A partner of the firm, Mr. Kruttschnitt represents physicians and other healthcare providers in malpractice, disciplinary, and licensing disputes, and has tried over 150 cases on behalf of physicians, nurses, hospitals, and long-term-care facilities in almost every New Jersey vicinage.
Prior to joining Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, Mr. Kruttschnitt served as senior litigation counsel to the CNA Insurance Company, where he litigated medical-malpractice and nursing-home matters as well as license disputes on behalf of healthcare providers. During his tenure there, Mr. Kruttschnitt received the prestigious CNA Chairman’s Award in recognition of his service as national lead counsel and chair of CNA’s aging-services practice group. In that role, he handled several matters in other jurisdictions as pro hac vice counsel.
During his last four decades of practice, Mr. Kruttschnitt has been a frequent lecturer both in New Jersey and nationally on various topics related to medical malpractice, professional liability, nursing-home litigation and trial advocacy. Most recently, he lectured at the Institute for Continuing Legal Education on the use of courtroom technology in the trial of a medical-malpractice case.
Mr. Kruttschnitt sits on the board of directors of the New Jersey Defense Association, where he co-chairs its professional-liability committee. For the past several years, he has been the New Jersey Defense delegate to the New Jersey Supreme Court Civil Practice Committee. He has also published several peer-reviewed articles in the New Jersey Defense Journal, in which he explored various issues related to medical malpractice.
Mr. Kruttschnitt is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Colorado, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.
Significant appeals include: Jacober v. St. Peter’s Med. Cntr., 128 NJ 475 (1992); Velazquez v. Portadin, 163 NJ 677 (2000); Lamb v. Barbour, 188 NJ Super 6 (App. Div. 1982); Jugan v. Pollen, 253 NJ Super 123 (App. Div. 1992); Nerney v. Cohen, 229 NJ Super 37 (App. Div. 1998).
Education
- J.D., 1979 summa cum laude
Seton Hall University - B.S., 1976 magna cum laude
Monmouth University
Mr. Kruttschnitt is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Colorado, U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.
