Pamela Pantages
Top rated Medical Malpractice attorney in Cleveland, Ohio
Nurenberg Paris Heller & McCarthy Co., L.P.A.
Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice
Licensed in Ohio since: 1990
Education: The University of Akron School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2009 - 2011, 2013 - 2024 
Free Consultation Nurenberg Paris Heller & McCarthy Co., L.P.A.
600 Superior Avenue EastSuite 1200
Cleveland, OH 44114 Phone: 216-621-2300 Email: Pamela Pantages Visit website
Details
Pamela Pantages has more than 31 years of experience as a trial attorney. Having earned a master’s degree in speech pathology/audiology, she successfully pursued a medical career before going to law school. Her current law practice includes all areas of medical negligence, but with particular expertise in obstetric and pediatric malpractice.
Board Certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Pamela is also an invited member of the distinguished Melvin M. Belli Society, the International Society of Barristers (ISOB), and the International Association of Trial Lawyers (IATL). Pamela has been recognized by her peers as an Ohio Super Lawyer from 2009-2011 and 2013-Present. She is rated AV® Preeminent™, Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating, and Avvo rated 10/10 (Superb). Pamela is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which recognizes lawyers with settlements and verdicts whose individual amounts exceed $1,000,000.00.
A sought-after speaker on birth injury litigation for the American Association for Justice at the national level and for the Ohio Association for Justice, the Montana Trial Lawyers Association, the North Dakota Association for Justice, and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, among other organizations, Pamela has also published on the topic, including chapters in Legal Concepts & Best Practices in Obstetrics, Warsof SL, ed., Wolter Kluwer, Philadelphia 2019, and article co-authored with Leslie Iffy, M.D. titled Erb’s Palsy After Delivery by Cesarean Section in Medicine and Law, 2005 Dec; 24(4):655-61.
Throughout her career, she has advocated for children and their families in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, Virginia, Delaware, Alabama, Montana, Tennessee and Georgia.
First Admitted: 1990, Ohio
Professional Webpage: http://www.nphm.com/about-us/attorneys/pamela-pantages/
- Best Lawyers®, https://www.bestlawyers.com/lawyers/pamela-e-pantages/189356
- AV® Preeminent™, Martindale-Hubbell®, https://www.martindale.com/attorney/pamela-pantages-esq-169140574/, 2024
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum, https://www.milliondollaradvocates.com/
- B.S., Kent State University, 1977
- M.A., Kent State University, 1978
- Ohio State Bar Association, 1990
- Melvin M. Belli Society, 1990
- International Society of Barristers, 1990
- Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, 1990
- Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1990
- American Association for Justice , 1990
- Pamela has been board-certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy since 2011., 2011
- Plaintiff, a young, first-time mother with an uncomplicated prenatal course, underwent augmentation of labor at term. On admission, fetal heart monitoring was reactive and reassuring, and examination was consistent with active labor. Membranes were artificially ruptured withmeconium-stained fluid. Pitocin was started but turned off 1½ hours later due to fetal intolerance of labor. Defendant OB #1 arrived at the hospital 1 hour later and ordered Pitocin restarted. Eight hours after admission, there was still no cervical change. Over the next 12 hours, the fetal heart pattern deteriorated into repetitive variables, prolonged decelerations, late decelerations, absent accelerations and minimalvariability, while the providers continued to increase Pitocin. A night/day OB staff shift change occurred, and Defendant OB #2 assumed Plaintiff's care. Shortly thereafter, Plaintiff was instructed to push while the electronic fetal monitoring showed persistent fetal intolerance to labor. Defendant OB #2 arrived at the bedside 1½ hours later in time for crowning, and encountered a 20 to 30 minute delay to delivery. The baby was born with low Apgars, and required resuscitation and an extended NICU stay. Case settled for $4,000,000.00., 2020
- Plaintiff, a first time mother with an uneventful fullterm pregnancy, arrived at the hospital in the early morning hours after spontaneously rupturing her bag of waters. Under "continuity of care" training, a third-year family practice resident who followed Plaintiff's prenatal care arrived at the bedside a few hours later to manage her labor and delivery, under the supervision of a family practice attending and a"back-up" obstetrician. Initial hospital exam revealed Plaintiff was not yet in active labor. Fetal monitoring was reactive and reassuring. Pitocin was started around noon. Three hours later, Plaintiff was in active labor. Over the next few hours, Pitocin continued to run but with minimal cervical change. Early in the evening, the family practice resident notified the back-up OB about the lack of progress, but with no changein the plan of care. Later that evening, Plaintiff developed a fever and tachycardia. The family practice resident, family practice attending, and back-up OB were at the bedside, noting slow progress despite continuous Pitocin, and possible transverse position. They did not change their plan of care, despite electronic evidence of Pitocin-mediated uterine hyperstimulation. Rather, the providers allowed Plaintiff to labor for the next three hours with persistent uterine tachysystole, elevated uterine resting tone and absent uterine relaxation between contractions. Baby was ultimately delivered following a shoulder dystocia, with low Apgars, acidosis, scalp lacerations, and scalp and facial swelling. Seizures began at 12 hours of life and subsequent brain imaging showed significant injury, which required neonatal intensive care. Case settled for $3,500,000.00., 2019
- Matthew was born on 2/9/07. Defendant Andre Harris, M.D. finished his OB residency in 6/06 and opened his solo practice in 7/06. Maurita Henry, Matthew’s mother, was one of Dr. Harris’s first OB patients in private practice. Ms. Henry went in to labor on 2/8/07. EFM became nonreassuring so Dr. Harris applied a vacuum over 23 minutes, 10 pulls and 5 pop-offs. All experts and Dr. Harris agreed the standard of care required a cesarean after 3 pop-offs. Dr. Harris did not abandon the vacuum after 3 pop-offs but instead continued to pull with the vacuum and delivered Matthew’s head. He immediately noted a shoulder dystocia which he managed with McRobert’s maneuver, suprapubic pressure, and traction. Total shoulder dystocia time was 2 minutes. Matthew had Apgar scores of 1, 3, and 6. A skull x-ray was remarkable for significant head swelling, blood under his scalp, and shifting of his skull bones. He also had a flail right arm and subsequently was diagnosed with a complete brachial plexus injury with a “probable” avulsion of C5 and “possible” avulsion of C6. All of the experts and Dr. Harris agreed that an avulsion, if one existed, could only be explained by excessivedownward traction. Matthew has had reconstructive surgery and extensive therapy but still has a severe disability and obvious physicaldisfigurement. The jury deliberated for 4 hours. There was no offer of settlement. Case verdict for $2,750,000.00., 2018
- Shoulder dystocia following difficult forceps application resulted in significant brachial plexus injury. Six months before trial, defendant filed a notice of immunity based upon a clinical academic appointment. In lieu of litigating the personal immunity issue, the parties reached a resolution. Case settled for $600,000.00., 2018
- After 2 hours of fetal monitoring that progressed from Category 1 to Category 3, a resident attempted an expedited vacuum extraction followed by a severe shoulder dystocia. Case settled for $1,900,000.00., 2018
Office location for Pamela Pantages
600 Superior Avenue East
Suite 1200
Cleveland, OH 44114
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2009 - 2011, 2013 - 2024
