Attorney
Nurse-Practitioner
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Phone: 412-261-2620
Email: Email Me
Veronica Richards is both an Attorney and a Nurse-Practitioner. She understands both the medical and legal aspects of your medical malpractice or birth injury case and knows which medical professionals to ask the correct questions. Suing a doctor is not something she rushes into, she takes it very seriously.
In addition to the ability to review medical documents and understand the jargon used by health care professionals, Veronica Richards regularly consults with recognized physicians and specialists, as well as nurses for input in evaluating your treatment, your future recovery and your need for future medical services.
Because of her strong beliefs in holding physicians and medical professionals accountable to the patients they treat, and mistreat, she is very selective about the cases she agrees to take. Her clients generally come to her with the most severe types of injuries and some suffer long-term disability as a result of medical negligence. Over the course of a year, Attorney Richards may review 250-300 cases; but in order to give her clients the attention they deserve, she takes only a small percentage.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Medical Malpractice
Wrongful Death
Birth Injury
Personal Injury
LITIGATION PERCENTAGE
100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
BAR ADMISSIONS
Pennsylvania, 1989
EDUCATION
Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
J.D. – 1989
Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
M.S.H.A. summa cum laude – May, 1983
Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia
M.S.N. summa cum laude – May, 1983
Major: Geriatric Nurse Practitioner
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
B.S.N. – May, 1978
Major: Nursing
PUBLISHED WORKS
Full Circle, Advocate, 2007
Damage Caps Not Answer to Crisis, Pittsburgh Business Times, 2003
Standing Up for Patients, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 2003
REPRESENTATIVE CASES
Pfeifer Vs. UPMC McKeesport et. al. (2009)
Kilburn Vs. Moka, Tatum and Beaver Medical Center
CLASSES/SEMINARS
Proving Damages in Personal Injury and Death Cases, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, April 5, 1995
Homeowners’ Coverage, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, October 1, 1999
Valuing the Larger Case, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, April 25, 2000
Moderator: Medical Malpractice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, December 19, 2001
Nursing Law Update, Business Institute, 2001
The Nuts and Bolts of the Medical Malpractice Case, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, April 10, 2001
Medical Malpractice Litigation: How to Succeed in Changing Times, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, December 7, 2001
Federal Liens, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, March 19, 2002, 2004 – 2006
Subrogation and Liens, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2000-2002, 2000 – 2002
Medical Malpractice: How to Win in Today’s Environment, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, November 3, 2002, 2001
Tough Problems in Medical Malpractice, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, October 5, 2003
Medical Malpractice Expert Testimony: The Keys to Victory, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, October 23, 2003
Medical Malpractice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, October 29, 2003
Selecting and Investigating the Personal Injury Case, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2004
Preparing and Trying the Medical Malpractice Case, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2004
Medical Malpractice, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2005
The Life Care Expert, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, November 16, 2005
Nuts and Bolts of the Medical Malpractice Case, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2004-2006
Advanced Issues in Medical Malpractice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2008
Using Technology in Medical Malpractice Trials, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, June 12, 2008
Damages Under 509 MCARE, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, April 30, 2009
Selecting Medical Malpractice Cases, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2009
Pennsylvania Master’s Series- Medical Malpractice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, June 27, 2009
Expert Witness, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, October 19, 2010
Trial Skills, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, August 2, 2011
Annual Update, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, June 23, 2011
Radiology and Pathology Cases, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, November 1, 2012
Trial Skills, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, April 11, 2012
Medical Malpractice Issues, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, June 29, 2013
The UPMC-Highmark Conflict Reflections of a Citizen/Physician, Pennsylvania Association of Justice, November 21, 2013
Emergency Room Cases, Chest Pain in the ER, Urgent Care Cases, Neurological Cases in the ER, Pennsylvania Associations for Justice, June 5, 2014
Surgical Errors, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, March 4, 2015
Urgent Care, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, November 10, 2015
4th Annual ACBA/WLD Women’s Legal Summit, The Art of Your Career and Strengthening Your Voice, Allegheny County Bar Association, Women in the Law, 2016
HONORS AND AWARDS
Top 50 Lawyers in Pittsburgh, Super Lawyers Magazine 2010, 2011, 2012. 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Top 100 Lawyers in Pennsylvania, Super Lawyers Magazine 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Top 50 Women Lawyers in Pennsylvania, Super Lawyers Magazine 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, Medical Malpractice, 2004 – Present
Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2010 – Present
Million Dollar Advocates Forum, 2010 – Present
AVVO Rating of 10.0 Superb
AV Preeminent Peer Rated by Martindale Hubbell
Top 100 Lawyers in Pennsylvania, The National Trial Lawyers Association
Milton D. Rosenberg Award, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, 2013
AVVO Clients’ Choice Award, Medical Malpractice, 2015 – Present
Lead Counsel Rated, Medical Malpractice, 2013 – Present
2019 Allegheny County Bar Association Professionalism Award
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, Fellow
Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Officer, 2008 – 2012
Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Member, Executive Committee, July 1, 2003 – Present
Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Member, Board of Governors, July 1, 1998 – Present
Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Chair, Medical Malpractice Section
Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, Officer, Board of Governors, July 1, 2002 – Present
Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, President, 2006 – 2007
American Association for Justice, Member
Allegheny County Bar Association, Member
Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, Board Member
PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS
Allegheny General Hospital, Manager of Neurosurgery, 1983 – 1986
Allegheny General Hospital, Disability Determination, 1986 – 1989
Grigsby Gaca Davies and McFarland, Associate, 1989 – 1991
Babst Calland Clements and Zominir, Associate, 1991 – 1994
LANGUAGES
American Sign Language
