Scott S. Nixon
Biography
Scott completed a Bachelor of Arts in business administration at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan in 1981 and moved west from his native Michigan to receive his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law in 1984. Joining PJCKN’s predecessor, Pryor, Carney & Johnson in 1983 as a law clerk, Scott has practiced with his current partners for his entire career and has tried cases or closely collaborated with virtually all of his partners since entering practice in 1984. He has been recognized by his peers as a Colorado Super Lawyer each of the past six years and been awarded the highest possible peer review rating of AV Preeminent from Martindale-Hubbell since 1994.
Scott maintains an active trial practice emphasizing defense of medical professionals and institutions, including physicians, oral surgeons, dentists, nurses, physician assistants, hospitals, managed care groups and HMO’s. He also represents public intuitions and employees in civil rights cases involving claims brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act. Scott has lectured groups of health care professionals and medical students on topics related to medical/legal liability and risk management practices. He is admitted to practice in all Colorado state and federal courts and has been designated Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Colorado on an ad hoc basis.
Scott’s cases that appear in the legal reporters include May Dept. Stores Co. v. University Hills, Inc., 789 P.2d 434 (Colo. App. 1989);Villalobos v. Heidelberger Druckmaschien A.G., 859 F.Supp. 1355 (D. Colo. 1994); Evans v. Colorado Permanente Medical Group, P.C., 902 P.2d 867 (Colo. App. 1995); Colorado Permanente Medical Group, P.C. v. Evans, 926 P.2d 1218 (Colo. 1996); Hartman v. Middleton, 974 P.2d 1007 (Colo. App. 1998); Rowell v. Clifford, 976 P.2d 363 (Colo. App. 1998); Hall v. Levine, 104 P.3d 222 (Colo. 2005); Holley v Huang, No. 10ca1187, __P.3d__ (Colo. App. 2011).
An amateur musician since high school, when not practicing law or spending time with his family, Scott enjoys performing contemporary and classic rock standards in solo, small group and full band combinations at venues throughout the state. Fortunately, he anticipates keeping his “day job” for the foreseeable future.
Verdicts
Court
Boulder County District Court
Client
Gastroenterologist
Issues
This case involved an allegation that the gastroenterologist negligently perforated the plaintiff’s common bile duct while performing ERCP. The defense admitted the perforation occurred but established for the jury that the injury was not evidence of negligent care.
Court
Denver District Court
Client
Emergency Medicine Physician
Issues
The plaintiff alleged that the physician failed to diagnose an ischemic stroke in the emergency department. Mr. Nixon was successful in persuading the jury not only that the physician was not negligent in failing to diagnose ischemic stroke at the time of the patient’s presentation, but also that administration of thrombolytic therapy would have been unlikely to have made a substantial difference in the patient’s outcome, and therefore any alleged delay in recognition and treatment did not cause harm.
