About the Firm

Connecticut Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Attorney

The Berkowitz Law Firm is a well known medical malpractice and personal injury law firm. With over 40 years of experience, we have obtained substantial verdicts and settlements on behalf of medical malpractice and personal injury victims throughout the State of Connecticut.

We are known for our tenacity, integrity and experience as well as our history of successful case results. Our attorneys are committed to helping their clients receive just compensation and they will go to extraordinary and creative lengths to help their clients win. Because the lawyers at The Berkowitz Law Firm recognize the difficult financial and personal situation that a medical malpractice or personal injury victim faces, our firm operates on a contingency fee basis. This means that clients pay nothing unless their case is won. The Berkowitz Law Firm spares no expense preparing a case for trial so clients can have full confidence that we are doing everything possible to obtain a favorable verdict or settlement for their case.

If you or a loved one has been injured, please contact us. Our attorneys have proven experience and are extremely easy to work with. We understand the difficult times you are facing and will do everything possible to help you.

Click here to contact an attorney about your potential case.

Meet the Attorneys

Russell Berkowitz, Esq.

Russell Berkowitz is widely known as one of the leading personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys in Connecticut. Since 1985, Russ has obtained many substantial settlements and verdicts for seriously injured adults and children stemming from birth injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, cancer misdiagnosis, wrongful death and other life altering injuries. He is board certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a Fellow in the Connecticut chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Russ has been voted as a Super Lawyer by Connecticut Magazine and New England Super Lawyers Magazine in the field of medical malpractice every year since each list has been published.

Some of Russ’ recent awards include a $6.1 million medical malpractice settlement on behalf of a client who sustained a spinal cord injury during neck surgery, $2.6 million medical malpractice verdict against doctors who failed to timely diagnosis a client’s prostate cancer, $9 million medical malpractice award on behalf of a baby who who sustained brain damage during delivery, $3 million settlement on behalf of a child who sustained brain damage following the negligent administration of anesthesia during surgery, $1million wrongful death settlement for a teenager who was killed as a pedestrian by an automobile, $1million wrongful death settlement for a teenager who died as a passenger in a one car automobile accident, $4 million medical malpractice verdict on behalf of a client who was forced to undergo a hysterectomy and lost the chance to have children following a negligently performed gynecological procedure, and $6 million settlement on behalf of a baby who sustained an anoxic brain injury during delivery.

Russ is a member of the American Association of Justice, Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Roscoe Pound Foundation, Connecticut Bar Association, Fairfield County Regional Bar Association, American Trial Counsel, and Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He resides in Weston with his wife and three children.

Joanne P. Sheehan, R.N., B.S.N., J.D.

Joanne P. Sheehan, a registered nurse and attorney, focuses on civil litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability and in representing nurses and allied health professionals before licensing boards. Joanne has represented victims of medical malpractice and personal injury and obtained numerous settlements in excess of $1,000,000.

Ms. Sheehan graduated from St. Vincent’s Hospital School of Nursing in New York City in 1977 and received her Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from Pace University in 1982. She practiced as a registered nurse for 10 years, specializing in burn intensive care before completing her law degree from Pace University School of Law in 1987. During that time she co-founded the Pace University Health Law Society.

She is admitted to practice before Connecticut and New York Courts, Federal Courts, and the United States Supreme Court.

Leadership positions held by Ms. Sheehan include the 2004 presidency of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys and chairperson of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys Committee on disciplinary Defense of Health Care Professionals. She is also past president and co-founder of the Connecticut Chapter of Nurse Attorneys. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Nurse Attorneys Foundation. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, the Bridgeport Bar Association and the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association. She is past chairperson of the Fairfield County Medical Legal Committee, and the Greater Bridgeport Bar Medical-Legal Committee. She has also served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Nursing Law and is a graduate of Leadership Greater Bridgeport.

Ms. Sheehan is a frequent author of articles and textbook chapters and presenter of seminars on legal issues facing nurses.

She currently serves on the Town of Fairfield Parking Authority.

Ms. Sheehan resides in Fairfield with her husband and family.

Christina Hanna, Esq.

Christina Hanna has been committed to representing injured individuals since admission to the Connecticut Bar. Ms. Hanna handles personal injury cases and workers’ compensation matters, and she has tried several cases to verdict, recovering fair awards for clients. Attorney Hanna has also appeared before several districts in the workers’ compensation forum, and she has tried several matters at the formal hearing level and on appeal before the Compensation Review Board. Attorney Hanna has served as co-chair of the small firm division on the Connecticut Young Lawyers’ Association ’04, and is a member of the Dean’s Council at Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, and the Connecticut Bar Association.

Attorney Hanna earned her undergraduate degree at Fairfield University and her J.D. at Quinnipiac University School of Law.

Eric Blomberg, Esq.

Eric Blomberg is a focused litigator who has been involved in personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability and wrongful death for nearly a decade. Most recently, Eric obtained jury verdicts of $495,000 and $100,000 in automobile accident cases where insurance companies’ final settlement offers before trial were $20,000 and $3,000, respectively.

Eric is licensed to practice in Connecticut and New York, and he is an active member of the American Association of Justice, Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, Connecticut Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and Regional Bar Association. Eric has also lectured before the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association regarding how he “Turned a 60 k Offer of Judgment Into a $500 k Verdict.”

Eric graduated from the Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he represented the university in National Mock Trial and Moot Court competitions. At that time, Eric also worked as a legal intern with the State Attorney General’s Office and the Reardon Law Firm. Eric obtained his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Adelphi University, while playing Division I soccer.

Eric resides in Norwalk with his wife, an elementary school teacher in Greenwich.

Recent Verdicts & Settlements

$16,725,000.00 medical malpractice settlement on behalf of a patient who suffered anoxic brain damage as a result of an anesthesiologist’s negligence during the patient’s c-section.
$9,000,000.00 medical malpractice recovery against an obstetrician and a hospital whose failure to timely deliver the infant plaintiff, despite signs of fetal distress, left her severely brain damaged.
$6,100,000.00 settlement against a hospital and two physicians on behalf of a client who sustained permanent paralysis following the administration of anesthesia and prior to undergoing an anterior cervical discectomy.
$4,750,000.00 medical malpractice award on behalf of a child who sustained brain damage as a result of a hospital’s negligent airway management.
$4,000,000.00 medical malpractice verdict against a gynecologist who caused the plaintiff to undergo a hysterectomy following a negligent surgical procedure and destroyed her ability to bear children.
$3,000,000.00 medical malpractice recovery against an anesthesiologist whose negligent administration of spinal anesthesia left an infant plaintiff profoundly brain damaged.
$3,000,000.00 medical malpractice settlement on behalf of a brain damaged newborn against a hospital as a result of the hospital's failure to timely deliver said newborn despite signs and symptoms of fetal distress.
$2,600,000.00 wrongful death verdict against a family practitioner and a urologist whose failure to timely diagnose prostate cancer led to the plaintiff's death.
$2,300,000.00 medical malpractice settlement against a hospital following its failure to diagnose a bacterial infection causing a child to go into respiratory arrest and without oxygen for 20 minutes leading to the child's brain damage.
$2,100,000.00 wrongful death medical malpractice award on behalf of a decedent as a result of the hospital’s improper discharge of the plaintiff’s decedent who later died of an undiagnosed ruptured aortic aneurysm.
$1,800,000.00 settlement on behalf of a female plaintiff who sustained permanent vision loss in both eyes as a result of the defendant optometrist’s improper administration of ophthalmic steroids to the plaintiff despite her history of steroid induced eye pressure.
$1,300,000.00 wrongful death medical malpractice settlement on behalf of the estate of a 13 year old girl following a hospital's failure to diagnose the plaintiff decedent's bacterial infection which ultimately caused her to develop sepsis and die.
$1,250,000.00 medical malpractice recovery on behalf of a plaintiff who was improperly administered medication causing him to sustain brain damage.
$1,175,000.00 wrongful death award in a drunk driving accident on behalf of the decedent against the drunk driver and the bar who served the defendant.
$1,100,000.00 verdict on behalf of a senior citizen apartment complex against an architect and builder as a result of their negligent design and construction of said building.
$1,000,000.00 wrongful death medical malpractice settlement against two urologists who failed to timely diagnose the decedent's prostate cancer.
$1,000,000.00 wrongful death settlement on behalf of a 13 year old teenage pedestrian who died following being struck by an automobile.
$1,000,000.00 settlement on behalf of a 17 year old teenager who was killed in a one car automobile accident.
$1,000,000.00 wrongful death settlement on behalf of the plaintiff’s decedent who died as a passenger in an automobile accident after being struck by the defendant’s truck.
$900,000.00 settlement against a building owner on behalf of a 63 year old male who sustained a spinal cord injury after falling down a defective staircase.
$855,000.00 wrongful death settlement against a cardiologist and internist following the plaintiff's death during an angiogram procedure.

Recent News & Headlines

Joanne Sheehan joined The Berkowitz Law Firm
The firm is pleased to announce that Joanne P. Sheehan, formerly a named partner of Newman, Levy & Sheehan in Fairfield, CT. , has joined the firm. Joanne is an accomplished litigator with over 20 years of experience in handling personal injury and medical malpractice cases. She has obtained many significant awards for her clients over her career. In addition, Joanne is a registered nurse whose practice included intensive care, burn intensive care and home health care nursing.

We are very fortunate to welcome someone with Joanne’s level of knowledge and experience to the firm.

Russ Berkowitz selected again by a blue ribbon panel of attorneys
Russ Berkowitz selected again by a blue ribbon panel of attorneys for the fourth consecutive year, Russ Berkowitz has been selected by a blue ribbon panel of attorneys as one of Connecticut's "Super Lawyers" in the field of Plaintiff’s Medical Malpractice Law. Attorney Berkowitz was recognized in a special section of the February 2009 issue of Connecticut Magazine.

$6,100,000.00 settlement in medical malpractice case against hospital
Russ Berkowitz recently settled a medical malpractice case against a hospital and two physicians on behalf of a client who alleged he had sustained permanent paralysis following the administration of anesthesia. The total payout of the settlement amounts to approximately $8,400,000.00.

Danbury family awarded $6,000,000.00 in birth trauma case against hospital
Russell Berkowitz has recently settled a medical malpractice case against a Connecticut hospital on behalf of an infant who was born with cerebral palsy following the hospital's failure to timely deliver the baby despite signs of fetal distress during labor. The expected total payout of the settlement is $6,000,000.00.

Widow receives $1,000,000.00 for death of husband from two urologists
Russell Berkowitz has recently obtained an award in a medical malpractice case on behalf of a widow against two urologists who failed to timely diagnose her husband's prostate cancer and caused his death. The total award was $1,000,000.00.

Estate of Milford woman files wrongful death case against local hospital
The estate of a Milford woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a local hospital following the hospital’s failure to timely treat an obstructing kidney stone that resulted in the decedent’s kidneys shutting down and and ultimately causing the decedent’s death. The estate is represented by Russ Berkowitz.

Estate of Stratford man files wrongful death lawsuit against hospital and gastroenterologist
The estate of a Stratford man has filed a lawsuit against a hospital and a gastroenerologist as a result of the decedent’s untimely death the day after he was discharged from the hospital ‘s emergency department despite findings of a serious gastrointestinal disorder which rapidly progressed following said discharge and caused the decedent to irreversibly deteriorate and die. The estate is represented by Russ Berkowitz.

Estate of Stamford man files wrongful death lawsuit against gastroenterologist and surgeon
The estate of a Stamford man has filed a lawsuit against a gastroenterologist and a surgeon following their failure to timely remove a polyp that progressed to a cancerous lesion and ultimately caused his death.The estate is represented by Russ Berkowitz.

Mother sues over child’s brain damage
A mother has filed a lawsuit on behalf of her son against a hospital as a result of her son sustaining brain damage following his airway becoming obstructed by a mass which the hospital failed to diagnose over a six day period. The family is represented by Russ Berkowitz.

Vioxx Recall
Merck, the manufacture of Vioxx, announced the voluntary recall of their pain medication Vioxx on September 30, 2004, after studies indicated serious adverse side effects associated with taking this pain medication. Vioxx is a newer type of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) that was once hailed as a "super painkiller". Vioxx was prescribed to over ninety-one million people for the relief of pain associated with arthritis and other severe forms of pain, before the Vioxx recall occurred.

If you or a loved one have been a victim of Vioxx, please contact an attorney at The Berkowitz Law Firm for a free consultation.

Meet the Attorneys

Recent Headlines at Berkowitz and Reinken

Russ Berkowitz has been selected as a 2010 Super Lawyer...

$4,750,000.00 medical malpractice award on behalf of a child who sustained brain damage as a result of a hospital’s negligent airway management.

$9,000,000.00 medical malpractice recovery against an obstetrician and a hospital whose failure to timely deliver the infant plaintiff, despite signs of fetal distress, left her severely brain damaged.

$6,100,000.00 settlement against a hospital and two physicians on behalf of a client who sustained permanent paralysis.

Joanne Sheehan recently settled a medical malpractice case for $1,800,000.00 against an optometrist who caused a female plaintiff to sustain permanent vision loss in both eyes following the improper administration of ophthalmic steroids despite said optometrist’s knowledge of the plaintiff’s history of steroid induced eye pressure.

$4,000,000.00 medical malpractice verdict

$2,600,000.00 wrongful death verdict