Erika Amarante is a Partner in the firm’s Litigation Department. She represents hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers in cases alleging professional negligence, lack of informed consent, or negligent credentialing. She has extensive experience in defending claims of wrongful death, birth trauma, delayed diagnosis of cancer, and brain injuries, as well as the catastrophic injuries that often arise in such claims. Erika also has served in a claims management position, setting reserves and valuing cases. She regularly counsels health care providers on issues of liability and risk-reduction strategies. Erika has tried cases to verdict, including, most recently, a February 28, 2020 defense verdict after a two-week jury trial in a case alleging battery, lack of informed consent, battery and negligent infliction of emotional distress against a gynecologic oncologist.   

Erika is active in the Defense Research Institute’s Medical Liability and Health Care Law Committee, and currently serves as that committee’s Chair for the 2023-2025 term. Prior to her role as Chair, Erika served as Vice Chair of that committee from 2021-2022. She also previously served as President of the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association (2020-21). Erika writes and speaks regularly on the defense of medical malpractice claims; most recently she was invited to speak at the Annual New England Regional Healthcare Risk Management Conference; Connecticut Society for Healthcare Risk Management Annual Meeting; the Center for Human Genetics’ 36th Annual Conference on Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatal Medicine, Neonatology, and the Law on the Big Island of Hawaii; and numerous DRI webinars. 

Erika is a former Co-Chair of the Women of Wiggin (WOW) and is actively involved in programming and mentoring directed toward the hiring, retention and inclusion of female professionals.  

Before joining Wiggin and Dana, Erika served as law clerk to Justice Richard N. Palmer and Justice Francis M. McDonald on the Connecticut Supreme Court and later served as Executive Assistant to Chief Justice Francis M. McDonald on the Connecticut Supreme Court.