Charmaine Ferguson

Biography

Ms. Ferguson is an associate attorney in the firm's products liability and medical malpractice sections.  Her experience includes representation of clients in professional liability, healthcare law, transportation law, products liability, commercial litigation, and general negligence claims, and representation of nurses before the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas.  Her medical malpractice experience has included hospital, independent practice associations, allied health care professionals, nurses and physicians.  Her products liability experience has included alleged defects in pharmaceuticals and medical devices.  She represents national and international manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors against a wide array of claims for personal injuries, property damage, and economic loss.

Ms. Ferguson has been licensed as a registered nurse since 1992.  She was employed as a registered nurse in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Hermann Hospital from 1991 to 2008.  As a registered nurse, she has served on the Nursing Peer Review Committee and has participated in the drafting and implementation of unit specific nurse policies and procedures.

Education

South Texas College of Law (J.D., 1999)
University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston (B.S.N., 1991)

Legal Memberships

• State Bar of Texas
• Texas State Board of Nurse Examiners
• Defense Research Institute (Drug and Medical Device Committee)

Honors and Awards

• Order of the Lytae
• Assistant Articles Editor of South Texas Law Review

Admissions

• State Bar of Texas
• United States District Court for the Southern, Eastern, Northern and Western Districts of Texas

Practice Areas and Casework

Practice Areas

• Premises Liability
• Personal Injury Trial Law
• Medical Malpractice/Healthcare Liability
• Products Liability
• Commercial Litigation
• Transportation Law

Casework

Products Liability:

• Successfully managed defense of component part manufacturer involved in heart valve device mass tort litigation proceeding.
• Assisted in successful defense of pharmaceutical cases involving allegations of severe physical injuries.
• Assisted with the defense of target medical device manufacture in Texas State and Federal complex litigation involving orthopedic bone screws.
• Defends manufacturers agains claims of design defects, manufacturing defects and marketing defects.

Premises Liability:

• Defended premises lawsuits against hospitals.
• Represented hospitals in slip-and-fall cases.
• Defended premises owners in property defect cases.
• Defended premises lawsuit alleging elevator defects.

Transportation Law:

• Experience in transportation client representation including various interstate carriers for auto/truck collision matters as well as cargo loss.

Health Law/Healthcare Liability Litigation:

• Assisted in the preparation of hospital policies and procedures.
• Defends hospitals and nurses against claims of negligence.
• Advise hospitals and long term care facilities on variety of compliance issues.
• Assist in peer review and licensing issues.

Professional Liability:

• Assisted in the successful defense of physician defendants in mass tort pharmaceutical litigation involving diabetic drug.
• Assisted in the successful defense of physician defendants in mass tort pharmaceutical litigation involving weight loss medications in State, Federal, and Multidistrict litigation proceedings.
• Represents hospitals, independent practice associations, allied health care professionals, nurses and physicians in medical malpractice liability actions.
• Successfully represented nurses before the Texas Board of Nursing.

Commerical Law:

• Prosecute and defend claims arising from breach of contract in connection with commercial transactions.
• Defend claims involving mechanic's, contractor's, or materialman's lien.
• Defended client against warranty claims filed pursuant to Texas Lemon Laws.

Lectures Presented

• Presentations to health care professionals on standard of care, risk management, and administrative issues.