Charfoos & Christensen, P.C. - J. Douglas Peters

J. Douglas Peters is a shareholder in the firm of CHARFOOS & CHRISTENSEN, P.C. He has been nationally recognized for his work in medical malpractice, especially in the areas of obstetrics/gynecology and cerebral palsy. His early work on the DES cases helped him implement ground-breaking judicial procedures in the multi-state mass litigation known as Toxic Shock Syndrome, a tampon-related disease. Mr. Peters joined the firm in 1975 after serving as executive director of the Fourth Ohio Area Professional Standards Review Organization, a federal agency which set the standards for medical care reimbursed by the nation's healthcare programs. His special areas of practice are obstetric malpractice, anesthesia malpractice, aviation litigation and mass disaster cases. He has been involved in numerous million dollar recoveries in these fields.

Background:
Born Dover, New Hampshire, 1948
Admitted to bar, 1975, Michigan; 1998, Pennsylvania; 1977, U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit; U.S. Court of Claims
Education:
University of New Hampshire (B.A., cum laude, 1971)
University of Toledo (J.D., 1975)
Associate Editor:
University of Toledo Law Review 1974-1975.
Books & Treatises:
The Law of Medical Practice in Michigan, Health Administration Press, 1981.
Anesthesiology and the Law, Health Administration Press, 1983.
Obstetrics/Gynecology and The Law, Health Administration Press, 1984.
The Law of Medical Practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, The Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Co., 1984.
The Law of Medical Practice in Illinois, The Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Co., 1986.
The Law of Medical Practice in Ohio, the Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Co., 1989.
Articles:
"Causes Of Laparoscopic Injuries: A Survey," Trial, May, 2000.
"Working With Medical Experts in Personal Injury Cases," Practical Lawyer, 22:77, 1976.
"Techniques for Obtaining, Preparing and Presenting Medical Proofs," ATLA+Circuit Seminar Reference Materials 231, 1977.
"Legal Malpractice --An Analysis of Michigan Appellate Cases," 57 Michigan State Bar Journal 367, 1978.
"Videotaping of Surgery For Use As Demonstrative Evidence in Medical Malpractice Litigation," 16 Duquesne Law Review, 359, 1978.
"Psychosurgery: A Case for Regulation," Detroit College of Law Review, 3:383, 1978.
"Litigation Errors as a Basis for Legal Malpractice," 59:22 Michigan State Bar Journal, 1980.
"Bendectin," 16:5 Trial, 56, 1980.
"Wrongful Life: Recognizing the Defective Child's Right to a Cause of Action," 18 Duquesne Law Review, 857, 1980.
"The Trial Lawyer's Guide to Multi-District Litigation," 17:11 Trial 76, 1981.
"The Elements of a Legal Malpractice Case Based on Litigation Errors," Practical Lawyer 28:53, 1982.
"A Guide to the Use of Demonstrative Evidence," 61 Michigan State Bar Journal 818, 1982.
"Genetic Counseling and Screening," 20:1 Trial 82, 1984.
"Amniocentesis in Medicine and Law," 20:2 Trial 54, 1984.
"Cerebral Palsy," 20:12 Trial 34, 1984.
"Malpractice in Hospitals; Ten Theories of Direct Liability," 12:6 Law, Med. and Health Care 254, 1984.
"An Empirical Analysis of the Medical and Legal Professions' Experiences and Perceptions of Medical and Legal Malpractice," 19:3 U. of Mich. J. of Law Reform 601, 1986.
"Reye's Syndrome," 23:11 Trial 36, 1987.
"Hospital Malpractice: Eleven Theories of Direct Liability," 24:11 Trial 82, 1988.
"Litigating the Brain Damaged Baby Case," 25:5 Trial 32, 1989.
"Critique of the American Medical Association's Model Medical Liability and Practices Reform Act, 1.1 Courts, Health Science & The Law 51, 1990.
"Breast Implants: Science and Litigation" 27:11 Trial 26, 1990.
"Response to Dr. Kushner's 'Call to Arms,'" 44:3 Surgical Neurology 205, 1995.
Memberships:
Commercial Panel, American Arbitration Association
Detroit and American Bar Associations
State Bar of Michigan (Member, Medical-Legal Committee, 1976--; Co-Chairperson, 1978; Chairperson, 1979)
National Health Lawyers Association
American Society of Hospital Lawyers Association
The American Society of Law and Medicine (Member, Executive Council, 1980) The Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Michigan Trial Lawyers Association
Practice Areas:
Medical Malpractice, with special concentration in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Drugs Products Litigation
Legal Malpractice
Mass Tort
Multiple/Complex Litigation
J. Douglas Peters's official biography appears in Who's Who in the Midwest. He enjoys basketball, tennis and swimming and is married to a special education teacher.