Michael J. Pisanchyn, Jr | American lawyer

1. Michael Pisanchyn Jr. Michael J. Pisanchyn, Jr. (December 21, 1974 - ) is an American lawyer best known for his skilled, compassionate and aggressive representation of victims injured as a result of others negligence and recklessness..[1] Pisanchyn is an honest, truthful and most of all, a fearless advocate who is willing to stand up for what it right as opposed to doing what is easy. Pisanchyn has had thousands of hearings and has tried numerous cases to verdict including notable verdicts against Hope Enterprises, Inc.[2], General Motors[3], Glade Run Lutheran Services[4], Lippmann Milwaukee Inc.[5], and more. In one of his first cases, Pisanchyn represented a defendant accused of attempted murder. After a skilled cross examination, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.[6]

2. Pisanchyn obtained a more than $3 million dollar verdict[7] for the family of a former Hope Enterprises resident, Barbara Maines, in 2012. Maines, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and unable to speak, was under the care of the group home when she was involved in a van accident that left her with a lacerated liver. Police were not called, and the accident was not reported to Maines' family or her medical team until days later - when it was too late. Maines died as a result of the liver laceration. This outrageous conduct[2] is what led the jurors to award $3,118,628 in damages including $7,284 for funeral costs, $11,343 for medical expenses and $100,000 in punitive damages. A documentary-style film was created in an effort to mediate the case and has shed light on the conduct of Hope Enterprises.[8] In the Maines case, the Insurance Company refused to offer very much to settle the case stating, how much would a jury award a person who was disabled and did not have any “economic damages.”[9] Pisanchyn, who took a major issue with this analysis, led the cross examination and trial presentation. After the verdict, he said that the case was about "trust and betrayal." [2] The verdict was appealed by the defense, but the bid to minimize the wrongful death recovery was upheld by the Super Court in 2013.[10]

3. In 2013[11], Pisanchyn and his firm filed suit again against Hope Enterprises after the choking death of a 30-year-old resident - Nathan McHenry - in January 2011. The suit asked the jury to award the man’s mother more than $600 million in damages from the caretaking agency. The Barbara Maines case inspired Pisanchyn to give back and help the intellectually and physically disabled, motivating him to start a charity[12] a few years after the trial. Band-Aids, a 501c3 non-profit organization[13], aims to supports children and adults with special needs who have a love of music by providing them once-in-a-lifetime experiences, according to its website. The first recipient of Band-Aids' opportunities was Austin Davis [14] Davis' dreams came true in February 2017 when he not only got to attend a Brad Paisley concert, his favorite artist, he also met Paisley in person. His parents, when interviewed by the local news [15], described what a dream come true it was for their son. Since then, several other recipients have gone to get the full VIP treatment on behalf of Band-Aids - including limo rides[16] to and from the show, private show concierges, and private meet and greets with artists such as Lady Antebellum[16] and Luke Bryan[17].[18]

4. Throughout history, trial lawyers have been critical in ensuring corporations do not put profit over safety. Pisanchyn is one of these passionate advocates, and like many have said before, sees the courtroom as the great equalizer. In court, and with a skilled attorney by their side, individual citizens can take on large corporations to obtain justice.[20] Keeping with this premise, Pisanchyn represented the family of a 15-year old resident at Glade Run Lutheran Services in Zelienople, PA, whose family hired Pisanchyn and the Pisanchyn Law Firm to file suit on behalf of their son after allegations of abuse at the hands of other residents were ignored, in May 2016. According to the suit, the center’s employees allowed it to happen and responded to his complaints with verbal abuse rather than reporting it to the police. The suit was filed after state inspections uncovered a litany of abuse, neglect and disregard for the residents the center was charged to care for. The state found evidence of children engaging in sexual activities with other children on campus - of which Pisanchyn's client was one. After the investigation, the center was stripped of its license. Despite the egregious findings of the state's inspection - no charges were filed. Mandated changes such as removal of staff, bringing on new employees and adding security cameras were put in place.[21]

5. Michael Pisanchyn   3rd degree connection3rd Founding Partner at Pisanchyn Law Firm Pisanchyn Law Firm Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States  As founder of the Pisanchyn Law Firm, a top injury law firm in Pennsylvania, Attorney Michael Pisanchyn started his working life at a chrome-plating company, and not as an attorney.Through that experience, namely a former co-worker he befriended who lost their life due to poor working conditions, he came to know what he wanted in life, and that was to give a voice to those that have been injured. Attorney Pisanchyn has gone up against some of the biggest corporations, and shown those corporations the law is not just reserved for rich. It is something that can mean the difference between life and death for working people.