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Parker Poe

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John H. Beyer

Partner
Board of Directors of the Firm
johnbeyer@parkerpoe.com
Charlotte | 704.335.9528
Fax | 704.334.4706
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John Beyer concentrates his practice on professional negligence and product liability defense. He regularly represents hospitals, physicians, nurses, other medical professionals, medical device manufacturers, and their insurers.

His experience includes professional malpractice defense and risk management issues for hospitals, physicians, and other learned professionals, as well as personal injury, wrongful death, and property damage claims. He has deep experience representing clients before various licensing boards. John also advises on workplace accidents, premises liability claims, nursing home negligence claims, sexual abuse claims, and insurance coverage disputes.

He has served on the board of directors of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys. He is a member of the Defense Research Institute. He is currently serving his first term on the firm's board of directors and is a former leader of the firm's Professional Negligence & Product Liability Defense Group.

Representative Experience

  • Ludemann v. Obstetrician  – This wrongful death action involved a full term delivery of a severely depressed newborn with a tight, triple nuchal cord. The baby died in the hospital on the third day of life. Plaintiffs alleged the defendant obstetrician failed to provide appropriate prenatal care so as to identify growth restriction and the nuchal cord prior to delivery. The jury returned a verdict of no negligence after three weeks of trial.
  • Huffman v. Hospital and Nursing Staff - The decedent in this wrongful death action presented to the emergency department complaining of difficulty breathing and disorientation. After admission to post-ICU, the patient received medication rendering him incontinent of bowel. A nurse requested assistance to clean the patient. During the cleaning, the patient stopped breathing. The patient did not respond to resuscitation efforts and was pronounced dead 20 minutes later. At trial, the estate alleged that the nursing staff acted negligently by laying the decedent flat in order to clean him and by failing to notify a physician of the patient’s respiratory difficulties. After almost three weeks of trial, the jury returned a verdict of no negligence in favor of the hospital and the nursing staff.
  • Watson v. Pediatricians - The minor plaintiff was born via spontaneous vaginal delivery. Initially, the baby was clinically stable but thereafter showed signs of infection and was admitted to the NICU. Blood and CSF cultures came back positive for Group B Strep. Diagnostic studies revealed hypoxic-ischemic brain injury resulting in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy at 6 months of age. Plaintiffs alleged that the baby’s clinical condition should have alerted her treating physicians to the possibility of infection and should have prompted a more timely order for antibiotics so as to avoid Group B Strep sepsis, meningitis and encephalopathy. The case resulted in a defense verdict after three weeks of trial. The lowest settlement demand had been $3.5 million.
  • Molina v. Obstetrician - Plaintiffs alleged that the defendant obstetrician and/or the labor and delivery nurses failed to recognize the likelihood of fetal macrosomia and resulting shoulder dystocia, failed to offer the plaintiff a caesarean section rather than a trial of labor, and caused a permanent brachial plexus injury by not managing the shoulder dystocia appropriately. A three-week trial resulted in a defense verdict for the defendant obstetrician.
  • Thompson v. Family Physician -  Plaintiffs alleged that a family medicine physician failed to recognize signs of fetal compromise during labor resulting in a delay in delivery by cesarean section and permanent neurological injury to the newborn.  Plaintiffs claimed millions of dollars in damages for the minor child’s future medical care costs.  After four weeks of trial, the jury returned a verdict of no negligence in favor of our client.
  • Bumgardner v. Obstetrician and Certified Nurse Midwife – Parker Poe represented an obstetrician and a certified nurse midwife in this medical malpractice action alleging negligence and permanent nerve injury arising out of a vaginal delivery complicated by shoulder dystocia. After three week trials in both cases, the jury returned a verdict in favor of our client.
  • Nutt v. Hospital and Nurse Anesthetist -  The plaintiff in this case was a board-certified neurologist who claimed permanent hypoxic brain injury as a result of negligent anesthesia care during a routine outpatient surgical procedure.  As a result, the Plaintiff claimed to be totally disabled and sought damages in excess of $5 million. After five weeks of trial, the jury returned a verdict in favor of all defendants.

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Honors & Awards

  • The Best Lawyers in America in Medical Malpractice Law: Defendants, 2013-2024; Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants, Health Care Litigation, 2016-2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America "Lawyer of the Year" in Charlotte for Health Care Litigation, 2019, 2022; Medical Malpractice Law: Defendants, 2020; Personal Injury Litigation: Defendants, 2018
  • Martindale-Hubbell BV® Distinguished™ in Professional Negligence Defense; Products Liability; Tort Defense; Litigation; Insurance Coverage; White Collar Criminal Defense
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2009-2010

Memberships

  • BarCARES of North Carolina, Inc., Board Member, 2006-2009
  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, Chair, Medical Malpractice Practice Group, 2010-2011. Vice Chair, Medical Malpractice Practice Group, 2009-2010
  • Defense Research Institute, Member
  • Loaves and Fishes, Board Member, 2004-2007
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