Jamie Wilhite Dittert: Developing Better Legal Solutions for Insurance Defense

Brownie is Jamie’s helpful assistant when she needs to work from home!

When you see Jamie Wilhite Dittert’s calm and methodical approach to legal issues, it’s not surprising to find out that she has a scientific background. But as opposing counsel quickly finds out, her depth of knowledge and courtroom skills make her a formidable representative for her clients’ best interests.

A litigator with a wide range of experience in defending personal injury claims, and chair of Sturgill Turner’s Torts & Insurance practice group, Jamie has tried cases across the Commonwealth, and successfully obtained summary judgment or dismissal in favor of her clients on a variety of issues. She also works in health care law, focusing on long-term care litigation and medical malpractice defense, and has obtained multiple unanimous defense verdicts in complex insurance and medical matters.

“Being involved in a lawsuit can be very intimidating and stressful, but I let my clients know it is my job to stress about this, so they don’t have to.” — Jamie Wilhite Dittert

In pursuing an undergraduate chemistry degree, Jamie put her problem-solving skills to work, and she brings that same dedication to detail to the law. After working in several chemistry labs as a summer researcher during college, Jamie realized she wanted to pursue a career where she could work more closely with a team and witness up close how her work was helping people. In law, she found that she could combine creative arguments with comprehensive data to successfully represent her clients.  

Her scientific writing skills also help her as an attorney. “Scientific writing is a lot like legal writing. Every sentence has a specific function. Ultimately, it’s important to be as clear as I can be, breaking each case into steps, developing points to make, and writing a clear conclusion based on the facts.”

It helps that Jamie is a meticulous researcher who is “fascinated by nerdy stuff,” but is also a competitive person who likes to win. That combination leads her to prepare extensively, build very detailed knowledge of her cases, including possible arguments from the opposition, tell her clients exactly what she thinks, and fight hard for what will be successful. It’s also critical in the diverse world of insurance coverage matters, where a misplaced comma can change the entire analysis.

“What I like about chemistry, and it also applies to law, is that you’re defining a problem, and there are a set of rules to apply, but you also have some gray areas and you have to work through both to figure out the best way to solve the problem. I found that I can apply those skills to representing my clients. Being involved in a lawsuit can be very intimidating and stressful, but I let them know it is my job to stress about this, so they don’t have to. I can have conversations with them to clarify the process, break it into tasks, and help them see I’ll be there to help them as the case unfolds.”

Questions about defending yourself or your business in case of a lawsuit, or about healthcare law? Jamie has been named to 2021’s U.S. News Best Lawyers in America®: Insurance Litigation, and has extensive experience in this area. Contact her at 859.255.8581, or jdittert@sturgillturner.com.