Michael W. Calder

Michael devotes his career to protecting and pursuing the rights of those injured in medical malpractice, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, motor vehicle accident and serious personal injury cases. In doing so, he has developed a reputation as a bold advocate for his clients not only because he has achieved significant financial recoveries for many injured individuals, but also because he has delivered closure to emotionally frustrating chapters in his clients’ lives and the lives of their family members. In early-2017, Michael tried a medical malpractice case to verdict in a county that had not seen a verdict in favor of a patient in nearly a decade. Despite that challenging history, Michael delivered his clients a $2,000,000 verdict against a physician and the hospital where he practiced. Significantly, that verdict included recoveries in every element of damages allowed for that case under Pennsylvania law. In the same year, Michael served as co-counsel in a medical malpractice arbitration that resulted in an award greater than $5,000,000. These results are in addition to the great many other cases Michael favorably resolved at various points along the way to trial.

Michael is a member of Allegheny County’s most prestigious legal organization, the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. The Academy of Trial Lawyers is an invitation-only organization limited to 250 of the most exceptional trial lawyers in Allegheny County. Additionally, each year since 2012, Michael’s peers have selected him for recognition as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star – an honor bestowed upon less than 2.5 percent of eligible Pennsylvania attorneys.

As an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Duquesne University School of Law, Michael has lectured students in the area of medical malpractice litigation. He has also lectures on medical malpractice/ personal injury negotiation as well as trial technique and expert witness examination. Each year, Michael volunteers his time with a mock trial class at his alma mater, North Allegheny Senior High School. Michael has lectured on the subject of the Pennsylvania Peer Review Protection Act for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Continuing Legal Education (“CLE”) program and he was asked to speak on the subject of medical malpractice arbitrations in a Pennsylvania Association for Justice CLE. From 2012 – 2017, Michael served on the Board of Governors of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association; an opportunity that allowed him to interact with lawyers from across Western Pennsylvania for the purpose of advancing the rights of those injured due to the negligence of others. A dedicated servant to his community as well, Michael carried out two consecutive terms as the Mayor of Export Borough from 2010 until 2018.