Kara M. Burke is a principal with Brown & James, P.C., practicing at the firm’s Belleville office. Kara’s practice focuses on defending physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists and various healthcare providers in medical negligence actions in Illinois and Missouri. She has also defended a variety of claims involving premise liability, employment and asbestos exposure.
Recent Verdicts
- Obtained a defense verdict for a radiologist in a medical malpractice case in Madison County, Illinois. The plaintiff brought claims for wrongful death and survival alleging that a radiologist misread a screening mammogram. The decedent ultimately died of breast cancer and it was alleged she would have been cured with an earlier diagnosis. The trial lasted seven days. The jury was asked to award damages of up to approximately $20 million. The jury returned a defense verdict in favor of our client. (2025)
- Obtained a dismissal for a physician in a medical malpractice case in Illinois, which was affirmed by the Appellate Court. The plaintiff alleged defendant negligently prescribed fentanyl which resulted in an overdose and death. (2023)
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of a physician and his employer in Illinois. The plaintiff alleged the defendant negligently administered an anticoagulant, which resulted in a bleeding complication, subsequent surgery and ongoing complaints. (2023)
- Obtained a defense verdict in a defamation/interference with a prospective economic advantage claim in St. Clair County, Illinois. The plaintiff alleged the defendant made a defamatory statement about a prior employee (plaintiff) during a reference check by a subsequent employer (co-defendant). The plaintiff alleged wrongful termination by the co-defendant, subsequent employer. The trial lasted four days. Plaintiff sought $800,000 in compensatory damages. The jury returned a verdict in favor of our client defendant and against the co-defendant (subsequent employer). (2019)
Prior Legal Experience
Law Clerk, Brown & James, 2011-2014
Academic Honors and Activities
Dean’s Scholar School of Law Scholarship
Academic Excellence Award, Pre-Trial Litigation