Jeffrey A. Jackson
Jeffrey A. Jackson
Biography
A former Pittsburgh prosecutor, Jeffrey A. Jackson brings to his clients a wide range of trial experience in state and federal courts across the country. Primarily, Mr. Jackson’s practice focuses on defending Class I and short line railroads in the areas of occupational disease, toxic tort litigation, qui tam matters, and whistleblower actions brought under the Federal Rail Safety Act (FRSA).
In addition, Mr. Jackson is experienced in counseling clients on many risk avoidance strategies pertaining to occupational injury claims and litigation, including establishing corporate health and safety practices, instituting effective claim management strategies, and creating regional resources of health and safety consultants.
As national coordinating counsel for several large corporate clients, Mr. Jackson has been responsible for managing mass tort litigation, coordinating a consistent corporate approach to discovery, and developing national litigation strategies.
Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Jackson served for four years as an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, regularly trying criminal jury and non-jury cases on behalf of the Commonwealth. In 1998, Mr. Jackson co-founded Kelly Hayden LLC, a civil litigation firm based in Pittsburgh, where he represented rail industry corporate clients.
After receiving his law degree, Mr. Jackson served as a law clerk to the Hon. Thomas A. Swope Jr. of the Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas.
A frequent presenter, Mr. Jackson has lectured at numerous rail industry conferences on a variety of litigation topics, including the defense of whole body vibration lawsuits, the conduct of expert depositions, preparing corporate officers for deposition, aggressive use of discovery in the defense of cumulative trauma claims, and risk avoidance strategies for whistleblower actions brought under FRSA.
Credentials
Areas of Law
- Occupational Disease Litigation
- Railroad Industry Litigation
- Whistleblower Litigation
- Toxic Tort Litigation
- White Collar and Government Enforcement
Education
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (J.D., 1989)
- University of Notre Dame, government and international studies (B.A., 1986)
Bar Admissions
- Pennsylvania
Memberships
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
- Eastern Region Vice President
- COVID-19 Government Action Subcommittee
- COVID-19 Employee Claims FELA Subcommittee
- Allegheny County Bar Association
Accolades & Involvement
Honors and Awards
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® for Transportation Law, 2024
Community/Civic Involvement
- Keystone State Railroad Association Board of Directors, Associate Member
- University of Notre Dame Club of Pittsburgh, Executive Committee
- Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School Crew Board, Former President
Publications
- “The Anatomy of an Effective Whistleblower Retaliation Defense” Burns White Insights, May 2019
- “Getting Autonomous Technology on Track: Opportunities and Challenges for the Rail Sector” Autonomous Vehicle Technology, October 2018
Representative Matters
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of Railroad Defendants, in the Circuit Court for Wicomico County, Maryland. Plaintiff, a railroad conductor, alleged in his lawsuit that he developed bladder cancer as a result of exposure to a variety of substances during his railroad employment. The Court agreed that Plaintiff previously released his ability to pursue such a claim when he executed a Prior Release in a similar 2002 lawsuit. Following oral argument, the Court granted Defendant’s Motion for Summary Judgment and dismissed all claims.
- Obtained a defense verdict in a jury trial for a corporate railroad client where the plaintiff argued that he suffered permanent disabling injuries because of the poor ergonomic design of the workplace and the employer’s failure to sufficiently train its workforce.
- Obtained a favorable verdict on behalf of a railroad corporation after a three-week trial in which it was alleged by a consolidated group of plaintiffs that the defendant corporation was aware of a hazardous work exposure and failed to remediate or reduce that exposure or warn its employees of the hazard.
- After extensive contested discovery and depositions, obtained a favorable settlement for a railroad client in a matter where plaintiff alleged injuries resulting from occupational vibration exposure.
- Assisted a Fortune 100 corporate client to construct its “good news safety story,” including organizing and using extensive documentary evidence for use in mass tort litigation.
