Rodney K Norton

About

I am an experienced medical malpractice trial attorney, and have tried more than 125 jury trials in state and federal courts. My practice focuses on medical malpractice defense, health law, and employment defense, and I have tried numerous “wrongful” death and catastrophic injury cases, as well as large numbers of severe injury cases ranging from complex surgical complications to brain injuries to alleged delayed diagnosis of cancer. My clients include medical, dental, and nursing professionals and organizations in arbitrations, mediations, and numerous regulatory matters. Since joining Hart Wagner in 2002, I have developed an active trial practice in which I represent Oregon Health & Science University in medical and dental malpractice lawsuits, as well as a host of other hospitals, clinics, physicians and dentists in Oregon, including, as examples, physicians insured by CNA and The Doctors’ Company, clinics such as The Oregon Clinic and The Portland Clinic, and hospitals such as Adventist Health, Tuality Hospital, and Kaiser Foundation. I also represent Rite Aid pharmacies in pharmacy litigation and have developed a practice defending food-borne illness cases. I have been retained by the State of Oregon Department of Justice to represent various medical professionals in complex civil rights cases involving medical issues. In 1980, I became Trial Counsel for Oregon Health & Science University, where I was OHSU’s trial attorney through 2002, with exclusive responsibility for trial defense of all medical, nursing, and dental malpractice claims and lawsuits against the University and its faculty and students during those two decades. In 1977, I became Assistant Attorney General in the Trial Division of the Oregon Department of Justice, where I gained early litigation experience defending the State of Oregon in a wide variety of trials involving personal injury, civil rights, and complex litigation. The range of trial issues included claims against the State involving alleged use of excess force or false arrest by State Troopers, alleged failure to prevent child abuse of children who were wards of the State, car crashes involving cars driven by public employees, car crashes because of missing stop signs or icy roads or highway construction/design, and injuries and deaths from accidents at State parks. When not practicing law, I spend as much time as possible in and around water. I have rafted most of the rivers in the Pacific Northwest and led private groups down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon on three different multi-week trips. I have recently developed a passion for standup paddling on local lakes and rivers and also love to sail. As much as time permits, I can be found on my Sabre 426 sailboat in the Puget Sound, leeward rail buried, sails trimmed and full, grinning from ear to ear.

Credentials

Recognition & Involvement

Other Employment Labor Attorneys in Portland