Professional Profile
Debbie has been integrally involved in a number of highly complex product liability and personal injury cases since joining Wexler Wallace, LLP. Debbie has over twenty-five years in extensive clinical experience which has been of tremendous benefit to helping the attorneys acquire a complete understanding of the medical aspects of these many complex cases.

At Magee Women’s Hospital of UPMC, she became certified in chemotherapy administration and worked in the medical surgical oncology unit and the Breast Cancer Program. In addition, Debbie has worked in Home Health and at Trinity Medical Center West in Ohio and the Weirton Medical Center in West Virginia in their outpatient centers. Certified in Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support, she provided care for patients and assisted physicians in endoscopy and minor surgical procedures, conscious sedation, ophthalmic laser and orthopedic procedures, outpatient chemotherapy and utilization review.

Her diverse and extensive clinical experience lends itself strongly to the challenge of analyzing the merits of defective medical device or product mass tort claims. Debbie is responsible for the intake of client information, medical records analysis, and assisting to develop individual medical causation issues in drug and medical device litigations, as well as medical malpractice and personal injury cases. These product liability cases have included pharmaceutical litigation involving Vioxx, Ketek, Tequin, Bausch & Lomb ReNu MoisturLoc Solution, asthma medications, Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella oral contraceptives, and SSRI antidepressants as well as those product liability cases consisting of injuries caused by unreasonably dangerous and defective products.  Medical devices have included Guidant and Medtronic Heart Devices, Sprint Fidelis leads, Kugel hernia mesh and vaginal sling products used in the surgical procedure treatment of women who suffer from stress urinary incontinence and hip implants.

Memberships

• West Virginia Bar Association – Founding Member, Legal Nurse Consultation Division

Publications, Presentations & Teaching

• Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch Case Screening and Selection, Review of the Appropriate Medical Records, Med-Expertise, LLC Audio Conference (May 2007)
• The Role of The LNC In Preparing the Pharmaceutical Case for Trial , American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants 2006 National Educational Conference Atlanta, GA (March 2006)
• Vioxx Causation and Case Selection, Pittsburgh Chapter of the AALNC monthly meeting (August 2005)
• Vioxx Causation and Case Selection, West Virginia Bar Association Spring Conference, Charleston, WV (May 2005)
• Debra Pritts, RN, LNCC, Vioxx…More to the Story, 17 J. LEGAL NURSE CONSULTING No. 2 (Spring 2006)

Academic Background

• A.A.S., West Virginia Northern Community College, Nursing

Legal and Professional Accolades

• Active RN License, Ohio and Pennsylvania
• Member, American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants
• President and Member, American Association of Legal Nurse Consultants, West Virginia Upper Ohio Valley Chapter
• Founding Member, West Virginia Bar Association Legal Nurse Consultants Division