ndrew J. Stern is one of the Philadelphia area’s most accomplished trial lawyers, an advocate widely known for his ardent representation of clients and the results it produces in the courtroom, including record-setting verdicts.
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former partner with The Beasley Firm who joined Kline & Specter
in 2005 as a partner, Stern in 2000 won a jury verdict that
is still talked about – a $100 million award for a baby who
suffered severe brain damage in a medical malpractice case. (See
The Vlasny case.) The verdict
is the largest-ever compensatory award in Pennsylvania. All told, Stern has obtained jury verdicts in his career which amount to approximately $175 million.
In 2004, Stern won a $38.2 million verdict in Delaware County Court in a case against the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Borough of East Lansdowne for a girl who was badly injured in an auto accident at an infamously dangerous intersection. The verdict in the Robley Case is the largest in a Pennsylvania county outside of Philadelphia. (See National Law Journal, Top 100 Verdicts of 2004)
Recently, Stern won a settlement in a cancer misdiagnosis case that resulted not only in a monetary payment but also changes in hospital policy. In that case, a woman had been incorrectly diagnosed as being cancer-free, leaving her disease untreated for two years. The hospital has agreed to now confirm cancer diagnoses by a second board-certified pathologist. "Hopefully, the demand for this change in hospital policy will help improve cancer patient outcomes and ultimately save lives," said Stern. (Read more about the case.)
In an ongoing case, Stern has filed suit on behalf of three FBI agents and an Army master sergeant who were injured by allegedly defective flash-bang grenades, which are meant to stun enemies and criminals. Executives of manufacturer Pyrotechnic Specialties Inc., or PSI, have been criminally indicted for knowing the grenades were defective and could unexpectedly detonate but that they failed to fix the flaws and simply relabeled and resold them. (Watch the CNN report) Stern also represents a former U.S. soldier who lost his finger and suffered related neurological injuries to the same hand when a flash-bang grenade unexpectedly detonated. Despite his handicap, he is now pitching in the minor leagues for the San Diego Padres organization. (See the TV clip)
Stern's accomplishments were recognized by Super Lawyers 2005, 2006, 2007 amd 2008 with its selection of Stern as one of the top lawyers in Pennsylvania. He was also selected for the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Philadelphia’s Best Lawyers, and is included among the Presidential Who’s Who Among Business and Professional Achievers. And the The Legal Intelligencer and Pennsylvania Law Weekly mentioned Stern’s record-setting legal victories in naming him to the list of Top 10 attorneys switching to new law firms in 2005. Attorneys were selected based on a number of factors, including name recognition, the opinions of local experts and because each was considered “a star” in the legal community. (Read the article.)
Stern in February 2007 won an $8 million settlement for the family of a millworker who fell into a high-temperature paper pulping machine that was not properly guarded in compliance with OSHA industry standards. As a result of the accident, the worker sustained horrific burns and ultimately died, leaving behind his wife and 12-year-old son. The settlement came at the conclusion of a lengthy trial. (See Green.)
In another case, Stern won a $15 million verdict for a woman (See Dupon) who suffered a stroke following carotid artery surgery. Before returning their verdict, the jurors in that case had one question: "Is there a maximum amount of monetary compensation that we can assign?" And in yet another medical malpractice case, Stern convinced a jury to take the unusual step of awarding punitive damages against a dentist who had altered his medical records, a fact Stern revealed during the trial in Bucks County.
In other major cases, Stern won the following:
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A $3 million verdict for a woman injured during surgery to remove a benign pituitary tumor. The medical errors left Sheila Grolimund with little sense of taste or smell, forcing her to give up her bakery business. The verdict was handed down in December 1999.
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A $2.8 million Philadelphia jury verdict in March 2004 for a man whose doctor's failure to order diagnostic testing allowed his cancer to grow for five months, resulting in painful treatments and an increased risk of recurrence. (see Denning)
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A $1.8 million verdict for a woman whose doctor failed to timely diagnose her breast cancer. The award, decided in February 1994, was a record at the time in Gloucester County, N.J. (see Brotsker)
In addition to medical malpractice, Stern has broad experience in product liability cases, where he has successfully handled suits involving aircraft accidents, defective helmets and head gear, defective machine tools and automotive design defect litigation. He also has significant experience in the field of construction and workplace accidents.
Stern has also successfully argued cases in the appellate courts. In 2001, he convinced the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to allow evidence concerning patients' fear of recurring cancer in cases in which doctors fail to properly diagnose and treat the disease.
Stern also handles pharmaceutical litigation, including the firm's nationwide case against Pfizer Inc., the maker of Bextra, a pain medication that was suspended from the market after it was linked to a greater incidence of heart attacks and strokes among patients.
In 2004, Stern was appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Procedural Rules Committee; his term expires in 2010. The panel, created in 1937, is the oldest of the high court’s committees and assists the court in the preparation, revision and administration of civil practice rules.
Stern, a licensed airplane pilot since 1993, earned his bachelor’s degree in 1983 from Pennsylvania State University, where he graduated cum laude. In 1986, he received his law degree from The Beasley School of Law of Temple University, where he won the Barrister’s Trial Award and also was one of the “Founding Fathers” of the Temple Trial Team. During law school, Stern clerked for the late Judge James Hunter 3d of the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
Stern has been involved in teaching trial advocacy techniques to students at Drexel University Law School and plans to assist Drexel's trial team in an upcoming competition. He was a faculty member with the National Institute for Trial Advocacy's National Mid-Atlantic Program. Stern has also worked as an adjunct professor in legal writing and trial advocacy at The Beasley School of Law. He has taught Continuing Legal Education (CLE) courses for attorneys on Products Liability, Advanced Deposition Strategies and Advanced Trial Skills, among others. He was moderator for the acclaimed 2003 Masters on Trial seminar.
Stern is a member of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association.
On TV - Andy Stern on the Mattel toy recall, Fox News 8/15/2007
To contact Andrew Stern, email him at
Andy.Stern@KlineSpecter.com
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