PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Attorney Joseph A. Quinn, Jr. has set an exemplary standard for trial lawyers throughout Pennsylvania for over five decades. Known for his thorough preparation and detailed skills in the courtroom, Attorney Quinn has achieved record-setting jury verdicts and settlements in cases involving medical malpractice, truck and car accidents, insurance bad faith, defective products, premises liability, and workplace injuries.
Attorney Joseph A. Quinn, Jr. is one of only three Pennsylvania trial lawyers admitted to the Inner Circle of Advocates, a group limited to the top 100 personal injury lawyers in the United States, and one of only 500 attorneys worldwide chosen to be a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Attorney Quinn has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer every year since the program began. He also has been listed in every edition of "The Best Lawyers in America," and has been recognized by the national publication as "Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year" for NEPA and the Lehigh Valley. He is one of the most experienced and highly credentialed trial attorneys in Pennsylvania. As Senior Litigation Principal, his Firm, HKQ Law has been named 2018 Best Law Firm by US News & World Report. Attorney Quinn is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Diplomat of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Past President of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and a Past Member of the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice.
Attorney Quinn has authored numerous professional articles and has co-authored a book on the Pennsylvania No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act. He has presented at multiple professional seminars, including the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, the State Conference of Trial Judges, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
Attorney Joseph A. Quinn, Jr. proudly calls Northeastern Pennsylvania his home, and lives every day by his firm’s positioning statement, “no one will work harder for you.”
LEGAL EXPERIENCE
Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn, 1966-Present
Senior Litigation Principal, leader of Personal Injury Team with emphasis on personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, including crashworthiness and automobile defects, auto accidents, truck and tractor trailer accidents, and highway design defect cases.
EDUCATION
Dickinson School of Law of Penn State University, Juris Doctor, 1966
University of Scranton, Bachelor of Science, 1963
Scranton Preparatory School, 1959
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, RECOGNITIONS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Member, Inner Circle of Trial Advocates (Limited to 100 personal injury lawyers in the country)
Fellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers
Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers in the areas of Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice. Selected by his peers as one of the Top 100 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers every year since Philadelphia Magazine began conducting its annual survey
Listed in "The Best Lawyers in America" for Medical Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation in every edition since it began publication in 1987
Selected by “Best Lawyers in America” as “Personal InjuryLawyer of the Year” for 2 consecutive years. The designation encompassedterritory stretching from the Lehigh Valley north to the New York Stateborder.
Named in the Best Lawyers in America for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs in 2018 & 2019
Named in the Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in 2018 & 2019
Named in the Best Lawyers in America for Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs in 2018 & 2019
Member, American Board of Trial Advocates
Member, Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Member, Multimillion Dollar Advocates Forum
Member, The Order of Barristers
Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. One of the first group of attorneys certified as a trial specialist by the Board.
Member, American Association for Justice
Member and Past President, Pennsylvania Association for Justice
Past Member, Board of Governors, Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Member, Attorneys Information Exchange Group
Past Member, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
Past Member, Civil Procedural Rules Committee for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association
Member, Luzerne County Bar Association
Admitted to Practice:
United States Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court, Eastern District of PA
Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas
SERVICE TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION
Past Member, Pennsylvania Judicial Reform Commission & Co-Chairperson of Judicial Selection Committee
Past Member, Trial Court Nominating Commission for Luzerne County
Past Member, Advisory Committee on Judicial & United States Attorney Nominations for the U.S. Middle District of Pennsylvania
PUBLICATIONS & SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS
Co-author of book on Pennsylvania No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act
Author of several trial practice articles published in various journals
Initial Chairman and Guest Lecturer each year at Dickinson School of Law Advocacy Seminar
Trial Advocacy Seminar and Workshop, State Conference of Trial Judges
Multiple seminar presentations for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and other state trial lawyer groups, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America
PRESENTER AT PENNSYLVANIA BAR INSTITUTE SEMINARS ON:
Pennsylvania Civil Practice and Procedure
Pennsylvania Evidence
Medical Malpractice
Proof of Damages I
Proof of Damages II
Medical Malpractice, Philadelphia
Medical Malpractice, Pittsburgh
Crashworthiness
Advanced Techniques - Medical Malpractice Cases, Philadelphia
Advanced Techniques - Medical Malpractice Cases, Pittsburgh
Crashworthiness
Damages in Personal Injury and Death
PRESENTER AT PENNSYLVANIA TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION SEMINARS ON:
Pennsylvania No-Fault Motor Vehicle Insurance Act
Medical Malpractice
Evidence, Part I
Evidence, Part II
Procedure
Damages
Structured Settlements
Courtroom Persuasion, Winning Over the Jury, Pittsburgh
PRESENTER AT OTHER SEMINARS, INCLUDING:
American Board of Trial Advocacy Seminar - “The Masters in Trial,” Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Defense Institute Seminar - Closing Arguments
American Trial Lawyers Association Seminar - Handling Expert Witnesses, Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Bar Association Annual Meeting Program - Voire Dire and Jury Selection Practice
Pennsylvania Trial Advocacy Foundation Seminar - Complex Settlement Techniques, Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Trial Advocacy Foundation Seminar - Complex Settlement Techniques, Pittsburgh, Dickinson School of Law Forum
Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association
Hahnemann Medical School - National Workshop
American Bar Association Symposium - Preparation and Presentation of Medical Evidence, San Francisco
Various Medical and Dental Groups
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Founder of the Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn Fund for Children’s Advocacy, known as HKQ Kids
Past Member, Board of Trustees of University of Scranton
Past Member, Board of Governors, General Alumni Association, Dickinson School of Law
Past Member, Board of Directors, United Way
Past Member, Board of Directors, Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce
Previously selected as “Outstanding Young Man of America”
Past recipient of the “Outstanding Young Man of the Year Award” from the Greater Wilkes-Barre Jaycees
Past recipient of the “Outstanding Man of the Year Award” from the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Greater Pittston
PARTIAL LISTING OF TRIAL VERDICTS & SETTLEMENTS
Lead counsel in a truck case that resulted in a $10,025,000 verdict for a husband and wife as a result of a serious rear-end crash involving a 1979 Mack tri-axle dump truck, which was in a state of mechanical disrepair and was being operated by an unqualified driver. The wife sustained multiple injuries, including a comminuted tibia/fibula fracture requiring surgery and internal fixation that permanently altered her gait, fractured vertebrae and disc bulges, permanent scarring, and psychological injuries rendering her disabled. The jury ultimately decided that the driver and the company that owned the dump truck were both negligent and reckless for failing to inspect, repair, and maintain the dump truck; permitting an unsafe dump truck on the public roadway; attempting to cover up the cause of the collision; and failing to comply with the federal and state regulations.
Lead counsel in a 2007 medical negligence case involving the death of a 44-year-old woman who was in very poor health and who was employed for a limited period of time as an “under the table” clerk/employee. The decedent was admitted to a local hospital complaining of shortness of breath with a past medical history of diabetes, hypertension, mitral stenosis, rheumatic fever and multiple surgeries. The admitting diagnosis was COPD with respiratory failure. She immediately developed chest pain and jaw pain, and was transferred to another hospital for a cardiac catheterization. After the catheterization was performed, she was transferred back to the initial hospital and died three days later from what was described as a respiratory failure. As it turned out, the decedent had suffered a second inadvertent puncture of the femoral artery during the catheterization procedure, as a result of which she developed a slow bleed, ultimately resulting in clear signs of hypotension and hypovolemia (low blood pressure) for approximately 24 hours prior to her death. A CT scan should have been ordered earlier, and in lieu of a CT scan, there were multiple other diagnostic tests that should have been performed, all of which would have revealed this bleed occurring over a period of 30 hours that resulted in her death. After six days of trial, the case was settled for the sum of $7.5 million.
Lead counsel in a 2007 medical negligence case in which we represented a 43-year-old chiropractor who was admitted to a local hospital for the purpose of undergoing laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. At the conclusion of the surgery, when the drapes were removed, the CRNA noticed that the patient’s right arm was not secure on the arm board and had fallen off the board. Shortly after admission to the PACU, the patient complained of her right dominant arm feeling “dead.” An EMG of the right arm resulted in the diagnosis of a right brachial plexopathy and over the next several months, the patient developed pain in her left shoulder and arm, which her physicians attributed to overuse of the left arm because of the need to compensate for decreased motion of the right arm. The primary contention on liability was that the operating “team” had an obligation to periodically observe the position of the patient’s arm on the arm board, particularly, after positional changes, believing that the arm fell off the arm board after the patient was placed in the Trendelenburg position. On the day of jury selection, the case settled for the sum of $3.25 million.
Lead counsel in a 2006 automobile case in Monroe County involving the death of a 49-year-old housewife and mother of two young daughters. In this case, there was a collision of two oncoming vehicles and both operators suffered fatal injuries as a result of the collision. Despite being unable to show any conscious pain and suffering, or any actual wage loss, the case settled prior to trial for $3.1 million.
Lead counsel in a 2006 medical malpractice case involving the death of a 42-year-old husband and father of a five-year-old son who underwent an aortic valve replacement. During the surgery, the defendant doctor made a decision to “simply excise about a 3 centimeter segment of the aortic root.” An autopsy confirmed that the decedent “died as a result of pericardial tamponade due to suture line separation due to an untied suture at the aortic root aortotomy.” It was maintained that the decedent died as a result of cardiac tamponade occurring as a result of a failure to adequately “tie off the sutures” during the valve replacement surgery. The case settled for $3 million.
Lead counsel in a 2006 case involving severe injuries inflicted upon the plaintiff as a result of the careless driving behavior of a tractor trailer driver on Interstate 81. The defendant tractor trailer company had total insurance coverage in the amount of $1 million. Once multiple property damage claims were paid to other parties involved in the collision, the total amount of coverage available under the policy limits, or the sum of $993,690.99, was paid to the plaintiff in a settlement of his claim.
Lead counsel in a 2006 case involving the birth of a child, during which the defendant inappropriately used forceps during the delivery and applied the forceps with such great force as to fracture the decedent baby’s skull in two places thereby causing hemorrhage and hypovolemic shock. It was further averred in this action that the Defendant applied excess fundal pressure during the forceps application and, in doing so, ruptured the decedent’s liver, thereby causing massive bleeding with ensuing complications. The case settled for $3 million.
Lead counsel in a case involving a tractor trailer collision in which the plaintiff suffered serious cervical injuries. On the date of the collision, the traffic on the interstate was slow and congested as a result of road construction. Notwithstanding that fact, the defendant tractor trailer driver operated his vehicle in a careless and reckless manner when he should have been on alert for slow moving and/or stopped traffic. Without warning, he violently struck the rear end of a vehicle, forcing it into the rear of plaintiff’s vehicle. The investigation by the PA State Police revealed that the defendant was tailgating the other vehicles. The case settled prior to trial for $1.2 million.
Lead trial counsel in a case involving the death of a 4-year-old boy due to the failure of the defendants to diagnose a bowel obstruction that resulted in hyperkalemic arrest and subsequent death. After six days of trial, a global settlement was reached. The settlement called for up-front cash and future periodic payments, the cost of which was $11 million. If the decedent’s parents live their normal life expectancy, the settlement will pay in excess of $17 million.
Lead counsel in a case involving the death of a 25-year-old woman as a result of the defendant operating his BMW vehicle in such a negligent, careless and recklessly indifferent manner so as to cause it to violently strike the rear of a Hyundai car being operated by the plaintiff, thereby inflicting severe injuries which resulted in her death. After being struck, the plaintiff’s vehicle was propelled out of the driving lane, ultimately striking a rock embankment on the east berm of the road. The case settled prior to trial for $2.48 million.
Lead counsel in a medical negligence case involving the death of a 73-year-old male plaintiff following improper esophageal intubation during surgery. The defendant physician anesthesiologist had failed her written portion of the board certification examination on five separate occasions prior to this surgery. It was admitted by the hospital that the physician was not properly credentialed and that her privileges had lapsed nine days prior to this surgery. After five days of trial, the case settled for $7 million.
Lead counsel in a medical negligence action involving the death of a 52-year-old mother following a kidney transplant due to polycystic kidney disease. The case settled prior to trial for the sum of $8.5 million.
Lead counsel in a medical negligence action involving a 5-year-old girl who suffered hyperkalemic cardiac arrest resulting in severe brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. The severe and permanent brain damage was sustained by the minor plaintiff while under the care and treatment of the defendant physicians/hospital. The case settled for $15 million.
Lead counsel in a medical negligence case involving an above-the-knee amputation of a 46-year-old following a two-year misdiagnosis of a bone tumor. The interpreting radiologist admitted that a bone tumor was within his differential diagnosis and he intended to have the films sent out for radiological interpretation. Unfortunately, the films were never sent out. The case settled for $1.9 million prior to trial.
Lead counsel in a tractor trailer case tried before Judge Richard Caputo in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania involving the death of a 27-year-old single professional woman. The jury determined that the decedent did not sustain any conscious pain and suffering, but did find each of the trucking companies to be not only negligent, but to be recklessly indifferent. In the first stage of the trial, the jury returned a combined verdict under the Wrongful Death and Survival Action in the amount of $5.9 million. In the second stage, the jury returned an award of punitive damages in the amount of $2.75 million.
Lead counsel in a medical malpractice case involving a 39-year-old mother pregnant with twins. The first twin was born uneventfully at 10:07 a.m. and 15 minutes later the second twin, whose fetal heart monitoring had been perfect beforehand, evidenced signs of a severe bradycardia. There was a 21-minute delay from the onset of the bradycardia to the time of C-section delivery and the baby showed immediate signs of hypoxic insult. Within one hour’s time, the baby was experiencing significant seizures and was eventually diagnosed as having hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. The baby was taken by Life Flight helicopter to another institution where she remained hospitalized for a period of almost four months and then was cared for at home by her parents prior to her death exactly eight months after her birth. After two weeks of trial, the jury returned its verdict in favor of the plaintiffs in the total amount of $10.38 million. Prior to the commencement of the punitive damage phase of the trial, the parties entered into settlement discussions and negotiated a total global settlement of the case in the amount of $13 million.
Lead counsel in a medical malpractice case involving improper monitoring of oxygen levels during a surgical procedure, which resulted in severe brain damage. The case settled for $21 million shortly before trial.
Lead counsel in a tractor trailer case involving severe injuries sustained by two teenage girls as a result of their vehicle being struck by a tractor trailer. A settlement was reached shortly after jury selection for a sum in excess of $9 million.
Lead counsel in a medical malpractice case involving chest and shoulder X-rays which were misread by the attending radiologist, resulting in the misdiagnosis of a desmoid tumor that was finally detected two years later. The case settled after opening statements at trial for $6,849,500.
Lead counsel in a medical malpractice case involving the death of an infant during delivery in which there was an award of compensatory damages in the amount of $6.7 million and a finding of reckless indifference.
Lead counsel in an automobile crashworthiness case on behalf of a 36-year-old part-time nurse who suffered severe brain injuries when the vehicle she was driving was struck in the right rear. The award was in excess of $27 million.
Lead counsel in medical malpractice case on behalf of a 7-year-old boy and his parents in which there was an award of $16,578,074. The minor plaintiff sustained severe and permanent brain damage as a result of the failure to diagnose appendicitis and the need for surgery.
Lead counsel in a medical malpractice case that was settled on the eve of Trial for $7.7 million. This was a wrongful death and survival action and claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress on behalf of the parents of a 5-day-old infant against doctor and hospital for discharging the infant from the hospital when the infant showed obvious signs and symptoms of a life-threatening, but treatable disease.
Lead counsel in an underinsured motorist arbitration proceeding in which there was a $3.9 million award. The case involved a wrongful death and survival action on behalf of a 41-year-old mother of two young children who was employed two days a week in a gift shop. Extensive psychiatric testimony was presented as to the losses experienced by the minor children.
Lead counsel in uninsured motorist proceeding in which there was a $1.7 million award on behalf of a 62-year-old surgeon who was rear-ended and sustained post traumatic headache syndrome. Although the surgeon was never hospitalized as an in-patient, he developed intermittent photophobia in the operating room, which required him to limit his surgical procedures to no more than 30 or 40 minutes.
Co-counsel in an underinsured motorist arbitration case in which there was an award of $865,000 on behalf of a 35-year-old who sustained post-traumatic headache syndrome. Although the plaintiff missed minimal time from work and had no recoverable out-of-pocket expenses, his continuing severe headaches had a dramatic impact upon his ability to enjoy life.
Lead trial counsel in a case in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County in which there was an award of compensatory damages in the amount of $8 million against General Motors Corp. It was the first verdict in the country in which a jury concluded that a vehicle was defective for not having air bags. It was also the first verdict in the country in which the particular door-mounted belt system was also held to be defective. After the jury returned its compensatory damage award, the case proceeded to the second stage for a consideration of punitive damages. During this stage, the entire case was settled.
Lead trial counsel in a case in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in which Judge Thomas Vanaskie returned a verdict in the amount of $3,523,375 for a 71-year-old veteran who became a double amputee as a result of the negligence of the Veterans Administration Hospital where he had been treated for bronchitis.
Trial counsel in a case in the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County in which there was an award of $3.3 million for a permanently partially disabled 45-year-old who sustained a comminuted fracture of his femur with resulting complications. This was a crashworthiness case against the supplier of a bulldozer that was not equipped with a properly functioning seat belt.
Lead counsel in a case in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County in which there was an award of compensatory damages in excess of $12 million for a young woman injured in a motor vehicle accident. At the time, it was the largest personal injury award in the history of Northeastern Pennsylvania and one of the largest compensatory damages award in an automobile case in the nation.
Lead counsel in a case involving a wrongful death and survival action arising out of the death of an unemployed 41-year-old wife and mother of two children in which there was a settlement in the amount of $2.1 million. At the time of the accident, the decedent’s automobile was struck by steel pipes which broke free and fell from a tractor trailer.
Lead Counsel in a case involving a plaintiff who sustained severe, disabling and disfiguring injuries to his left hand and arm during the course of his employment. Plaintiff filed suit against a number of defendants, alleging that the incident and injuries were caused by a defective design, manufacture and installation of a piece of equipment known as a DLC Module, and particularly a component of the module known as a “scarfing roll.” The case settled for $1.5 million, plus the waiver of a $500,000 workers’ compensation lien.
Trial counsel in a case in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County in which there was an award of compensatory damages in the amount of $1.5 million. The action involved the death of a 26-year-old individual who was earning only $11,000 per year prior to his death and there was no conscious pain or suffering.
Trial counsel in a case in the Court of Common Pleas of Susquehanna County on behalf of two deceased male teachers who were electrocuted when they came into contact with a high-voltage wire while replacing a roof on the home of one of their parents. This was a wrongful death and survival action on behalf of the estates of both decedents against Claverack Electric Cooperative. There was no offer of settlement and the case was bifurcated. After approximately two weeks of trial, the jury returned a verdict in which they found that Claverack was not only negligent, but that the electric company’s conduct constituted reckless indifference. Before the case proceeded to trial on the issue of damages, the cases were settled, resulting in the families of the two young men receiving nearly $30 million pursuant to a structured settlement.
Trial counsel in a case in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County in which there was an award of compensatory damages in the amount of $1.4 million. The action was brought as a result of an accident that killed a 15-year-old girl and caused significant mental anguish to her 15-year-old cousin who was also involved in the accident.
Trial counsel in a case in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County against a local utility company in which there was a total award in excess of $16 million, including compensatory and punitive damages. The total punitive damage award in excess of $11 million was one of the highest such awards in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Trial counsel in a dram shop-automobile case in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County in which there was a total award of $8.8 million, including an award of $5 million in punitive damages against a liquor licensee. This was the largest award of punitive damages in the nation in a dram shop case.
Trial counsel in a federal court case in which there was a $3.9 million award for the claimant. It was the largest award ever rendered in a swine flu case and the largest bench award in the nation.
Trial counsel in numerous other cases in which there were jury verdicts or settlements for clients substantially in excess of $1 million.
