John Shepperd (Partner-Houston, TX) was quoted extensively in “OR Fire Lawsuit Shows Risk of Major Liability,” which appeared in the March 1, 2025, posting of Healthcare Risk Management. John cited important questions surrounding the case in which a patient’s face caught fire during surgery when a surgical tool ignited his skin. He discussed his years of experience defending these claims and recounted a burn case about 30 years ago where the surgeon claimed a device was firing without the surgeon engaging it. “We couldn’t replicate it,” said John. “In the Oregon case, if the [device] had that kind of history, then it wouldn’t be in service.” The question also arises as to whether the surgeon or the hospital provided the device.