Joseph A. Macerelli
Joseph A. Macerelli
Biography
Member Joseph A. Macerelli concentrates his practice in the areas of medical malpractice and other professional liability, personal injury, insurance, and products liability defense. A seasoned trial attorney, he has more than 35 years of experience representing medical professionals, hospitals, and other healthcare providers in state and federal courts.
In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Macerelli employs other forms of dispute resolution when beneficial to his clients’ interests. An appointed alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mediator and arbitrator by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and certified through the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, he has successfully entered arbitration awards as appropriate, and mediated numerous cases to successful conclusion.
Mr. Macerelli is Past President of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County and the Pennsylvania Defense Institute. He also held a three-year term as the Pennsylvania State Representative for the Defense Research Institute.
Mr. Macerelli graduated from Duquesne University School of Law in 1981 and received a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in 1976.
Credentials
Areas of Law
- Medical Malpractice Defense
- Professional Liability
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
Education
- Duquesne University (J.D., 1981)
- University of Pittsburgh (B.A., 1976)
Bar and Court Admissions
- Pennsylvania
- United States Supreme Court
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
Memberships
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Allegheny County Bar Association
- Washington County Bar Association
- Board of Directors
- Academy of Trial Lawyers
- Defense Research Institute
- Pennsylvania Defense Institute
Certifications
- Mediation, Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Federal Bar Association
Accolades & Involvement
Honors/Awards
- Recognized annually on the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® lists since 2005
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America® 2016-2025 for Medical Malpractice Law Defense
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers
- Peer rated AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 in Martindale-Hubbell
- Selected for the Allegheny County Bar Foundation Fellows Program
Community/Civic Involvement
An active member of his community, Mr. Macerelli currently serves as Board Chairman of Canonsburg General Hospital, Chairman of the West Penn Allegheny Health System, a member of the Allegheny Health Network Board of Directors, and a board member for Lendinghearts.org. He is also a former board member of the University of Pittsburgh Varsity Letter Club, where he was honored by the club as an Awardee of Distinction in 2002.
Publications
- “It’s Not Always Black or White: How Hybrid Alternatives Are Changing ADR,” The Legal Intelligencer, January 10, 2019
Representative Matters
- Consideration of day-long testimony and extensive documentary evidence (including expert testimony) before entering an Arbitration Award in favor of an Orthopedic Surgeon and Health System for a post-operative complication allegedly suffered by Plaintiff patient
- Acceptance of voluminous documentation and testimony of parties, including subsequent medical treatment for injuries suffered as a result of a vehicular accident, before entering an Arbitration Award in favor of Plaintiff and spouse for loss of consortium
- Over a million-dollar settlement of a wrongful death case (including a loss of consortium claim) against a physician/group and Health System for failure to respond in a timely and appropriate manner to patient’s deteriorating condition in an Intensive Care setting
- Six-figure settlement in a medical negligence case against physician Defendants and a rural Hospital for failure to diagnose post-operative complications properly, including pathology department failures, which resulted in prolonged healing and risk of future complications
- Six-figure settlement in a medical negligence case against physician/Group Defendants and a pharmacy for failure to prescribe and administer medication properly and in a timely and appropriate manner, including failure to provide correct dosage and follow up with the patient to assure proper utilization and reaction to the medication at issue
- Six-figure settlement in a medical negligence wrongful death case against a long-term acute care facility for failure to monitor the condition of a patient with multiple co-morbidities properly, and who suffered a cardiac event with delayed response, before transfer to tertiary facility where efforts at resuscitation failed
