As experienced Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Attorneys, we provide aggressive representation for victims of medical malpractice across Western and Central Pennsylvania.

The Institute of Medicine has reported that as many as 98,000 people die each year in American hospitals due to medical mistakes. In fact, medical malpractice injuries are the eighth ranking cause of death in America.  A medical malpractice claim is among the most complicated of legal actions.  A medical malpractice attorney must not only possess knowledge and experience in handling personal injury cases in court, he or she must also have a solid understanding of medical terminology, medical science, medical research and how health care is practiced.

We are committed to helping people who have legitimate and substantial claims of medical malpractice, including claims for:

• Medical Malpractice
• Personal Injury
• Medical Products Law
• Cerebral Palsy
• Misdiagnosis
• Lung Cancer
• Wrongful Death
• Defective Drugs or Products  
• Anesthetic Errors
• Wrong Treatment
• Birth Injuries
• Failure to Diagnosis
• Breast Cancer
• Medication Errors
• Nursing Home Abuse
• Surgical Errors
• Adverse Drug Reactions

Our Firm boasts over 100 years of collective civil litigation experience: Jerry Meyers, the Firm's founder, brings nearly 30 years of experience in medical malpractice litigation to the table. A former navy hospital corpsman and respiratory therapist, Jerry has devoted his entire career to representing people injured by medical negligence. After working in hospitals and seeing patients suffer needless injury, he felt an intense drive to make a difference in the medical field.

Chuck Kenrick has over 32 years of civil litigation experience. After years of representing doctors and hospitals in malpractice cases, Chuck has chosen to represent those injured by medical negligence. His experience brings a unique perspective to our Firm’s representation of the victims of medical negligence.

Paul Giuffre is a former prosecutor with extensive trial experience. Since leaving public service, Paul’s practice has focused on helping people injured by the negligence of others. He has tried many personal injury matters, including motor vehicle accidents and premise liability cases, and continues to represent victims of all acts of negligence with an emphasis on medical malpractice matters.

Chuck Evans has 37 years of broad-based civil trial experience and commitment to the rights of injured people. He is well known for representing victims of wrongful conduct in virtually every area of personal injury practice. Chuck has been named in the prestigious national publication “Best Lawyers in America" for the handling of personal injury cases since 1993.

Representation of individuals victimized by defective medical products, motor vehicle negligence and food-borne illnesses are just a few of our team’s other areas of interest. Our lawyers also have a wealth of experience litigating numerous birth injury, cerebral palsy, brain damage and wrongful death cases. Our attorneys consult and employ a wide array of medical specialists to supplement their knowledge and assist evaluating medical malpractice cases. We focus on cases in the following counties in Western and Central Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland.

If you or someone you know has been injured by medical malpractice, you benefit by hiring lawyers who have experience in medical malpractice cases. Trained eyes can recognize malpractice that others will miss.  As skilled Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Attorneys, we have spotted medical malpractice in cases that other attorneys have reviewed and turned away.

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Attorney, call Meyers Kenrick Giuffre and Evans, LLC today at 866-822-2441, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Medical Malpractice:
Medical malpractice is the failure of a health care provider to follow the accepted standards of practice of his or her profession in the community where the service is rendered. If a physician was careless, lacked proper skills, or disregarded standardized rules resulting in injury to a patient, a jury may find the health care provider liable for negligence. Hospitals can also be held liable for the negligence of their employees, including staff nurses and technicians.

Examples of Medical Malpractice include:

• Failing to diagnose a tumor while reading an x-ray
• Puncturing a nearby organ or tissue during surgery
• Failing to order necessary and appropriate medical tests
• Failing to diagnose a condition in time to treat it properly
• Failing to refer a case to a medical specialist
• Prescribing incorrect medication
• Brain Injury
• Birth Injury
• Cerebral Palsy
• Incorrect diagnosis that results in a failure to treat a medical condition
• Failing to properly administer anesthesia
• Emergency room negligence
• Dental Malpractice
• Cosmetic Surgery Malpractice

Cerebral Palsy:
Cerebral palsy is permanent brain injuries that affect an infant in the womb, during birth or in the months following birth and is one of the most common birth injuries in the United States. Cerebral palsy patients are subject to limited motor skills, speech difficulties and learning disabilities. When cerebral palsy occurs as the result of medical malpractice, the responsible party inflicting said injuries can be held legally responsible.

Misdiagnosis:
Sometimes medical professionals negligently misdiagnose a patient. Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment of a medical condition can have debilitating effects on a patient and in some cases misdiagnosis can be fatal. We rely on medical professionals to provide knowledgeable information and competent diagnoses. When patients suffer from negligent healthcare or the misdiagnosis of a serious medical condition they deserve answers.

Lung Cancer:
The key to successful treatment of lung cancer is early diagnosis and many medical mistakes can lead to a delay in diagnosis which may deprive patients of the chance for a cure. Failure to diagnose lung cancer or significant delay in diagnosing the disease can result in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Delays in diagnosis may cause a worsening of the illness and are often a result of:

• Failure to order chest x-ray, CT scan and MRI procedures
• Failure to adequately evaluate the results of the above
• Failure to recognize the symptoms that characterize lung cancer and diagnose it in time.

Wrongful Death:
A wrongful death occurs when a person is killed due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company or organization.  One of the most frequent causes of wrongful death is medical malpractice. A legal action for wrongful death belongs to the decedent's immediate family members, usually a surviving spouse and children, and sometimes parents.  Under certain circumstances, unrelated minor children living with and supported by the decedent may also bring a claim for wrongful death. In order to bring a successful wrongful death cause of action, the following elements must be present:

• The death of a human being caused by another's negligent or intentional conduct.
• The survival of family members who are suffering the loss of financial support, love, care, comfort, supervision, guidance, household assistance and general society previously provided by the deceased.

The general rule in wrongful death cases is that one is entitled to recover both economic and non-economic damages which are suffered as a result of the loss of a loved one. Economic damages in a wrongful death case include an award for the financial contributions which the decedent would have made to his or her spouse, children and/or parents had he or she survived. It also includes the recovery for funeral service expenses in memory of the decedent and for burial cost. Non-economic damages include loss of love, society, companionship, comfort, affection, solace or moral support.

Defective Drugs or Products:
The sad truth is that some giant pharmaceutical companies and a handful of medical device manufacturers have put the public at risk by bringing dangerous or defective products to market. A medical product may be considered defective because of a manufacturing or design defect. In addition to design and manufacturing defects, insufficient warning of consumers as to possible side effects can also serve as the basis of litigation for both medical products and drugs.

Often, when a person is injured as a result of medical treatment, the first assumption often is that the physician or other health care provider made a mistake. In many cases, however, it is learned that the doctor did nothing wrong and the injury was caused by a defective or dangerous medication or medical device. In such a case, the claim for injuries should actually be brought against the manufacturer of the drug or device.

Anesthetic Errors:
When you go in to surgery, the last face you usually see is that of the anesthesiologist, who will regulate your consciousness during the operation. The anesthesiologist is responsible for maintaining you in a state somewhere between awake and dead throughout the length of the procedure. Too little anesthesia and you will awake to great pain and panic; too much anesthesia and you will never wake up. When anesthesiologists make errors in administering anesthesia, the results are usually catastrophic, including coma and death.

Wrong Treatment:
The wrong treatment given by a medical professional because of his or her negligence is medical malpractice. The doctor may prescribe the wrong medication for the patient or the incorrect dosage and complications can arise. There are many cases that where the patient had to suffer because of wrong diagnosis and treatment - things such as a left leg being amputated instead of right leg, or wrong kidney operation, wrong eye operation or being treated for flu when it was something else.

Birth Injuries:
Occasionally during the birth process, the baby may suffer a physical injury that is simply the result of being born. This is sometimes called birth trauma or birth injury. One major cause of birth injuries is oxygen deprivation, which commonly occurs when the umbilical cord is compressed and/or twisted in the birth process. The other main cause is mechanical trauma which may occur when the baby assumes an unusual position at the time of birth. Complications in the process of pregnancy, labor and delivery can result in a wide variety of complications for a newborn baby. Birth injuries vary greatly - from very minor to being so severe as to cause the death of the infant.

Some common types of birth injuries include skin irritations; temporary paralysis; fractured collar bone; fractured arm; Cerebral Palsy; brain damage; Erb's Palsy and Brachial Plexus Palsy. The most serious birth injuries involve damage to the infant's brain, causing brain damage, traumatic brain injury, seizures and mental retardation. These brain injuries are caused by oxygen deprivation or bleeding inside the brain from trauma during pregnancy, labor or delivery.

Sometimes the birth injuries are just natural circumstances of delivery but there are also many circumstances where brain damage or brain injuries are caused by mistakes made by doctors, hospitals or other medical professionals during the delivery process.

Failure to Diagnosis:
Failure to diagnose is a term in the medical and legal communities that represents the failure of a medical provider to detect a condition before serious or fatal consequences. In many instances, particularly those involving cancer, early detection is a key element to successful treatment.  A missed diagnosis can make treating a disease much more difficult, and in some cases, render successful treatment impossible.

When the failure to diagnose is negligent on the part of the medical provider, if the provider using a reasonable standard of care should have detected the problem sooner, a medical malpractice claim might be appropriate.

These cases are generally traumatic for all involved, the patient as well as the family members who have to try to deal with a future that might have been quite different if only a cancer or another medical condition were diagnosed in time.

Breast Cancer:
Patients may complain of a lump, mass or cyst in one of their breasts during a doctor’s visit, or the physician may notice a lump during an examination. When permitted to grow unimpeded, the cancer spreads and can completely devastate a person's life. Sometimes physicians fail to take such patient complaints seriously or to properly follow up with additional diagnostic tests, including mammograms, sonograms and biopsies.

It is the responsibility of treating physician and technicians to provide adequate medical care for their patients, including correctly interpreting symptoms, ordering follow-up tests in a timely manner and correctly reading test results. The failure to take the proper precautions, and to perform each of the procedures correctly, as other medical personnel would have done, is medical malpractice.

Medication Errors:
Another area of medical malpractice involves the medication and prescription errors doctors, nurses and pharmacists can make. Unfortunately, patients are sometimes given the wrong prescription or dosage, with very serious, often deadly, results.

Medication errors can happen for several reasons, such as the doctor’s illegible handwriting, the pharmacist’s drug dispensing error, the nurse giving the wrong medication or amount, or the doctor not asking all of the pertinent questions while examining the patient. Most commonly, the type of medication error involves not the type, but the does. If the dose is too little, the medication is ineffective. If the does is too much, the medication may have side effects and other consequences.

Also, if a patient is taking more than one medication, it is the healthcare provider’s responsibility to monitor his or her drug intake. A mix of the wrong medications can be fatal in some cases. If a doctor or nurse is especially careless, they won’t test for or ask about allergies, which can lead to serious injury or death.

Nursing Home Neglect:
Nursing home neglect includes medical malpractice and careless treatment leading to broken bones, malnutrition, dehydration, bedsores, bruises and poor hygiene. It can also include the failure to supervise staff and physical or sexual assaults by other residents or staff.

The number of doctors who care for nursing home patients is inadequate. But this does not give doctors and other health care providers the right to ignore or not fully care for nursing home patients. The truth is that a small minority of medical doctors do not provide the same level of care to someone who is elderly and in a nursing home than they would to other patients.

Surgical Errors:
Surgical errors that cause injury may give rise to medical malpractice claims. Surgical errors can result in permanent disfigurement and complications due to post surgical infections. The following are some examples or surgical errors:

• Wrong-site surgery - operating in or on the wrong area of the body.
• Surgical instrument left in the body - retractors, sponges and surgical towels all have been left in patients’ bodies following surgery.
• Misdiagnosis issues, such as surgery unrelated to the patient's correct diagnosis.
• Wrong patient surgery.

Adverse Drug Reactions:
Adverse drug reaction is defined as a medical event caused by a prescription drug which results in a patient's death, hospitalization or disability, or has caused a congenital abnormality, a life-threatening event, or a required intervention to prevent permanent damage. Up to 200,000 patients die every year from adverse drug reactions, according to reports from the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Institute of Medicine. Adverse drug reactions are considered to be the 4th leading cause of death in America, killing more people than pulmonary disease, diabetes, AIDS, pneumonia and automobile deaths.

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Attorney, call Meyers Kenrick Giuffre and Evans, LLC today at 888-261-1850, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

In 1943, George Papanicolaou, M.D., published his work on the diagnosis of cervical cancer by an examination of cells removed from the surface of the cervix. It was 15 or 20 years before the "Pap" was incorporated into most health care programs in North America. The development of the Pap smear raised exciting possibilities. It was possible, by looking at cells easily removed from a woman's cervix during a routine pelvic examination, to diagnose conditions, which, if treated by simple means, could actually eliminate the possibility of a woman's developing invasive cancer.

The Pap Smear
Even with all the possibilities created by Pap smear screening programs, this year, close to 14,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed, and of those women suffering from that disease, many will die needlessly.

The Significance Of The Pap
The Pap smear is a screening test, which has made the early diagnosis of cervical cancer possible. Developed in the early 1940s by New York physician Dr. George Papanicolaou, this test permits the examination of cells removed from the surface of the cervix. Although the use of the Pap smear should virtually eliminate the chances of a woman developing invasive cancer, this year alone, approximately 7,000 women will die of the disease--a disease that is largely preventable.

The Tragedy Of Misread Tests
There are two major reasons why women continue to die needlessly from cervical cancer: One is the failure to get annual gynecological exams and Pap smear evaluations. The other is the doctors' or hospitals' failure to properly perform and interpret Pap smears or to properly treat patients once the diagnosis of cancer or cancer-like conditions has been made.

Because a significant percentage of Pap smears are misread, many women are led to believe that they have no problem, when, in fact, cervical cancer may already be developing. Instead of preventing cancer through early detection, a misread Pap smear actually enables the cancer to grow.

In 1989, the American Medical Association documented that 15% to 30% of all Pap smears that reported showing no adverse change, in fact, had cancer or cancer-like cells present that required treatment. Most women who have these dangerous changes diagnosed can be cured with proper treatment. That's why it is particularly tragic that errors continue to be made in the performing of Pap smears and in the diagnosis and treatment of the conditions they often reveal.

A Need For Vigilance
Over the past several years, investigations conducted by Jerry Meyers and others have confirmed that doctors may be negligent when they take or analyze Pap smear tests, and, as a result, they may begin treatment too late. This negligence is the leading cause of death or disability of clients we have represented. In many cases, even when the Pap smears are properly obtained by the physicians, they may be misread or misinterpreted by the hospitals or laboratories to which they have been sent. Without greater vigilance, these needless deaths will continue to occur.

If a woman develops cervical cancer--even though Pap smears were being performed regularly at the recommendation of a physician--negligence may be the cause. For this reason, we obtain an independent review of the Pap smear slides for each cervical cancer patient evaluated by our office. This review is conducted by a pathologist specially trained to determine whether or not danger signs existed that should have been detected by others.

Unfortunately, many cases come to our attention too late to prevent death. In proving such cases, we must identify the mistakes that caused our clients' harm. In so doing, we hope to make it less likely for the persons who made those mistakes to repeat them.


Seven Steps To Avoid Cervical Cancer
The best protection a woman has against cervical cancer is to develop a trusting relationship with a gynecologist and follow the guidelines listed below:

Regular Exams. Visit a gynecologist at least once a year for a pelvic examination and Pap smear. Examinations should be more frequent if a woman has noted an abnormality related to her reproductive organs, such as a change in menstrual regularity, odor or vaginal drainage, painful intercourse, etc.

Report Changes. Report all changes to the gynecologist, including specific reasons for the visit and any changes in function which have occurred since the last visit.

Agree On Testing Practices. Insist that the gynecologist personally contact the laboratory that evaluates the Pap smears and establish that the Pap smear will be evaluated by a physician with special expertise in cytopathology.

Agree On Reporting. If an abnormality is reported on a Pap smear, insist that the gynecologist discuss the results directly with the physician who made the interpretation to completely understand the conclusion.

Repeat Tests. Insist that any repeat Pap smears be performed within three months. If any abnormality persists on a repeat Pap smear, ask to have a magnified visual inspection of the cervix conducted by a gynecologist skilled in the performance of colposcopy.

Sample Tissue. Even if no visible abnormality of the cervix is seen during the colposcopy, one may exist in the endocervical canal, a part of the cervix that cannot readily be seen by colposcopy. Therefore, a sample of the tissue in the canal should be taken to look for any abnormalities revealed by earlier Pap smears but not necessarily visible upon magnified inspection of the cervix. Have a biopsy on any abnormality seen on the cervix during the colposcopy.

Ask For A Clear Diagnosis. A biopsy showing dysplasia or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or CIN II or higher, or described as a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion requires specific treatment; insist on it. If you don't understand the words, ask your gynecologist to explain it to you in words you can understand. Any precancerous condition must be treated immediately. Don't accept "let's wait and see how it looks next year."

Modern medicine offers many therapeutic treatments to women diagnosed with invasive cancer. Prevention, however, is far better than cure.



The Pap Smear Case

A noted cytopathologist, Leopold Koss, has said that the use of the Pap smear should virtually eliminate the chances of a woman developing invasive cancer. Nevertheless, this year approximately 7,000 women will die of the disease-a disease that is largely preventable.

Presented with a potential client or claim where a woman has suffered invasive cancer, a presumptive claim exists. Presumably, a potential claim would never be presented to a lawyer if there had not been a physician supervising treatment for some period of time prior to the diagnosis of invasive cervical cancer being made.

Whether followed by a gynecologist or a family doctor, every woman is entitled to regular gynecologic examinations and Pap smears. Though there is some controversy as to how often Pap smears should be performed in sexually active women, all agree that annual Pap smears are required until a series of normal Pap smears suggests a lengthier interval before re-testing is justified.

Some family doctors obtain Pap smears themselves; others refer patients to gynecologists for that purpose. In an HMO environment, the referral to a gynecologist represents a cost, direct or otherwise, to the referring doctor's practice.

If a primary care physician or gynecologist fails to recommend and obtain regular Pap smear evaluations with the required frequency (never less than one every 2 to 3 years and more often if risk factors are present), a claim may be made out on that basis alone.

More commonly, Pap smears are obtained with sufficient regularity but are improperly interpreted and reported upon by the cytology laboratory. The primary care giver ordering the smear may receive an appropriate report but fail to take appropriate action on the basis of the information provided.

The evaluation of a Pap smear case, therefore, requires that one obtain the slides for at least five years prior to the diagnosis of cancer having been made. Laboratories are only required by law to retain slides for five years. Once obtained, such slides must be reviewed by a highly competent cytopathologist. The cytopathologist who reviews the slides should be an expert who, if the slides provide a basis for a claim, is willing to testify. Never place or direct others to place Pap smear slides in the mail. They cannot be replaced.

It is naturally important to obtain from the primary care physician a full copy of the office records which will include the Pap smear requisitions submitted to the laboratory. The laboratory's Pap smear reports should be requested from the laboratory or Hospital separately. This is important because often there are handwritten recommendations or notes on one copy of the report, which do not appear on the other. In addition, the requisition sent may contain different information, historical otherwise, from that contained in the report the laboratory issues.

It is also important to secure, even during the course of preliminary screening, the records of the hospital or physician's office where biopsy confirmation was obtained. These specimen slides should be secured as well, as they will help verify the type of cancer and the extent of progression of disease.

One needs to consider carefully the magnitude of delay involved in a given claim. In general, delays of weeks to a few months will not be of significant consequence. There are circumstances, however, where even a delay of several months in a particularly aggressive cancer may materially change the outcome.

After records and slides have been examined, clinical issues concerning the conduct of the primary care provider are best evaluated by a gynecologic oncologist. Such an expert will not only be familiar with the standards of practice concerning the management of the patient's gynecologic course but give immeasurable assistance in establishing causation.

The damages in Pap smear cases arise primarily out of the disease. Damages also include, however, injuries resulting from treatment more extensive than would have been required at an earlier time. For example, a hysterectomy is not required for a woman exhibiting carcinoma in situ only or less where continued fertility is important.

Cervical cancer is a devastating illness once it has taken hold. Therefore, even in those cases where the future prognosis after hysterectomy is good, the morbidity and mortality associated with possible recurrence can be remain an important element of damages.

More tragic still is the woman whose cervical cancer is diagnosed in an advanced stage where the probability of survival may be slim. Death from cervical cancer can take a very long time. This is especially true where the spread of the disease results in pelvic recurrences. Such patients live long-term on continuous intravenous narcotics.

Because in young women, in particular, cervical cancer can be a very aggressive disease, it is critical that reviews of potential claims be carried out as promptly as possible so that cases can be filed in time to preserve a client's testimony. As in cases of advanced disease, a client will rarely survive long enough to ever give such testimony at trial.

In general, all abnormal Pap smears require a specific form of follow-up or treatment irrespective of the level of abnormality present. An excellent review of the current standards of practice with respect to the performance of Pap smears and the management of Pap smear abnormality is published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology in their Practice Bulletin number 183. This bulletin and others regularly published by the College on various subjects of obstetrics and gynecology can be obtained from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology at 409 12th Street , SW, P. O. Box 96920, Washington, D.C. 20090-6920.

In addition, further references which may be helpful in the screening and preparation of a potential claim are listed below:

Meisels, Alexander; Morin, Carol. In Cytopathology of the Uterine Cervix, Philadelphia, American Society of Clinical Pathologists, 1990. Koss, Leopold. In Diagnostic Cytology and Its Histopathologic Bases, Philadelphia, J.B. Lippincott, 1992. Bibbo, Marluce. In Comprehensive Cytopathology, Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 1991. DiSaia, Philip J., Creasman, William T. In Clinical Gynecologic Oncology, Fifth Edition, St. Louis, Mosby, 1997. See soon, Meyers, J.I. , "The perspective of a plaintiff's attorney in dissembling the art of medicine as it relates to the interpretation and management of cervical smears," Pathology Patterns Reviews, Vol 116 (December 2001).



 

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of an experienced Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Attorney, call Meyers Kenrick Giuffre and Evans, LLC today at 866-822-2441, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your free consultation.

ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:
Meyers Kenrick Giuffre and Evans, LLC
Suite 5745 U.S. Steel Tower
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Telephone: 866-822-2441
Fax: 412-281-4111

MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:


Jerry I. Meyers

Education: University of Pittsburgh (B.A., 1971); University of Miami (J.D., cum laude, 1975). Omicron Delta Kappa; Phi Delta Phi. Respiratory Therapist, 1967-1973. Lecturer: Medical Evidence, Medical Malpractice for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Philadelphia; Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Neurology Service, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Centralized Hospital Service, Greensburg, Pennsylvania; Continuing Education Services, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Geisinger Medical Center; Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Trial Advocacy Foundation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Professional Education Systems, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Member: Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association (Member: Board of Governors, 1987-1991; Legislative Policy Committee, 1994- Charter Member, Medical Malpractice Section; Western Chapter President, 1990); The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; American Society of Law and Medicine; Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County.

Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Medical Products Law.

Admitted to Practice: 1975, Pennsylvania.

Charles W. Kenrick

Education: Kenyon College, (BA, Cum Laude, 1968); Duquesne University (J.D., 1972). Duquesne Law Review, Articles Editor (1971-1972); Marquis Who's Who in American Law; Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (2004 Philadelphia Magazine); Martindale Hubbell "AV" (Highest) Rating.

Member: Allegheny County Bar Association (Board of Governors, 1984-1989; President-Elect 1990, President 1991); Pittsburgh Legal Journal (Opinion Editor, 1977-1980), Editor-In-Chief, 1981-1984); Pennsylvania Bar Association (House of Delegates 1980-2000); American Bar Association; Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County.

Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Personal Injury; Commercial Litigation; General Litigation; Appellate Practice.

Admitted to Practice: 1972; Pennsylvania, U.S. District Court, Western District and Middle District of Pennsylvania; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Tenth Circuits, and United States Supreme Court.

Paul J. Giuffre

Education: Duquesne University (B.A., cum laude, 1987; J.D., 1990). Assistant District Attorney, Allegheny County, 1991-1995.

Member: Allegheny County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations; Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association.

Practice Areas: Personal Injury; Medical Malpractice; Criminal Defense; General Litigation.

Admitted to Practice: 1990, Pennsylvania and U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania.

Charles E. Evans

Education: Geneva College (B.A., 1964); Duquesne University School of Law (J.D. 1967).

Member: President of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Western Pennsylvania Chapter since 1998. Former President of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and also of its Western Chapter. Former Statewide President of Lawyers for Consumer Rights. Served in multiple capacities for the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers, having chaired its Legislative Policy Committee and served as a long time Trustee of LAWPAC, its Political Action Committee. Served as a State Delegate and as a Governor of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Long time member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County and has served on its Board of Directors. Member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Practice Areas: Civil Trial Work, Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Employment Law and Protection of Individual Civil Rights. He has served for over 25 years as Solicitor for Turtle Creek Valley Mental Health and Mental Retardation, Inc.

Admitted to Practice: 1967, Pennsylvania.


Todd R. Brown

Education: Whitman College (B.A., 1986, Honors in Major Study, philosophy); University of Pittsburgh School of Law (J.D., 2001, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Law Review: Senior Articles Editor).

Member: American, Pennsylvania, and Allegheny County Bar Associations; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association; Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association.

Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Personal Injury; Commercial Litigation; General Litigation; Appellate Practice.

Admitted to Practice: 2001, Pennsylvania and U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, admitted to bar 2002, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, admitted to bar 2005, Supreme Court of the United States.


Gregory R. Unatin

Education: University of Michigan (B.A., 1997); University of Pittsburgh School of Law (J.D., 2006).

Member: American, Pennsylvania, and Allegheny County Bar Associations; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association; Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association.

Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Personal Injury; Commercial Litigation; General Litigation; Appellate Practice.

Admitted to Practice: 2006, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.