Colleen Durkin Peterson

Colleen Durkin Peterson represents victims injured through negligent health care and nursing homes whose actions result in devastating—and sometimes grave—losses. Most of her clients face a lifetime of permanent injury, pain, suffering, and expense. Their worlds, and their family’s lives, have been turned upside down through no fault of their own. Many have to relearn basic activities of daily living or need full-time assistance.

While Colleen can’t turn back the clock on injury, she works diligently and methodically to achieve justice for her clients, whether the injury is paralysis caused by a failure before, during, or after surgery; severe or permanent damage from a birthing error or untimely C-section; a life-altering disability from a mishandled stroke case; or the result of a failure to timely diagnose and treat an evolving condition.

The beginnings of Colleen’s path to patient advocacy can be traced back to her father and uncle’s law practice. As a child, she saw firsthand the difference that expert, compassionate legal counsel can make for people in cases of severe or grave injuries. She recalls her father’s early guidance, which informs her practice today:

“Get to know your client. Go and spend time with them in their home. Understand their family. Understand their friends so that you can fully appreciate the damage they have experienced. This is not a job that you do solely from behind a desk. Get out there and learn, truly, what these people have lost.”

Colleen’s commitment to practicing in medical malpractice is a testament to her empathy for the injured. She embodies the PCVA philosophy of fighting for justice, improving lives, and bettering communities. An aggressive advocate, she applies her skills, experience, and know-how to navigate complex legal and medical issues on behalf of her clients.

Colleen approaches each case with a determination to learn complex medicine, work closely with medical experts, and push the defense to realize the value of the patient’s claim. In mediation, Colleen is a proven skilled negotiator. She has successfully negotiated dozens of complex medical malpractice and nursing home lawsuits to pre-trial resolutions that met or exceeded her clients’ expectations. Colleen values communication and gives her clients as much information as possible throughout the litigation so they can make informed decisions.