Michael Lazarus is a partner based in the firm’s Florham Park office.  Michael has more than twenty-five years of experience in complex product liability and medical malpractice litigation involving Life Science related claims.  His practice has focused on the defense of claims involving a variety of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, including tetracycline, oxycodone, intraocular lens implant, ambulance/rescue squad and defibrillator claims.  All experience is “first chair” in nature with over one hundred jury trial verdicts.  He has also appeared before the New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division on numerous occasions.  As a result of the wide variety of claims handled in product liability asbestos and malpractice, Michael has a thorough knowledge of medical science as well as fluency in all aspects of the relationship of the medical science to existing and evolving case law.

In the Life Sciences area, Michael has:

• Represented physicians in numerous intraocular lens implantation cases wherein the physicians received dismissal in all claims which ultimately resulted in settlements by the implant manufacturing company.
• Represented a hospital-retained Ph.D technician program director in connection with a failed defibrillator claim wherein a plaintiff collapsed while undergoing a stress test and died as a result of a manufacturing defect. The matter was dismissed on behalf of the Ph.D. director.
• Represented physicians in numerous intraocular lens implant cases wherein the physicians were dismissed and the lens manufacturer resolved the plaintiff’s claims.
• Represented physicians in a number of oxycodone alleged addiction claims involving use of the PDR and manufacturer patient package insert as evidentiary issues.  This experience is directly relevant to the impending and ongoing propoxyphene litigation.
• Represented physicians in long QT syndrome sudden cardiac death cases involving HERG type II genetic defects.  This experience is directly relevant to the impending and ongoing propoxyphene litigation.

A more detailed description of the breadth of Michael’s experience can be found in his general biography on the MK web site.