a product liability case the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
- Judgment upheld on appeal (U.S. District Court, District of MD/U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit) in product liability action involving alleged permanent lung injuries from inhalation of chemicals.
- Defense verdict in car accident victim claiming transfer from shock trauma to subacute rehabilitation led to negligent management of brain injury (Circuit Court for Baltimore City).
- Defense verdict in product liability action alleging permanent scalp injuries caused when plaintiff’s hair got caught in a paper mill (U.S. District Court of Maryland).
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar
- Maryland Defense Counsel, Inc.
- Maryland State Bar Association
With more than 32 years of experience, Donna is passionate about defending clients and preparing them for the litigation process. She focuses her practice on the defense of physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice cases. She also defends product liability cases involving power tools, large industrial machinery, household, and other products. She is a seasoned trial... lawyer and has served as lead counsel in many medical malpractice and product liability cases in State and Federal Court.
Experience
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.Experience
- Prevailed in motion to dismiss Consumer Protections and Procedures Act claim on behalf of a large regional hospital in a medical malpractice action pending in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
- Experienced an advisory and manger to counsel in other states as part of a National Coordinating Counsel team for a major product manufacturer including risk assessment, developing case strategy, responding to discovery and coordinating case budgets for cases involving power tools and household products.
Representative Matters
- Obtained summary judgment, in 2024, of a lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and also in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County in two separate wrongful death cases given the lack of sufficient expert testimony on causation.
- Obtained a defense verdict in the Circuit court for Baltimore City in February 2023. The case involved alleged brain injury from spinal meningitis. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a complete defense verdict.
- Obtained a favorable resolution in the middle of trial in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County in December 2021 in a wrongful birth case. The favorable resolution was obtained after extensive cross-examination of Plaintiff experts.
- Obtained, via appeal, judgment for the defense, notwithstanding the verdict, in a medical negligence case in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City in case involving an alleged failure to perform a c-section on a patient actively counseled about the risks of proceeding with a vaginal delivery.
- Obtained judgment at the conclusion of the plaintiff case for one defendant and then a defense verdict for the manufacturer of a ladder in a product liability case the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
- Judgment upheld on appeal (U.S. District Court, District of MD/U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit) in product liability action involving alleged permanent lung injuries from inhalation of chemicals.
- Defense verdict in car accident victim claiming transfer from shock trauma to subacute rehabilitation led to negligent management of brain injury (Circuit Court for Baltimore City).
- Defense verdict in product liability action alleging permanent scalp injuries caused when plaintiff’s hair got caught in a paper mill (U.S. District Court of Maryland).
Education
-
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law,
JD
(1991)
- Order of the Coif
- Assistant Editor, Maryland Law Review
- Top 7% of the class
-
Duke University,
BA,
Political Science
(1988)
- Two-time ACC Scholar Athlete Award
- Duke University Senior Leadership award
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Practice Areas
- American Bar Association
- DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar
- Maryland Defense Counsel, Inc.
- Maryland State Bar Association
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