Susan Connors

Susan is a partner at Nagel Rice and Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney. She concentrates her practice in the area of medical malpractice and personal injury, representing clients who suffered injury and harm due to professional negligence. Negligent medical treatment in a professional setting includes many different areas of specialty including emergency department failures, surgical errors, delayed diagnosis of cancer, vascular blockage leading to amputation, improper monitoring of anesthesia during operative procedures, failure to diagnose cardiac abnormalities such as myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism, birth injuries, failure to properly interpret radiologic imaging scans, orthopedic injuries, and failure to properly inform a patient (informed consent), among other claims across a broad spectrum of specialty areas. Representative cases involve mistreatment of pressure ulcers, ob/gyn and neonatal care resulting in shoulder dystocia/brachial plexus injuries, ophthalmologic negligence (glaucoma and Lasik), misdiagnosis of choroidal melanoma, cellulitis (infection), and operative errors including laser ablation and nerve injury, DVT/blood clots, dental malpractice, and wrongful birth. She has also successfully represented clients in cases involving sub-standard nursing home/institutional care.

Susan’s cases over the past 10 years have resulted in over $100 million in completed settlements and verdicts. Some of her representative results have included a $7.2 combined settlement and trial in Essex County (separate settlements of $5.1 and $2.1 million) involving the failure to diagnose and timely treat a brain hemorrhage in a hospital emergency department, $10 million in a radiology case related to the failure to detect an aneurysm on CT that ruptured two years later leading to brain injury, $25 million settlement in a case involving a neurosurgeon’s failure to treat an expanding neck hematoma after elective neck surgery, resulting in bilateral blindness, $850,000 settlement after one week of trial involving the failure to inform a patient of the signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism, $1.25 million settlement in delayed diagnosis of bladder cancer, $2.65 combined settlement involving the failure to properly treat complaints of chest pain in an emergency department resulting in cardiac arrest and death, a $550,000 jury award involving an error by an orthopedic surgeon that led to development of a blood clot, among many others. She has successfully tried and settled cases relating to a broad spectrum of medical procedures and treatments involving catastrophic injuries, requiring reliance upon multi-discipline specialists and top-tier expert testimony.

See other representative cases listed in the ‘Notable Representations’ tab.

Susan is admitted to practice in New Jersey as well as before the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. She is a member of the Medical Malpractice Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association, a Trustee of the Trial Attorneys of New Jersey, and has served as a lecturer on recent developments in medical malpractice at the New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s Annual Tort Law Conference. She has been named to the Super Lawyers List from 2020-2025 and Top 50 Women Attorneys in New Jersey (2026).

Susan previously served as director/writer for the Moot Court Advocacy Program at Seton Hall University School of Law and judicial intern to Honorable Alfred J. Lechner, Jr., U.S. District Court. She was Law Clerk for the Honorable Frederick C. Kentz, Jr. in the Superior Court, Chancery, Equity Division. Susan received her undergraduate degree from Seton Hall University, cum laude distinction, and currently serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. While an undergrad, she was a member of the political science honor society and served in the University’s Senate, while also competing on the Division I volleyball and Division III fencing teams.

• $550,000 verdict in medical malpractice case for failure to order a study for blood clots, requiring surgical repair due to delay
• $1,333,000 verdict in dental malpractice against periodontist for excessive drilling resulting in jaw and nerve damage*
• $1,200,000 verdict involving an unnecessary biopsy leading to injury to the saphenous nerve of the leg
• $24,000,000 verdict against settled urologist in malpractice case involving improper treatment of infection, leading  to limb loss
• $850,000 settlement after one week of trial involving the failure to inform patient of the signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism, resulting in death
• $4,250,000 verdict against two radiologists for failing to properly interpret MRI imaging, leading to missed diagnosis of parotid gland tumor, resulting in facial paralysis**
• $5,100,000 partial settlement against emergency department staff and hospital for failing to urgently order a head CT leading to brain bleed and irreversible neurologic injury
• $1,400,000 settlement on behalf of developmentally disabled individual in state run facility who suffered various injuries,  including aspiration pneumonia leading to death
• $1,075,000 settlement in wrongful birth case
• $1,250,000 settlement in delayed diagnosis of bladder cancer
• $920,000 partial settlement in case involving delayed diagnosis of blood clots, leading to lower leg amputation
• $1,000,000 settlement for delayed treatment of foot infection, requiring amputation
• $275,000 settlement in bed sore case
• $600,000 settlement in lack of informed consent case involving failure to advise on signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism after knee injury, resulting in death
• $975,000 settlement against neurologist who failed to order surveillance of orbital meningioma, leading to blindness
• $1,100,000 settlement in case involving a misdiagnosis of acute angle glaucoma, leading to vision loss
• $500,000 settlement relating to treatment of eye infection after glaucoma surgery
• $1,150,000 settlement for delayed diagnosis of metastatic leiomyosarcoma, resulting in progression to stage IV cancer
• $1,425,000 settlement involving patient’s death after elective prostate ablation procedure
• $900,000 settlement for delayed diagnosis of eye cancer, resulting in blindness
• $250,000 settlement involving  infection and delayed wound repair after Moh’s surgery

*liability and proximate cause issues reversed on appeal, damage award undisturbed; new trial pending

**award reduced after molding for pre-existing condition