Source: https://www.coccalaw.com/news/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 06:03:37+00:00

Document:
On March 11, 2019 Anthony Cocca, Esq.. spoke as an invited guest lecturer for Atlantic Health System’s Sports Medicine Lecture Series. Anthony discussed “Sports Medicine and the Law: Medical Malpractice, Good Samaritan Liability and Volunteer Liability” to Attending Physicians, Fellows, Athletic Trainers and Physical Therapists as a part of Atlantic Health’s Sports Health and Sports Medicine Fellowship program. The program is accredited for Continuing Medical Education credit & Continuing Education Units for sports physicians, athletic trainers and physical therapists.
Rodriguez v. Wal-Mart, Inc., Supreme Court of New Jersey, published March 4, 2019.
Congratulations to Katelyn E. Cutinello, Esq. for her win in the Supreme Court of New Jersey as Amicus Curiae counsel on behalf of the New Jersey Defense Association in the Rodriguez v. Wal-Mart, Inc. case. Rodriguez is a groundbreaking decision regarding expert testimony and damages. It specifically addresses the issue of medical expert testimony on “symptom magnification”, “somatization” and “malingering”.
The Supreme Court reversed the Appellate Division who had established a bright-line rule prohibiting the defense from referencing a plaintiff’s “symptom magnification” and “somatization”. The Supreme Court also upheld the admissibility of plaintiff’s prior psychiatric and medical history which had a logical relationship to the issues. As Amicus for the NJDA, Ms. Cutinello argued for a case-by-case approach subject to the balancing test inherent in a N.J.R.E. 403 analysis, which is now the prevailing law in the State of New Jersey.
The American Heart Association has selected Anthony Cocca, Esq. to serve on its Board of Directors for Northern New Jersey. Within the organization, he also serves on the Executive Leadership Team for the Affair of the Heart Ball, the Association's Annual Gala.
S.W.K. v. Atlantic Health System, A-4790-15T2 (App. Div. 2018) a win for our clients in the Appellate Division following a win at trial.
Following a 4 week trial where Anthony Cocca, Esq. obtained a no cause verdict for our Emergency Medicine Resident Physician and 4 Emergency Department Nurses, the plaintiff appealed. In a written decision, the Appellate Division found in our client’s favor and affirmed the trial court’s rulings and preserved the jury’s unanimous no cause verdict. Join us in celebrating this hard-fought appellate victory!
Anthony Cocca was selected by the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Medical Malpractice Special Committee and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education (NJICLE) to speak at the 22nd Annual Medical Malpractice Update. He addressed the Patient Safety Act, Self-Critical Analysis and his Supreme Court Case, Brugaletta v. Garcia, 234 N.J. 225 (2018).
Anthony Cocca, Esq., Managing Partner at Cocca & Cutinello, LLP has been nominated by the readers of New Jersey Family as one of New Jersey’s Best Lawyers for Families!
Look for it in the April, 2019 issue of New Jersey Family Magazine!
Join everyone at the firm in congratulating Anthony!
Cocca & Cutinello, LLP is proud to announce that, on September 13, 2018, Katelyn E. Cutinello, Esq. argued the Rodriguez v. Walmart case in the New Jersey Supreme Court as Amicus Curiae for the New Jersey Defense Association.
The Rodriguez case involves expert testimony concerning symptom magnification, somatization and malingering in personal injury cases. The appeal also dealt with the admissibility of prior accident and prior medical history.
Brugaletta v. Garcia, D.O., et al., 2018 N.J. LEXIS 980 * | 2018 WL 3554635, Anthony Cocca argued the case at the New Jersey Supreme Court on behalf of Chilton Medical Center. The patient brought suit alleging a misdiagnosis by several of her physicians. Chilton Medical Center performed an internal review of a specific aspect of her care. Plaintiff petitioned the court for access to all the documents and information generated as a result of that internal review. The Trial Court granted plaintiff access to parts of the internal review documents and also ordered the hospital to designate the incident as a serious adverse preventable event and to report it to the patient and the Department of Health.
We appealed the trial court's ruling and won in the New Jersey Appellate Division in a case titled, Brugaletta v. Garcia, 448 N.J. Super. 404 (App. Div. 2017). Anthony Cocca argued that the trial court could not usurp the function of the hospital and substitute its judgment by re-designating an event and ordering Dept. of Health reporting or patient reporting; that the Patient Safety Act included an absolute privilege against disclosure of documents and information gathered during the deliberative process; and that deliberative and factual materials are protected whether or not the incident is reported to the Dept. of Health.
On appeal to the New Jersey Supreme Court, Anthony Cocca also successfully argued that the Patient Safety Act operated as an absolute protective shield to prevent plaintiffs from obtaining documents developed during that deliberative process and that the patients are always able to determine their treatment from the facility charting and records. In a landmark ruling the Supreme Court re-affirmed the Patient Safety Act's absolute privilege; affirmed that the Court may not substitute its judgment for that of a healthcare facility when deciding how to designate an event and whether to report it to the Dept. of Health; and the Court indicated that once suit is filed, a defendant healthcare facility should explain the facts, as contained in the facility charting, that led to the incident reporting instead of simply referring to voluminous hospital or healthcare facility charting. The court further found that patients benefit from the ruling because the confidentiality provisions of the Patient Safety Act ensure that after an adverse event, a hospital will undertake a thorough self-critical analysis in order to help prevent such incidents without fear of disclosure or reprisal. The decision also benefits litigants insofar as counsel for the healthcare facility should outline the basic facts of the adverse event, as they are already noted in the healthcare facility charting, to the litigants.
We congratulate Anthony, Katelyn & Priya and we recognize the hard work of our outstanding legal assistants Jessica & Nidian and office administrator, Paulina as well - it was truly a collaborative effort.
Katelyn E. Cutinello, Esq. is the New Jersey Defense Association Young Lawyer of the Year!
Katelyn E. Cutinello, Esq. has been named Young Lawyer of the Year by the New Jersey Defense Association (NJDA). Only one attorney per year is selected to be the NJDA's Young Lawyer of the Year.
Everyone at Cocca & Cutinello, LLP applauds this accomplishment and joins in celebrating this honor with Katelyn. It's well-deserved and we're all proud of her.
Please join the Cocca & Cutinello family in congratulating Katelyn!
Anthony Cocca, Esq. has been asked to speak at the NJ State Bar Association's New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education concerning the confidentiality of adverse incident investigations and peer review at healthcare facilities.

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