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Biographical Information

In more than three decades of practicing personal injury law, Thomas R. Kline has forged an incomparable record of courtroom victories — some with remarkable results against seemingly incredible odds. Beginning with a jury verdict of $5.1 million in the early 1980s, Kline has since achieved hundreds of seven- and eight-figure jury verdicts and settlements. As a result, he has received a litany of accolades and recognition, including his position as past president of the Inner Circle of Advocates, described by The Washington Post as “a select group of 100 of the nation’s most celebrated trial lawyers.”

Kline also has been honored for 11 consecutive years, 2004-2014, as the No. 1 attorney in Pennsylvania by the independent rating service Super Lawyers, an accomplishment unmatched by any lawyer across the nation. He was also chosen by Best Lawyers as its Philadelphia Medical Malpractice “Lawyer of the Year” for 2013 and as among the nation’s best lawyers every year since 1995. And, of the more than 1.2 million lawyers in the United States, Kline was named as among “The 500 Leading Lawyers in America” and the leading personal injury plaintiffs’ lawyer in Pennsylvania by the independent review organization Lawdragon, which describes Kline as an “ever influential and zealous advocate.” Lawdragon previously featured Kline as “one of Philadelphia’s legendary litigators.”

Kline is named to the National Law Journal’s “Winning Hall of Fame” as one of fewer than 100 lawyers selected for compiling “significant bench or jury trial verdicts and who has a record of success over many years.” And he was referred to by the Editorial Board of theThe Philadelphia Inquirer as “the high-powered plaintiffs’ attorney… who has won a number of eight-figure awards for clients injured or killed due to negligence or incompetence by businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit health-care providers.” In 2014, Kline was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by The Legal Intelligencer, a recognition representing “the figures who have helped to shape the law in Pennsylvania … and who have had a distinct impact on the legal profession in the state.” Kline is the recipient of the 2014 United Cerebral Palsy Life Without Limits Award.

On Sept. 17, 2014 Kline announced a $50 million personal gift to the law school at Drexel University, now named the Thomas R. Kline School of Law. The donation included the former Benefical Savings Fund Society building in Center City, which will become the Thomas R. Kline Institute for Trial Advocacy.

Yet Kline, a former sixth grade school teacher from Hazleton, Pa., counts among his greatest honors the letters of thanks he has received from people and families he has represented, clients who suffered severe injuries or the loss of a loved one, clients for whom he was able to obtain a measure of justice. One of them was Linda McAlister, the mother of a baby rendered an invalid for life because of a hospital medication error in 1991 and for whom Kline obtained a substantial settlement. Twenty years later she wrote:

 Tom,  please always remember that, because of you we were able to spend every day with Johnathan. We were able to take him to any doctor anywhere. Had the money to take the very best of care of him. We are forever grateful. When having a bad day, know that and feel proud.
                                                                                            Love, Linda

Kline has appeared on more than 1,000 television news programs and every major national TV network, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, ESPN, MSNBC and shows such as World News TonightNightline, the Today show, Good Morning America,Anderson Cooper 360 and Piers Morgan Tonight. He has been featured or quoted in hundreds more newspapers and magazines, including The New York TimesThe Washington PostNewsweek and People.

In a cover story, the Philadelphia Daily News summarized Kline’s career in a profile titled “Wheels of Justice: The lawyer who beat SEPTA,” an article in which Kline was described as “the Babe Ruth of personal injury litigation.” The newspaper story followed the celebrated Hall v. SEPTA case, which resulted in a $51 million verdict for a four-year-old boy whose foot was torn off in a subway escalator. The 1999 case against the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority also resulted in Kline’s selection by The National Law Journal as among “Ten of America’s Top Litigators.”

Kline is known for his expertise in a courtroom, particularly his examination of witnesses and his moving opening and closing arguments. More than anything, he is known for getting results. In his most recent case, in December 2013, he won a $42.9 million verdict — one of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Pennsylvania history – for a child born with cerebral palsy after she received substandard medical treatment at a Philadelphia hospital. A month earlier, he won an $11.6 million settlement for a former University of Pennsylvania student who fell through a raised skylight/ventilation opening at an off-campus residence and was rendered a paraplegic. Among a few of Kline’s other better-known cases are:

  • $33.1 million jury award by a Lehigh County jury in Welteroth v. Spectrascan to the estate of a woman late diagnosed with breast cancer.
  • The Searscase in which $15.2 million was awarded to a child who suffered brain injury during heart surgery.
  • The Borkowskicase in which a jury awarded $15 million to a Downs Syndrome child injured during heart surgery.
  • $19 million verdict for a baby born with disabilities in a drug product liability case.
  • $10.5 million settlement for the family of a teenager killed while being restrained at a treatment center.
  • $6 million verdict, the largest medical-malpractice verdict in Indiana County, in the Chichy case for a baby injured during delivery.
  • A Montgomery County jury’s multi-million dollar verdict for the estate of a woman who died of breast cancer after a doctor misread her mammogram. The Lackmancase was featured on ABC’s Nightline.
  • $40.5 million settlement for six people killed and others injured in an explosion and fire at the Village Green apartment complex in Hatboro, Pa
  • The $36.4 million settlement with Motiva Enterprises for the death of a worker in an oil refinery explosion. The settlement was believed to be the largest-ever in the nation for a single worker death.
  • $29.6 million settlement for three women who were killed and others who were injured in the collapse of Pier 34 on the Delaware River, a case in which Kline was co-lead counsel.
  • $10 million agreement in the highly publicized Cozzolino case in which a kindergarten student was killed when a lunch table collapsed on him in the school cafeteria.
  • The Keencase, in which Kline won an $18.5 million jury verdict for a 12-year-old girl who suffered heart damage due to a medical error.
  • $14 million verdict, reportedly the largest-ever in Bucks County, Pa., for teenager Ashley Zauflik, whose leg was amputated after she was run over by a school bus.

Kline has prominently represented Victim No. 5 in the Pennsylvania State University child sexual abuse matter and has become a national spokesman for the victims, appearing in numerous newspaper stories and featured in television coverage that has reached a cumulative audience of more than 100 million.

The Sandusky case was not Kline’s first in the arena of protecting victims of child sexual abuse. In 2011, he obtained a settlement against an unlicensed psychotherapist who had sex with a teenage patient. The agreement came with a mandated public admission and apology in open court by the Allentown therapist. The settlement with two of the therapist’s employers was for $1.8 million but the actual payment was expected to reach as much as $3.8 million pending further litigation with insurance companies.

As he did inumerable times since his first seven-figure verdict in the early 1980s, Kline in 2013 reached one of the largest verdicts for an undocumented worker in obtaining a $5 million award for a man crushed to death by a collapsing excavation site.

In 2010, he secured a $5.2 million jury verdict for the family of a Philadelphia woman who developed internal bleeding following a routine procedure and died after doctors failed to treat the condition in time.

In the same year, Kline obtained the $10.5 million settlement in the federal case of a teenager who died at a Tennessee treatment center after he was placed in a restraint hold. The case was one of many civil rights cases handled by Kline, who currently represents the family of a young girl victimized in a highly publicized kidnap and sexual assault case in Philadelphia after she was abducted from her school. Kline also advocated publicly for improved school policies and procedures in testimony before City Council regarding the case.

Kline appeared previously before Council’s Public Health and Human Services Committee in 2010 concerning the case of Joaquin Rivera, who died — and was robbed — while he waited for assistance at a hospital emergency room. Kline represented the Rivera family and obtained a confidential settlement in the civil case.

In 2009, Kline achieved a $3.2 million settlement for the husband of a Wayne County woman who was killed when her car struck a piece of farming equipment that broke loose from an oncoming truck. The settlement was believed to be the largest ever in the rural northeastern Pennsylvania county.

In 2008, Kline won a $5.5 million jury verdict for the family of an 18-year-old man fatally shot while working as a parking lot attendant at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. The hospital had failed to improve safety and security after an armed robbery at the same exit booth only 12 days earlier. After the case, Kline publicly sought to improve safety in parking facilities both in the region and nationally.

In addition to his full catastrophic injury practice, Kline has been, as stated by The Wall Street Journal, a “key player” in the litigation over Vioxx, the pain medication removed from the market in late 2004. He is a member of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee directing the federal MDL proceedings against Merck & Co. Kline took the testimony of top Merck executives and independent scientists which became key evidence at trial in numerous multi-million dollar awards against Merck and helped lead to a $4.85 billion settlement in which hundreds of Kline & Specter clients will benefit.

Tom Kline grew up in the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region, son of a dress factory manager, and graduated from Albright College, where he has been honored with the school’s Distinguished Alumni award. Kline began his professional career not as a lawyer but as a middle school teacher, teaching sixth grade social studies. He attended Lehigh University, where he earned a master’s degree in American History and completed all of the Ph.D. course work and examinations. Kline then attended Duquesne University School of Law, where he graduated with the school’s Distinguished Student Award and just this year received its Distinguished Alumni Award. He went on to work as law clerk to Pennsylvania Supreme Court for Justice Thomas W. Pomeroy.

Kline’s private legal career quickly blossomed, first at The Beasley Firm in Philadelphia and later, when he joined forces with Shanin Specter to open their own firm in 1995.

In the early 1980s Kline won a $5.1 million verdict against the makers of the Dalkon Shield, at the time the largest compensatory verdict in the United States against the maker of the defective birth control device. Later, in an epic legal struggle that spanned 16 years against a drug manufacturer, Kline won multi-million dollar punitive damage awards twice against Merrell Dow for its manufacture and sale of a prescription drug.

Kline has been a prolific teacher of continuing Legal Education. Recent CLE’s include: “A Conversation with Tom Kline,” a major event at the PaTLA July 2011 annual meeting, and his program “Tom Kline’s Real World in the Courtroom: Real Testimony, Real Trials” at Drexel University. He delivered the keynote address at the Bench-Bar & Annual Conference sponsored by the Philadelphia Bar Association in Atlantic City in October 2011. Atlantic City in 2011. Kline starred in the latest version of his Trial as Theatre series, this one titled “Bob Dylan: Music, Lyrics and the Law” and performed at the Wilma Theater, in November 2011.

Kline is a frequent lecturer at law schools, medical schools and continuing legal education programs. He currently is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he teaches “Introduction to Trial Advocacy,” and has taught classes at many institutions from Temple University Beasley School of Law to Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. In 2013, he delivered the Edward J. Ross Memorial Lecture in Litigation at Temple Law School. Kline has taught complex litigation at The National Judicial College in Reno, Nev., and addressed the Conference of State Trial Judges at its annual meeting in 2010 and 2013 on Medical Malpractice. Kline has been featured in the acclaimed Masters on Trial seminar. And he is the producer, director, writer and performer in the acclaimed one-man show “Trial As Theatre (TM)” as well as The Modern Trial and Tom Kline on Technology. Kline is the author of “Robert C. Grier: Jacksonian Unionist” and is the author of numerous other published articles. He wrote an Op-Ed piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Immunity Is Bad Medicine.”

Kline served U.S. Senators Specter, Heinz, Santorum and Casey on the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission for the United States District Court for federal courts in Pennsylvania from 1989 through 2011. The 14-member citizen merit selection panel has screened applicants for the federal bench and made recommendations to the two senators from Pennsylvania, who in turn recommended candidates to the President of the United States. Kline served as Chairman of the Eastern District panel from 1998 to 2010. As of 2011, every active member of the USDC ED Pa. was screened and recommended by the Commission.

Kline is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New York. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and other federal courts.

Kline is listed in Best Lawyers in America and in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. He is AV-rated in Martindale-Hubbell and is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, which limits membership to 500 attorneys in the United States recommended by their peers and trial judges for outstanding skills and abilities as well as character and integrity. Kline was also selected for the 2007 edition of the World’s Leading Product Liability Lawyers. Kline has earned respect across many divides. Even the U. S. Chamber of Commerce lists Kline as one of the most “highly respected plaintiff’s lawyers” in their October 2013 report “The New Lawsuit Ecosystem.”

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and serves as chair of the Board of Advisors of the Drexel University School of Law and is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Drexel University. Kline previously served as a member of the Board of Advisors of WXPN, the University of Pennsylvania public radio station. In 2014, Kline was honored by United Cerebral Palsy of Philadelphia & Vicinity with its Life Without Limits Award.

Kline is an avid Philadelphia sports fan who is often found behind home plate at Phillies games and courtside at Sixers games.He is also a recreational squash player and continues to bowl since his teenage years as a league bowler.

Press

Most Notable Cases TV Coverage:

  • The Cozzolini Case – Child killed when school table collapses
  • The Davis Motiva Case – Worker dies in refinery explosion
  • The Ebel Case – Doctor dies as result of care by colleagues
  • The Eskin Case – Radio host settles defamation suit
  • The Hall V. SEPTA Case – Tot’s foot torn off in subway escalator
  • The Lackman Case – Negligence found in breast cancer case
  • The Leach Case – Negligence found after death at facility
  • The Little Case – Settlement reached in boxers death
  • The Palmer Case – Jury award in parking lot shooting
  • The Pier 34 Case – Pier collapse kills three, injures dozens
  • The Rivera Case – Man dies in Philadelphia ER waiting room waiting for care
  • The Ryan Case – Penn student dies after wrong diagnosis
  • The Seidel Case – Prison death case settled for $4 million
  • The Slaughter Case – Boy drowns in pool at summer camp
  • The Thatcher Case – Settlement reached in psychotherapist sex case
  • The Village Green Case – Six killed in explosion at apartment complex
  • The Welteroth Case – Record $33.1 million verdict in breast cancer case
  • The Wilkerson Case –  A woman died when ride pavilion collapsed
  • The Zauflik Case – Teen badly injured in “runaway bus” accident

Most recent TV/Radio appearances (2012-2014)

  • Tom Kline comments on supreme court ruling on statutory damages cap, ABC 3, 11/20/14
  • Drexel University dedicates Thomas R. Kline School of Law
  • Tom Kline comments on guilty verdict in Cobbs Creek abduction trial: CBS 3 9/12/14-5PM; CBS 3 9/12/14-6PM; CBS 3 9/12/14-11PM; NBC 10 9/12/14-11PM; ABC 6 9/12/14-5PM; Fox 29 9/12/14-6PM
  • Last day of testimony in abduction trial: NBC 10 9/10/14-6PM; KYW Radio 9/10/14-1pm; KYW Radio 9/10/14-1:30pm; NBC 10 9/10/14
  • NBC 10 9/4/14-4PM; NBC 10 – 9/4/14-6PM
  • Tom Kline comments on testimony of relative of defendant in abduction trial: NBC 10, 9/3/14-6pm; NBC 10, 9/3/14-4pm
  • Tom Kiine comments on testimony in the Cobbs Creek child abduction trial: NBC 10 8/28/14-4:30PM
  • Trial begins in Cobbs Creek abduction case: NBC 10, 8/25/14; KYW-TV, 8/25/14; ABC 6, 8/25/14; KYW Radio 8/25/14
  • Tom kline files suit in NJ House Explosion: NBC 10 4/25/14-11PM; CBS 3 4/25/14-11PM; WWSI-TV 4/25/14-11PM; ABC 6 4/25/14-11PM; Fox 29 4/25/14-6PM; CBS 3-TV 4/25/14-6PM; NBC 10 4/25/14-5PM; Fox 29 4/25/14-5PM; NBC 10 4/25/14-4PM; CBS 3-TV 3/25/14-11PM; WINS AM Radio 4/25/13-5PM
  • Tom Kline files suit in Cobbs Creek abduction case:Fox 29 News 3/27/14-7AM; NBC 10-TV 3/27/14-4AM; Fox 29 TV 3/26/14-10PM; Fox 29-TV 3/26/14-6PM; NBC 10-TV 3/26/14-5PM; ABC 6-TV 3/26/14-5PM;
  • KYW 1060-AM Radio 3/26/14
  • Tom Kline comments on 911 call delay in Ewing Township gas explosion, CBS 3 3/25/14
  • Kline & Specter files suit in death of radio personality E. Steven Collins, Fox 29 News 3/18/14; CBS 3 3/17/14; NBC 10 3/17/14
  • Tom Kline comments on suit being filed in the Cobbs Creek abduction case, KYW-AM Radio 2/25/14
  • Tom Kline interviewed on abduction case anniversary: Fox 29-TV 1/14/14
  • Tom Kline comments on Autumn Pasquale Lawsuit: CBS 3-TV 12/2/13
  • Tom Kline comments on youth coaches criminal records: NBC 10-TV 11/15/13
  • Tom Kline comments on PSU settlement: KDKA-AM 10/28/13
  • Kline & Specter files suit in Slipper Rock University death: KDKA-AM Radio 9/9/13-6PM
  • Tom Kline comments on former PSU officials going to trial:WTAJ-TV 8/1/13-5AM; NBC 10-TV 7/30/13-4PM; CBS 3-TV 7/30/13-6PM; Fox 29-TV 7/30/13-5PM; WFMZ-TV 7/30/13-6PM; WPMT-TV 7/30/13-10PM; WJBK-TV 7/30/13-11AM; WTAE-TV 7/30/13-5PM; WOLF-TV 7/30/13-10PM
  • WBRE-TV 7/29/13-5PM; WTAE-TV 7/29/13-10PM; KDKA-TV 7/29/13-6PM; WFMZ-TV 7/29/13-6PM;WPMT-TV 7/29/13-6PM; WFMZ-TV 7/29/13-5PM; Fox 29-TV 7/29/13-6PM; NBC 10-TV 7/29/13-6PM;ABC 6-TV 7/29/13-6PM; KDKA-TV 7/29/13-6PM; WFMZ-TV 7/29/13-5:30PM; KDKA-TV 7/29/13-5PM;CBS 3 7/29/13-5PM; Fox 29-TV 7/29/13-5P
  • Tom Kline interviewed on PSU abuse settlements, WBRE_TV 7/18/13-6PM
  • Medical Malpractice Myths with attorney Tom Kline, Court Radio with Dean Weitzman 6/16/13
  • Tom Kline on “Crime Guy” show on building collapse, WPHT-AM 6/9/13
  • Tom Kline files suit in pleasure gel disfigurement case, ABC 6 5/22/13-11PM
  • Tom Kline comments on abduction case update: Fox 29 5/20/13-6PM; Fox 29 5/20/13-5PM; CBS 3 5/20/13-5PM; NBC 10 5/20/10-6PM;  NBC 10 5/20/13-4PM
  • Tom Kline comments on indictment in abduction case: Fox 29, 4/29/13-6PM; NBC 10 4/29/13-6PM; ABC 6, 4/29/13-4PM; NBC 10 News 4/29/13-4PM
  • Tom Kline comments on closing arguments in Megabus crash trial, KYW Radio 1060 4/8/13
  • Tom Kline comments on Sandusky prison interview: CNN 3/25/13; KYW News Radio 3/25/13
  • Thomas Kline Delivers 2013 Edward J. Ross Lecture at Temple Univ. School of Law, 3/22/13
  • Tom Kline comments on Muslim school security, NBC 10 3/21/13
  • Tom Kline comments on Boston bus crash investigation, NBC 10 3/19/13
  • Tom Kline on abduction case updates, WWIQ-FM 3/11/13-7AM
  • Bail denied in Abduction Case; Tom Kline comments, Fox 29 3/6/13; KYW 1060-AM 3/6/13-12:30PM;KYW 1060-AM 3/6/13-12Noon
  • Tom Kline comments on PSU negotiations, CBS 3 2/27/13-5PM
  • Tom Kline comments on arrest made in abduction case: NBC 10 News 2/19/13-4PM; WWIQ 106.9 FM 2/19/13  Fox 29 News, 2/18/13-7AM; CBS 3 News 2/18/13-11PM; CBS 3 News 2/18/13-6PM; Fox 29 News, 2/18/13-7AM; NBC 10 2/16/13-11PM; ABC 6 News, 2/15/13-11PM; NBC 10 News, 2/15/13-6PM; NBC 10 News, 2/15/13-4PM; KYW 1060-AM 2/15/13-7AM; CBS News 3 2/14/13-11PM; NBC 10 News 2/14/13-11PM; ABC 6 News 2/14/13-11PM; CBS News 3 2/14/13-6PM; NBC 10 News 2/14/13-6PM; ABC 6 News 2/14/13-6PM; Fox 29 News 2/14/13-10PM; CBS 3 News 2/14/13-5PM
  • Tom Kline comments on Paterno report in child sexual abuse case: WBRE-TV 2/11/13-6PM; CBS 3 2/11/13-6AM
  • Girls mom speaks in abduction case, CBS 3 1/31/13
  • Tom Kline comments on abduction case reward – ABC 6 News 1/25/13-11PM; NBC 10 News: 1/25/13-5PM; ABC 6 News 1/25/13-5PM;  KYW New Radio 1060 1/25/13;  Fox 29 News: 1/24/13
  • Tom Kline interviewed on child abduction case: CBS 3 News: 1/17/13; Fox 29 News 1/17/13-6PM; Fox 29 News 1/17/13-10PM; ABC 6 News 1/17/13-11PM; NBC 10 News 1/17/13-6PM
  • Penn State sexual abuse scandal 2013 interviews: ABC 6 News 2/10/13-6PM; Fox 29 News 2/10/13-6PM; NBC 10 News 2/10/13-6PM; WBBM-AM 2/10/13-12PM; WPSG TV 2/10/13-10PM; WGAL-TV 1/10/13-11PM; WGAL-TV 1/10/13-6PM; WPMT-TV (Fox 43) 1/10/13-10PM; WBRE-TV 1/10/13-5PM; ABC 6 News 1/10/13-Noon; ABC 6 News 1/10/13-4PM; ABC 6 News 1/10/13-6PM;WFMZ-TV 1/10/13-5PM; Fox 29 News 1/10/13-6PM; CBS 3 News 1/10/13-5PM; NBC 10 News 1/10/13; WTAJ-TV 10 (CBS) 1/10/2013-5PM; NBC 10 News 1/3/13-4PM; CBS 3 News 1/3/13-6PM
  • Tom Kline comments on Graham Spanier charges: WBRE-TV 11/7/12-6PM; CBS 3 11/1/12-6PM
  • Pre-sentencing hearing in PSU child sexual abuse case: Fox News Channel 10/9/12-3pm; NBCToday 10/9/12-7AM; CBS 3 10/9/12-11AM; NBC 10 10/9/12-11AM; ABC 6 10/9/12-4PM; ABC 6 10/9/12-10AM; HLN 10/9/12-7AM; WTAE-TV 10/9/12-5PM; WBRE-TV 10/9/12-5PM; National Public Radio 10/9/12; KXL-AM 10/9/12; WJAC-TV 10/9/12-11PM; WFMZ-TV 69 10/9/12-6PM; Fox 29 10/9/12-5PM; CBS 3 10/9/12-6PM; WGAL-TV 10/9/12-5PM; WHTM-TV 27 10/9/12-6PM; WPMT-TV (Fox 43) 10/9/12-6PM; ABC 6 10/8/12-5PM; CNN 10/8/12-5AM; CNN 10/8/12-7PM; WBRE-TV 10/8/2012-11PM;WBRE-TV 10/8/12-6PM; WHTM-TV 10/8/12; WHP-TV 10/8/12-6PM; KDKA-TV 10/8/12-4PM; WPXI-TV 10/8/12-11PM; WPXI-TV 10/8/12-11PM; WFMZ-TV 69 10/8/12-10PM; NBC 10 10/8/12-11PM
  • Tom Kline on McQueary suit, ESPN Outside The Lines, 10/3/12
  • Bail hearing in child sexual abuse case: Fox 29 10/3/12
  • Tom Kline comments on the PSU child sexual abuse case, The Michael Smerconish Show 8/23/12
  • Tom Kline comments on Erickson Interview reaction: KYW News Radio 1060AM 7/29/12-6PM;KYW News Radio 1060AM 7/29/12-5PM
  • Tom Kline comments on NCAA Sanctions: ESPN2 7/23/12-8PM; WBRE-TV 7/23/12-5PM
  • Paterno Statue Removed, Tom Kline comments, NBC 10 News 7/22/12-6PM
  • Tom Kline interviewed on PSU case: It’s Your Call 7/19/12;  WBRE-TV 7/17/12-6PM; WBRE-TV 7/17/12-5PM
  • Tom Kline comments on Freeh Report:  CBS Radio 7/12/12-5AM; The Michael Smerconish Show1210AM 7/12/12; WFMZ-TV 69 7/13/12-5AM; Fox News Channel 7/13/12-7PM; Fox News Channel 7/13/12-3PM;CNN 7/13/12-6:30AM; NittanyLionsDen.com 7/12/12; Outside The Lines, ESPN  7/12/12; CNN 7/12/12-9AM; Fox News Channel, 7/12/12-1PM; Good Morning America ABC 6 7/12/12-7AM; NBC 10 7/12/12-1030AM; Talk Philly, KYW-TV 3 7/12/12-Noon; TruTV 7/12/12-10AM; WGAL-TV 8 7/12/12-6PM; WHTM-TV (ABC 27) 7/12/12-Noon; WSEE-TV (Erie, Pa) 12 7/12/12-530PM; WBRE-TV (NBC) 7/12/12-6PM; ABC 7/12/12-5PM; CSN 7/12/12-10PM; NBC 10 7/12/12-4PM; ESPN News 7/12/12 5PM; WJET-TV 7/12/12-6PM; CNN 7/12/12-3PM; KYW News Radio 1060AM 7/12/12-3PM; B101-FM 7/12/12
  • Tom Kline comments on Freeh investigation: ABC 6 News 7/11/12-4PM; Fox 29 News 7/11/12-6PM
  • Tom Kline comments on PSU email scandal: Essential Public Radio 90.5-FM 7/6/12
  • Tom Kline interviewed about Sandusky pension: CBS 3 News 6/27/12-6PM
  • Tom Kline comments post-verdict: Fox 29 News 6/25/12; TruTV 6/25/12; WBRE-TV 6/25/12; NBC 10 6/25/12-5PM; NBC 10 6/25/12-4PM; ABC 6 6/25/12-5PM; ABC 6 6/25/12-4PM; WPXI 11 News 6/24/12; WHP 21 News 6/24/12; MSNBC News 6/24/12; CBS 3 6/23/12
  • Tom Kline interviewed on Sandusky verdict: CBS This Morning 6/22/12; HLN 6/22/12; WGAL 8 (Lancaster, Pa) 6/22/12; CBS 3 News 6/22/12 11PM; CBS 3 News 6/22/12-6PM; WPMT (Fox43) 6/22/12; WJET TV (Erie, Pa) 6/22/12; ABC 6 News 6/22/12-11PM; ABC News 6 6/22/12-4PM; CBS 3 News – 6PM 6/22/12; NBC 10 News 6/22/12 6PM; NBC 10 6/22/12 – 5PM; NBC 10 News 6/22/12 – 4PM;CNN 6/22/12 – 7PM; KDKA 2 News 6/22/12-11PM; Nightline 6/22/12; Anderson Cooper 360, CNN 6/22/12
  • Tom Kline comments on jury deliberations: WJET-TV 6/21/12-5PM; WFXP-TV 6/21/12-10PM; WJLA 7 News 6/21/12-5PM; Pennlive.com 6/21/12; KDKA-TV 6/21/12-630PM; WPMT-TV 6/21/12-7AM;WFMZ-TV 69 6/21/12-6PM; WFMZ-TV 69 6/21/12-5:30PM; Hardball on MSNBC 6/21/12-5PM
  • Tom Kline comments on child sexual abuse trial: WTAE-TV 6/20/12-6PM; WTAE-TV 6/20/12-5PM; WJET-TV 6/20/12-5PM; WPMT-TV 6/20/12-8AM; WFXP-TV 6/20/12-8AM; WABC-TV 6/20/12; Fox 29 News 6/20/12; ABC 6 News 6/20/12-6PM; NBC 10 News 6/20/12-5PM; CBS 3 News 6/20/12-6PM; Good Morning America, ABC 6 6/20/12; HLN 6/20/12-2PM; TruTV 6/20/12-12PM
  • ABC World News Tonight 6/19/12; CBS Morning News 6/19/12; WFXP Fox-TV 6/19/12; WNEP-TV 6/19/12-6AM; Comcast SportsNet 6/19/12-8AM; Fox 29 News 6/19/12-5PM; KDKA-TV 6/19/2012-5PM;WHTM-TV 6/19/12-7PM
  • ABC News 6 6/18/12-6PM; ABC News 6 6/18/12-4PM; CBS News 3 6/18/12-5PM; NBC 10 News 6/18/12-6PM; Fox 29 News 6/18/12-6PM; NBC 10 News 6/18/12-6PM; WFMZ-TV 6/18/12-5:30PM;WSEE-TV 6/18/12; WBRE-TV 6/18/12-11PM; WPGH-TV 6/18/12-10PM; KDKA 2 News 6/18/12; WHTM (ABC 27) 6/18/12-11PM; WPMT (Fox 43) 6/18/12-6PM; WFMZ 69 News 6/18/12-6PM; WTAE-TV 11 6/18/12-6PM; Pennlive.com 6/18/12
  • ABC 6 News 6/17/12
  • Hardball on MSNBC 6/15/12
  • CNN 6/14/12; WHTM-TV (ABC 27) 6/14/2012; ABC News 6/14/12-6:30PM; ABC News 6/14/12-3AM;ABC News 6/14/12-11PM; The Today, NBC 6/14/12; Good Morning America, ABC 6/14/12
  • CBS 3 6/13/12; NBC 10 6/13/12-4PM; Fox 29 News 6/13/12; ABC 6 News 6/13/12 11PM; HLN 6/13/12-4PM; TruTV 6/13/12 12PM; Newswatch 16, WNEP-TV 6/13/12-5PM; WGAL-TV 8 6/13/12-6PM;WHTM (ABC 27) 6/13/12-5PM; Fox 43 News 6/13/12-6PM; Fox 53 News 6/13/12-10PM; KDKA 2 (CBS Pittsburgh) 2 6/13/12-4PM; KDKA 2 (CBS Pittsburgh) 2 6/13/12-11PM; WTAE-TV 4 6/13/12-11PM;WPXI-TV 11 6/13/12-11PM; The Today Show, NBC 6/13/12-7AM; Anderson Cooper 360, CNN 6/13/12
  • Fox Business News 6/12/12; KABC-TV (Los Angeles) 6/12/12; ABC 6 6/12/12; TruTV 6/12/12; Pennlive 6/12/12
  • KABB-TV (San Antonio) 6/11/12; CBS 3 News 6/11/12 ; ABC 6 News 6/11/12; NBC 10 News 6/11/12;WABC-TV 7 (New York) 6/11/12; Fox 43 (York,Pa.) 6/11/12; PennLive.com 6/11/12; HLN 6/11/12;KDKA-TV 6/11/12 (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
  • CNN 6/10/12 6PM
  • NBC 10 News 6/7/12
  • Tom Kline featured on WPHT-AM Radio on the Zauflik case, 6/5/12
  • Tom Kline on WHYY-radio commenting on the Zauflik case, 6/5/12
  • Tom Kline on  “The People’s Law School,” 1210-AM, 4/21/12
  • Dedication of The Kline & Specter Courtroom at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3/12/12
  • Dedication of The Kline & Specter Squash Center at Drexel University
  • Tom Kline interviewed on Sandusky rulings, NBC 10 – 2/13/12
  • Tom Kline comments on Sandusky case developments 2/10/12: Fox 29 2/10/12; Big Talker 1210AM 2/10/12

Newspaper/Print Coverage:

  • Kline & Specter $2.5M Verdict Awarded in First Phila. Risperdal Trial,  The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/25/15;Philadelphia Daily News, 2/25/15; The Legal Intelligencer, 2/25/15
  • Man sues police for barrage of gunfire that hit him after he delivered cheeseburger, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/12/15
  • Upcoming Thomas R. Kline Institute of Trial Advocacy cited as one of 50 things that will change Philadelphia — for the better — in 2015, Philadelphia Business Journal, 1/23/15
  • Tom Kline comments on latest ruling in PSU sex abuse case, The Patriot-News, 1/14/14
  • Kline and Specter take on Philly’s plaintiff-friendly rep, Law 360, 12/17/14
  • ​Drexel’s Kline School of Law opens free community legal clinic, CBS News 10/3/14
  • Law firm’s success is behind $50M gift to Drexel, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/19/14
  • Philadelphian gives Drexel $50 Million: Business of Law, Bloomberg, 9/19/14
  • Drexel renames law school after Thomas R. Kline, Philadelphia Magazine, 9/18/14
  • City native pledges $50M to Drexel law school, Hazleton Standard Speaker, 9/18/14
  • $50M gift to Drexel Law School-Trial lawyer Thomas R. Kline’s grant includes the Beneficial Bank building,The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/18/14
  • Drexel renames law school after Kline donates $50 Mil., The Legal Intelligencer, 9/18/14
  • Thomas R. Kline gifts $50 Million to Drexel University’s School of Law, Maine News, 9/18/14
  • Drexel Law gets $50 Million from Philadelphia Trial Lawyer, The Wall Street Journal, 9/18/14
  • Drexel Law gets $50M gift, the largest ever for the university, Philadelphia Business Journal, 9/17/14
  • Drexel’s School of Law receives unprecedented $50 Million gift from Thomas R. Kline, DrexelNOW, 9/17/14
  • Trial lawyer gives $50M to Drexel law school, Fairfield Citizen, 9/17/14
  • Lawyer Tom Kline to give $50M to Drexel Law School, NBC 10, 9/17/14
  • Injury pics rattle jurors in child-abduction case, The Philadelphia Daily News, 8/28/14
  • Trial of alleged Byant school kidnapper begins, Philadelphia Daily News, 8/27/14
  • Cop testifies to chaos after girl’s abduction from school, Philadelphia Daily News, 8/26/14
  • Trial continues of Philly woman in child abduction case, ABC 27, 8/26/14
  • Pelvic Mesh Mass Tort Filings Continue to Rise, The Legal Intelligencer, 8/19/14
  • Tom Kline comments on trial starting in child abduction case, CSN Philly, 8/18/14
  • Tom Kline on Objections in filed in hospital case, Huntingdon Daily News, 7/25/14
  • Tom Kline comments on Risperdal punitive damages ruling, The Legal Intelligencer, 7/22/14
  • Tom Kline comments on suit filed against doctor, hospital, Philadelphia Daily News, 7/3/14
  • Report changed few opinions in PSU community, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/25/14
  • ‘Motor Cars’ event raises money for United Cerebral Palsy at Phoenixville Foundry, The Pheonix Reporter, 6/24/14
  • Two more victims in child sexual abuse case, PennLive, 6/23/14
  • UCP brings ‘Motor Cars Under the Stars’ to Phoenixville. Tom Kline honored, The Phoenix Reporter, 6/13/14
  • Tom Kline comments on E. Steven Collins case, CBS 3 Philly, 6/8/14
  • Family of Lafayette College freshman struck by Jeep sues school, crew coaches, Times-Express, 6/2/14
  • Legal Journal honors city natives, Hazleton Standard Speaker, 6/2/14
  • Tom Kline addresses Drexel University School of Law graduation, UWIRE 5/20/14
  • Tom kline files suit in NJ House Explosion: Comcast Sports Network 4/25/14; NBC 10 Local 4/24/14
  • Pa. Municipal Tort Cap Violates Constitution, Court Told, Law 360 5/7/14
  • Statutory Damages Cap Tops Supreme Court Arguments, The Legal Intelligencer, 5/6/14; PennLive 5/6/14
  • Should local governments an dschool districts enjoy limited immunity from lawsuits? The Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/5/14
  • Pa. school bus victim challenging $500k damage cap, ABC 27.com, 5/5/14
  • Tom Kline comments on Low Turnout for ‘Low T’ Drug Lawsuit Filings, The Legal Intelligencer, 4/23/14
  • Tom Kline comments on death of disabled woman, The Philadelphia Daily News, 4/16/14
  • Baby’s CP due to docs’ failure to administer steroids, Verdict Search, March 2014
  • Tom Kline hired by family in fatal NJ gas explosion, The Times of Trenton, NJ 3/27/14; The Trentonian 3/27/14; The Colorado Gazette, 3/27/14
  • Tom Kline interviewed on suit filed by family of abducted girl in Cobbs Creek, The Pennsylvania Record, 3/28/14; The Philadelphia Daily News 3/27/14
  • Sandusky’s wife defends him on national TV, Tom Kline comments, The Philadelphia Inquirer 3/31/14
  • Tom Kline files suit in death of radio personality E. Steven Collins: The Philadelphia Daily News, 3/18/14;The Philadelphia Inquirer 3/18/14; Comcast Sports Network, 3/18/14; The Philadelphia Business Journal, 3/18/14; The Philadelphia Tribune, 3/17/14
  • Lawyer plans to file suit on behalf of 5-year-old child abducted from school, Pennsylvania Record 3/4/14
  • Pelvic Mesh Cases Expanding Into Latest Mass Tort, The Legal Intelligencer 2/25/14
  • Tom Kline to receive United Cerebral Palsy Life Without Limits Award, The Pheonix Reporter 3/2/14
  • Abducted girl’s family will sue school district, The Philadelphia Daily News 2/24/14
  • Tom Kline comments on anniversary of Cobbs Creek abduction, NBC10.com 2/18/14
  • Tom Kline quoted on PA counties becoming more plaintiff-friendly, The Legal Intelligencer 2/11/14
  • Tom Kline quoted on birth injury case verdicts, The Legal Intelligencer 2/4/14
  • Tom Kline sues Kohl’s over boy’s display hook injuries, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader 1/28/14
  • Tom Kline in new movie “Happy Valley” about Sandusky scandal, premiered at Sundance,  Associated Press 1/22/14
  • Pa. Supreme Court takes up appeal of injury verdict reduced from $14 million to $500,000 due to damages cap: The Pennsylvania Record 1/21/14
  • Bucks County Newspaper details Zauflik appeal: The Bucks County Courier-times 1/20/14
  • PA Supreme Court to hear Tom Kline appeal on liability cap law: The Legal Intelligencer 1/17/14; The Philadelphia Inquirer 1/17/14
  • Kline, Safier, Clarke win $42.9M med-mal verdict — one of PA’s largest: The Legal Intelligencer 12/23/13;The Philadelphia Inquirer 12/23/13
  • Kline, Guerrini, Williams win $11.6M premises liability settlement: The Legal Intelligencer 11/13/13; The Philadelphia Inquirer 11/13/13
  • “Is the Golden Age of Trial Attorneys Over?” The Legal Intelligencer, 11/12/13
  • Delco Dominates Large Suburban Verdicts and Settlements: The Legal Intelligencer 10/29/13
  • PSU agrees to pay $59.7 Mil. to settle child sexual abuse cases: The Legal Intelligencer 10/29/13
  • Penn State Will Pay $60M In Sex Abuse Settlements, Law360 10/28/13
  • Sports-Related Injury Cases on the Rise in Pennsylvania: The Legal Intelligencer 9/24/13
  • Diet supplements to blame in West Chester man’s death?, The Philadelphia Daily News 7/26/13
  • Penn State board OKs up to $60 million to settle claims by Sandusky victims, The Philadelphia Inquirer7/18/13; The Legal Intelligencer 7/18/13; The Citizens’ Voice 7/18/13; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review7/18/13; The Morning Call 7/18/13
  • PSU Board Approved $60 Mil. for Settlements, The Legal Intelligencer 7/18/13
  • Tentative PSU settlements with sex-abuse victim, The Philadelphia Inquirer 7/13/13
  • Commonwealth Court Upholds Governmental Damages Cap in Pennsbury school bus accident: The Legal Intelligencer 7/8/13; The Philadelphia Inquirer 7/5/13
  • Building collapse spotlights Trends at L&I, The Philadelphia Inquirer 6/17/13
  • Kline & Specter files suit in Pennsylvania for an Indiana women who sustained injuries after surgical implant of transvaginal mesh, The Pennsylvania Record, 6/6/13
  • Abducted 5-year-old girl’s family to sue, The Philadelphia Inquirer 5/22/13
  • Scandal fallout continues as Penn State sues insurer, The Philadelphia Inquirer 3/7/13
  • Questions remain about abduction of girl, The Philadelphia Inquirer 2/17/13
  • Bail set at $4 million in child abduction case, Philly.com 2/15/13
  • Settlement negotiations begin in PSU child sexual abuse case, New York Daily News 2/12/13
  • Paternos’ media tour adds to debate, Pittsburg Post-Gazette 2/12/13
  • Commonwealth Court Asked to Overturn Statutory Damage Cap in Zauflik case, The Legal Intelligencer2/12/13
  • Claimants in Sandusky case could number as high as 30: USA Today 2/11/13; Wall Street Journal2/11/13
  • Tom Kline comments on Paterno family report, The Patriot-News (PennLIve) 2/10/13
  • “Fighting for Joe,” People Magazine February 2013
  • Kline, Inscho file suit in inmate deaths, The Morning Call, 2/1/13
  • Abducted girl’s mom hires Tom Kline, Philadelphia Daily News 1/18/13
  • Family Ties reviewed in probe, The Philadelphia Inquirer 1/18/13
  • Attorney for victim says PSU could settle, Altoona Mirror 1/12/13
  • Attorney says settlement talks close to deal in PSU civil suits, The Morning Call 1/11/13
  • Sandusky Insurance Row Is In Wrong Venue, Penn State Says, Law360 1/9/13
  • Settlement talks with Sandusky victims are fraught process, The Philadelphia Inquirer 12/10/12
  • Victims’ settlements continue, U.S. Daily News 12/10/12
  • Attorneys say settlements in child sexual abuse case by Dec. 31 unlikely, The Philadelphia Inquirer12/6/12
  • Penn State in settlement talks with 20 Sandusky accusers, The Philadelphia Inquirer 10/13/12
  • Tom Kline comments on Sandusky testifying, Philly.com 10/7/12
  • Sandusky begins grim transition to prison, USA Today 10/7/12
  • Confronting evil: victims get a chance to tell the court how he tarnished their youth, The Morning Call10/6/12
  • Victims’ Attorneys Angered at Release of Names, The Legal Intelligencer 10/2/12
  • Attorneys See Tough Job for Feinberg in PSU Case, The Legal Intelligencer 9/24/12
  • Victims’ reps mixed on PSU plan to settle reaction, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 9/22/12
  • Former Penn State assistant to be sentenced in child sex abuse scandal, The Washington Post 9/17/12
  • Penn State to debate removing Schultz’s name from campus building, The Philadelphia Inquirer 9/14/12
  • Second Mile charity seeks to delay transition plan, Centre Daily Times 8/27/12
  • Tom Kline comments on liability caps, Philadelphia Daily News 8/24/12
  • Tom Kline comments on SEPTA’s dangerous trap doors, Philadelphia Daily News 8/24/12
  • Penn State’s Next Battle, The Daily Beast 7/17/12
  • Penn State’s balancing act, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 7/15/12
  • Questions swirl over what aided Freeh probe, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 7/15/12
  • Let Penn State media legal circus begin, The Athens News 7/15/12
  • Penn State scandal: mounting cost edge toward $100 million, Alaska Dispatch 7/14/12
  • Reaction to Freeh Group’s findings on Penn State, Associated Press 7/13/1
  • Penn State report on cover-up a ‘treasure trove’ for civil lawsuits, The Guardian 7/13/12
  • Freeh Report Faults PSU Leaders in Abuse Case, The Legal Intelligencer 7/13/12
  • Lawyer of victim sees many lawsuits coming against Penn State, New York Daily News 7/13/12
  • Freeh issues scathing report detailing cover-up at Penn State, The Times-Tribune 7/13/12
  • Report slams Penn State’s ‘total disregard’ in Sandusky case, USA Today 7/12/12
  • Abuse Scandal Inquiry Damns Paterno and Penn State, The New York Times 7/12/12
  • Freeh: PSU leaders agreed to hide abuse; their silence failed the victims, The Morning Call 7/12/12
  • ‘It’s just sick,’ says victim’s foster mom on report, The Philadelphia Inquirer 7/12/12
  • Community awaits Freeh report on handling of Penn State scandal, Boston Herald 7/10/12
  • Breaking Their Silence, People Magazine 7/2/12
  • Tom Kline named 2013 Best Philadelphia Medical Malpractice Lawyer
  • Lawyers Await Freeh Report in Potential Civil Actions Against PSU, The legal Intelligencer 6/26/12
  • After verdict, focus now shifts to Penn State, USA Today 6/25/12
  • Penn State Faces Years in Court, The Wall Street Journal 6/24/12
  • Sandusky faces life in prison after conviction on 45 charges, USA Today 6/22/12
  • Hazleton native becomes advocate for Sandusky accusers, Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice, 6/21/12
  • Defense urges jurors to be true to their school, The Washington Post 6/21/12
  • Child Sexual Abuse trial ends without Sandusky taking the stand: The Philadelphia Inquirer 6/21/12; USA Today 6/20/12; The Washington Post 6/20/12; Associated Press 6/20/12
  • Jurors may get child sexual abuse case by week’s end, Associated Press 6/19/12
  • Child sexual abuse trial: Old friends say showers with boys routine, harmless, The Washington Post6/18/12
  • Jury in ex-Penn State assistants sex abuse trial could get case Thursday, judge says, Associated Press6/18/12
  • A risky question: Will Sandusky take the stand?, The Philadelphia Inquirer 6/17/12
  • Child sexual abuse Trial: The Defense’s Risky Psych Defense, Newsweek 6/17/12
  • Lowlights from Day 3 of sexual abuse trial, The Philadelphia Inquirer 6/15/12
  • Alleged victims take the stand in sexual abuse trial, Altoona Mirror 6/15/12
  • Penn State’s balancing act, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 6/15/12
  • Stomach-turning tales alleging molestation by former PSU assistant coach, Associated Press 6/15/12
  • Hearsay rules the day in child sexual abuse trial, Altoona Mirror 6/14/12
  • Sex abuse trial: Alleged victims’ testimonies have ‘a cumulative power’, Centre Daily Times 6/14/12
  • Defense Highlights Inconsistent Witness Testimony at sex abuse Trial, The New York Times 6/13/12
  • Accusers: Sandusky employed threats and gifts,  The Washington Post 6/13/12; Associated Press6/13/12
  • McQueary Testifies He Saw Sexual Encounter, The Legal Intelligencer 6/13/12
  • Child sex abuse trial trial opens, Associated Press 6/11/12
  • Tom Kline comments on naming of victims in Sandusky trial, The Legal Intelligencer 6/4/12
  • Judge backs Tom Kline appeal of Pa. cap on damages, The Legal Intelligencer 5/31/12
  • Kline vows appeal of verdict reduction, The Bucks County Courier Times, 5/25/12
  • The Second Mile charity closing, The Morning Call 5/25/12
  • Tom Kline on court’s award reduction, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/24/12
  • Tom Kline comments on Second Mile shutdown, The Morning Call, 5/25/12
  • Tom Kline comments on award limit decision in Zauflik case, Bucks County Courier-Times 5/26/12
  • Alleged victims in sex abuse case are faced with reality of revealing their names, The Patriot-News5/16/12
  • Tom Kline comments on Sandusky attorney subpoenas, The Patriot-News 5/8/12
  • Zauflik attorney ready to take 2007 Pennsbury bus accident case to state Supreme Court, if $500K cap is upheld, The Yardley News 4/22/12
  • Judge Grants Motion to Bring Penn State’s Lawsuit to Phila,, The Legal Intelligencer 4/13/12
  • Appeal of state cap could break new legal ground, 4/11/12 – Bucks County Courier Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer
  • Kline comments on Supreme Court emotional distress ruling, The Legal Intelligencer 1/3/12
  • Editorial: “Lesson for School Officials,” Courier Times, 12/18/1
  • Preliminary Hearing waived in child sexual abuse case, The Legal Intelligencer 12/14/11
  • Bucks jury awards $14Mil. for school bus accident, The Legal Intelligencer 12/7/11; Bucks County Courier Times 12/6/11; The Philadelphia Inquirer 12/6/11; Erie Times-News 12/6/11; The Trentonian 12/6/11
  • Ashley’s mom: ‘I kept saying ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. We had to save you.’, Bucks County Courier-Times12/4/11
  • Mom: Amputation in Pa. bus crash ‘excruciating’, The Lebanon Daily News 12/3/11
  • Testimony ends in Pennsbury crash case, Courier-Times 12/2/11
  • Parents’ decision: ‘Take her leg off, or she would die’, Bucks County Inquirer 12/2/11
  • Expert: Bus crash victim’s care could cost $2.5M, Courier-Times 12/2/11
  • Bucks woman tells of personal agony after 2007 accident, The Philadelphia Inquirer 12/2/11
  • Amputee seeks millions from Bucks school district, The Philadelphia Inquirer 12/1/11
  • Bus crash victim seeks at least $3M, Courier-times 12/1/11
  • Civil trial begins in school bus accident, Ch 69 News 11/30/11
  • Pennsbury admits liability in 2007 bus-crash lawsuit, Courier-Times 11/30/11
  • Pa. school: Bus driver hit accelerator, not brake, Associated Press 11/29/11
  • Victim preparing to testify at child sex abuse hearing, attorney says, The Patriot-News 11/29/11
  • Penn State pines for normalcy amid sex abuse scandal, The Patriot-News 11/29/11
  • Joe Paterno’s cancer poses legal obstacle in child sexual abuse case, The Patriot-News 11/25/11
  • Statute of limitations one hurdle in sexual abuse cases, The Philadelphia Inquirer 11/24/11
  • Sexual abuse case portends civil liability for PSU, The Morning Call 11/15/11
  • Beyond Criminal Cases, Civil Exposure in the Penn State Scandal, Corporate Counsel 11/15/11
  • The Pulse: Scandal cries out for tougher child-abuse reporting law, Philadelphia Daily News 11/13/11
  • Penn State scandal victim contacts Philadelphia law firm, Philadelphia Business Journal 11/11/11
  • Pa. Superior Court upholds $5.2M Volutza verdict, Reading Eagle 8/20/11, The Legal Intelligencer8/26/11
  • Tom Kline comments on hospital bed case, The Allentown Morning Call 08/13/11
  • Tom Kline quoted on Pa. legislation. The Legal Intelligencer 7/19/11
  • Jury awards $1.87 million in carbon monoxide death, The Pennsylvania Record 6/1/11
  • Tom Kline featured in “Where are they now?”, Super Lawyers 2011
  • Tom Kline comments on medical malpractice climate in PA, The Legal Intelligencer 3/15/11
  • Settlement reached in teacher sex abuse case, The Morning Call 2/1/11

Verdicts & Settlements

The following are some of the larger publicly disclosed settlements and verdicts obtained by Kline & Specter attorneys. The list does not account for innumerable major settlements which are confidential nor for scores of other Kline & Specter seven-figure settlements and verdicts.

  • $153 Million
    • Verdict against Ford in death of a boy run over by truck with defective parking brake. The then-second largest such verdict in the nation. (Jury awarded $52 million in retrial of punitive damages.)
  • $109M
    • Largest personal injury verdict in Pennsylvania history, including $48 million compensatory and $61 million punitive damages for the family of a woman killed by a fallen electric line.
  • $100M
    • Largest-ever medical malpractice verdict in Pennsylvania, for a baby who suffered severe brain damage due to medical malpractice.
  • $57M
    • Verdict in midwife birth injury case involving oxygen deprivation which resulted in cerebral palsy.
  • $51M
    • Verdict against the Philadelphia mass transit agency in a case in which a boy’s foot was severed in an escalator. SEPTA was also fined for concealing documents.
  • $49M
    • Verdict in a hospital error case that left a young man severely brain damaged. The award set a Pennsylvania record at the time for a medical malpractice case.
  • $42.9M
    • One of the largest medical malpractice verdicts in Pennsylvania history for a girl badly injured at birth at a Philadelphia hospital.
  • $40.5M
    • Settlement in explosion that killed six and injured six others at apartment complex where basement flooding had caused a gas line break.
  • $38.2M
    • Delaware County verdict in auto accident case for girl injured at notoriously dangerous intersection. Plaintiffs were PennDOT and Borough of East Lansdowne.
  • $36.4M
    • Settlement with oil refinery in death of a worker, believed to be the largest-ever reported settlement nationally for a single-victim employee fatality.
  • $35M
    • Preliminarily approved settlement on behalf of more than 100 businesses and individuals for losses in the 2001 Continental Business Center fire in Bridgeport, Pa.
  •  $33.1M
    • Lehigh County verdict in the case of a missed diagnosis of breast cancer that resulted in a woman’s death.
  • $29.6M
    • Settlement in the Pier 34 collapse that left three women dead and dozens injured.
  • $30M
    • Settlement for a young child who suffered severe brain damage due to improperly managed anesthesia during a routine procedure at an area hospital.
  • $27.6M
    • Jury verdict in the case of a Philadelphia woman injured after exercising for a promotional video for replacement knees.
  • $25M
    • Jury verdict against two doctors found negligent in the death of a patient, herself a doctor, after a routine fertility procedure.
  • $25M
    • Settlement: Failure to diagnose life threatening cardiac problem following open heart surgery resulting in cardiac arrest and death.
  • $25M
    • Settlement: Misdiagnosis and failure to properly treat retinopathy of prematurity in twin boys resulting in blindness.
  • $24M
    • Jury verdict in a premises liability case involving a three-year-old girl’s near-drowning at an apartment complex swimming pool.
  • $22M
    • New Jersey verdict for a woman injured after childbirth when blood arrived late for a transfusion.
  • $21.6M
    • Jury verdict for child born with severe brain injury. Verdict was a record for an Erie County, Pa., personal injury case.
  • $20.8M
    • Jury verdict for a podiatrist who lost her foot due to errors committed after she entered hospital for an unrelated treatment.
  • $20M
    • Negligent care during labor and delivery causes a catastrophic brain injury.
  • $20M
    • Medical malpractice verdict for boy who went blind after birth. Award was one of the largest ever in Montgomery County.
  • $20M
    • Jury verdict for a college student who suffered brain damage after nurses failed to respond in time to an alarm.
  • $19.9M
    • Verdict for a patient who was assaulted while in the hospital, suffering severe injuries. Record Delaware verdict.
  • $19.2M
    • Jury award against Merrell Dow for boy born with club feet after his mother had taken the morning sickness drug Bendectin.
  •  $19.1M
    • Luzerne County verdict for mother of three left incapacitated after being struck by a van as she worked at a roadside construction site.
  • $19M
    • Settlement: Overdose of Pitocin during delivery results in baby being born with severe brain damage and injury to mother.
  • $19M
    • Settlement: Surgical error during liver donor procedure for transplantation results in liver failure.
  • $18.5M
    • Verdict for medical error that caused damage to a girl’s heart and required later heart transplant, leaving her with only a 50-50 chance of living past 21.
  • $18M
    • Settlement: Infant suffers severe and catastrophic cerebral palsy due to a delay in performing a C-section.
  • $17.5M
    • Verdict against VA ex-Marine who suffered a stroke following dental procedure.
  • $17M
    • Settlement: Cerebral palsy, severe brain damage due to bacterial meningitis, chronic lung disease.
  • $15.2M
    • Verdict for a baby injured during heart surgery and left suffering severe brain damage.
  • $15M
    • Verdict for family of teenager who died after falling down a mine shaft while on a group trip in Mexico.
  • $15M
    • Verdict for a woman who suffered a stroke following carotid artery surgery.
  • $15M
    • Jury award to a Down Syndrome boy who was left brain damaged after an error during heart surgery.
  • $15M
    • Settlement: Disease left untreated and subsequent negligent attempt at surgery results in permanent waist-down paralysis.
  • $14.8M
    • Settlement: Failure to diagnose cerebral edema causes brain damage.
  • $14M
    • Bucks County verdict against the Pennsbury School district for a teenage student who lost her leg when she was run over by a school bus.
  • $13M
    • Settlement: Man dies of sepsis after coronary bypass surgery due to failure to provide appropriate antibiotic therapy.
  • $13M
    • Settlement: Obstetrical malpractice results in brain injury to child and gynecologic injury.
  • $12.25M
    • Settlement for boy injured after falling through an apartment window. Jury awarded $7 million but pre-trial agreement raised the sum paid.
  • $12M
    • Settlement: Negligent treatment of leukemia results in patient suffering spinal cord injury and quadriplegia.
  • $11.7M
    • Settlement with the Philadelphia Housing Authority and property manager for girl who suffered brain damage after asthma attack caused by mold in home.
  • $11.6M
    • Settlement for a former University of Pennsylvania student left a paraplegic after a 20-foot fall at an off-campus residence.
  • $11.3M
    • Settlement: Patient incapacitated following experimental treatment without his knowledge or proper oversight.
  • $10.5M
    • Settlement for the family of a Philadelphia teenager killed when staff at a treatment center put him into a restraint hold.
  • $10 M
    • Settlement with manufacturer in a case in which a school lunch table collapsed and killed a kindergarten student.
  • $10 M
    • New Jersey jury verdict involving boy who suffered brain damage due to allergic reaction to peanuts.
  • $9.5M
    • Settlement: Failure to diagnose sodium levels results in pediatric stroke in a nine-month-old child.
  • $9.5M
    • Settlement: Patient with abdominal and arm pain dies of heart attack while waiting in ER.
  • $9.5M
    • Settlement: Failure to diagnose seizure disorder in baby results in brain injury.
  • $9M
    • Settlement: Delay in C-section for fetal distress causes asphyxia and brain injury.
  • $8.75M
    • Pittsburgh jury verdict for family of tow truck operator killed when Ford parking brake failed.
  • $8.5M
    • Settlement: Delay in delivery results fetal distress, cerebral atrophy and other injuries.
  • $8.2M
    • Delaware County verdict for missed cancer diagnosis.
  • $8M
    • Settlement in Philadelphia workplace death case.
  • $8M
    • Settlement: Forceps delivery of premature baby causes skull fractures, cerebral palsy.
  • $8M
    • Settlement: Infant delivered via C-section suffers seizures, cerebral palsy.
  • $8M
    • Settlement: Injured teenager brain damaged due to excessive anesthetic and morphine.
  • $8M
    • Settlement: Mistreated infection after childbirth causes sepsis and mother’s death.
  • $7.9M
    • Allegheny County verdict for worker hurt in fall.
  • $7.8M
    • Allegheny County record med-mal verdict for childbirth injury.
  • $7.75M
    • Settlement: Delay in diagnosis and treatment of ruptured spleen results in death.
  • $7.5M
    • Settlement with La Salle University for brain injured football player.
  • $7.5M
    • Settlement: Botched resuscitation after birth results in quadriplegia and cognitive deficits.
  • $7.5M
    • Settlement: Pre-birth malpractice leads to infant’s severe mental and physical disabilities.
  • $7.5M
    • Settlement: Death of patient who suffered perforation and bleeding during sinus surgery.
  • $7.25M
    • Child is injured at birth in central Pennsylvania
  • $7M
    • Settlement: Baby suffers brain damage when skull is crushed in forceps/vacuum delivery.
  • $7M
    • Settlement: Woman paralyzed due to medical errors in treatment following car accident.
  • $7M
    • Settlement: Injuries sustained in delay in delivery and later failure to timely intubate baby.
  • $7M
    • Settlement: Woman dies after giving birth due to bleeding and fluid management issues.
  • $6.9M
    • Settlement: Paraplegic injuries to 11-year old girl following spinal surgery.
  • $6.8M
    • Settlement: Misplaced tube causes child’s intra-operative cardiac arrest, severe injuries.
  • $6.8M
    • Luzerne County verdict vs. motorcycle helmet manufacturer.
  • $6.6M
    • Philadelphia jury verdict in boy’s drowning death at camp.
  • $6.6M
    • Settlement with doctor, hospital in death of 16-month-old.
  • $6.5M
    • Philadelphia jury verdict for injured worker.
  • $6.5M
    • Settlement for woman brain damaged by hospital error.
  • $6.5M
    • Settlement: Patient not advised of test result showing heart defect dies of heart attack.
  • $6.5M
    • Settlement: Brain injury in failure to properly monitor and treat Guillian-Barre syndrome.
  • $6.5M
    • Settlement: Delay in delivery results in severe brain damage, cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
  • $6.5M
    • Settlement: Injuries to infant due to inadequate monitoring of mother after car accident.
  • $6.4M
    • Settlement: Misplaced IV moves air embolis into child’s lungs, causing cardiac arrest
  • $6.4M
    • Settlement: Delay in birth delivery results in ischemic encephalopathy.
  • $6.4M
    • Settlement: Brain damage suffered as a result of poor care during labor and delivery.
  • $6.3M
    • Settlement: Patient’s heart punctured during placement of port, results in heart attack.
  • $6.3M
    • Settlement: Woman develops pneumonia after surgery, suffers quadriplegic injuries.
  • $6.3M
    • Settlement: Negligence leads to catastrophic and permanent birth injuries to twins.
  • $6.2M
    • Settlement for boy who suffered brain damage after tonsil surgery. Hospital also pledged to make safety changes.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Failure to relieve a spinal abscess causing permanent paraplegia.
  • $6M
    • Indiana County verdict for baby injured during delivery.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Patient suffers respiratory distress after hip replacement, suffers brain injury.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Botched delivery by midwife results in baby’s severe brain injury.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Child with history of leukemia dies of acute bleeding dur to over-transfusion.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Botched CV line placement, delayed diagnosis leads to leg amputations.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Delay in treating thoracic aortic dissection brings cardiac arrest, brain injury.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Misdiagnosis leads to prolonged hypoglycemia, woman’s death.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Premature baby in hospital three weeks contracts bacterial meningitis.
  • $6M
    • Settlement: Mismanagement of blood pressure during anesthesia causes stroke.
  • $5.8M
    • NJ verdict for woman given wrong anti-malaria drug for trip.
  • $5.8M
    • Settlement: Woman suffers stroke following a transcatheter closure procedure.
  • $5.5M
    • Verdict for parents of murdered parking lot attendant
  • $5.63M
    • Settlement: Medical malpractice leading to cardiac arrest following car accident.
  • $5.5M
    • Settlement: Early withdrawl of antibiotics leads to infection, hydrocephalus.
  • $5.5M
    • Settlement: Injection causes hematoma on spine, paralysis.
  • $5.45M
    • Settlement: Spine and brain trauma to psychiatric patient who fell in hospital.
  • $5.3M
    • Settlement: Delay in delivery causes severe hypoxic ischemic brain injury.
  • $5.25M
    • Settlement for man injured in accident with truck.
  • $5.25M
    • Settlement: Surgery results in sliver of bone pressing against spine, paralysis.
  • $5.21M
    • Settlement: Pediatric ICU and endocrinologic malpractice results in brain injury.
  • $5.2M
    • Medical malpractice verdict for estate of Philadelphia woman who died of internal bleeding.
  • $5.2M
    • Verdict vs. doctors for 76-year-old who suffered a stroke.
  • $5.2M
    • Settlement: Missed uterine cancer diagnosis leads to spread of the disease.
  • $5.1M
    • Settlement: Montgomery County verdict for woman injured during routine sinus surgery.
  • $5.1M
    • Settlement in drowning of 16-year-old boy.
  • $5.1M
    • Settlement: Missed diagnosis of clogged intestine in ER leads to fatal heart attack.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Missed spinal cord compression symptoms result in neurologic injuries.
  • $5M
    • Settlement for an undocumented worker crushed to death in housing excavation.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Medical malpractice involving valve surgery results in death.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Delay in diagnosis of placental abruption and delivery causes brain injury.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Failure to properly read scan leads to cancer, multiple surgeries.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Late diagnosis and treatment of epidural hematoma causes quadriplegia.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Delayed diagnosis of benign brain tumor results in neurological injuries.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Negligent birth delivery and resuscitation causes neurologic injuries, death.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Failure to timely deliver baby in fetal distress causes neurological injuries.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Infant dies after misconnected tubing over-pressurizes resuscitation bag.
  • $5M
    • Settlement: Missed breast cancer diagnosis delays treatment more than two years.

Representative Cases

Beyond winning many large financial verdicts and settlements, Kline & Specter has also achieved safety improvements in a variety of areas that have benefited not only the firm’s individual clients but also many thousands if not millions of other citizens. Both Tom Kline and Shanin Specter have emphasized the importance of seeking – and, in some cases, demanding – not only financial compensation but also concessions that will result in the betterment of society. The following are a few of examples of cases in which the outcomes prompted important policy changes and safety improvements:

  • In a recent case, Specter convinced the Enforcement Bureau of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to require West Penn Power Co. to inspect its power lines, including the use of modern infra-red technology, and repair or replace any potentially dangerous lines or connections. The utility also agreed to retrain all its linemen on proper installation. The agreement came after a $109 million Pittsburgh jury verdict – and a subsequent $105 million settlement – in the case of a woman killed on her own property by a fallen power line. Specter proved in the nearly four-week trial that the line failed because it had not been properly cleaned with a wire brush before installation. The line came down on 39-year-old Carrie Goretzka on a clear and sunny June day. The same line had fallen and damaged the Goretzkas’ property five years earlier. (See news coverage of The Goretzka Case)
  • The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority approved a $30 million program to revamp its entire escalator system after Tom Kline won a $51 million verdict in the case of a little boy whose foot was torn off in a subway station escalator. Following the highly publicized Hall v. SEPTA case, the transit authority stepped up its inspections and preventive maintenance and brought in an outside firm to inspect all of its 38 escalators, with at least 10 later replaced and others modernized with safety features. SEPTA, which was after the jury verdict by the judge for concealing documents, also revamped its legal department with new staff and pledged to create an improved system to track and investigate accidents as well as to enhance its handling of legal claims.  (News coverage)
  • Similarly, Kline’s lawsuit in the death of a 12-year-old boy who was struck when he poked his head out of a SEPTA train helped to impel an investigation of security and replacement of train car locks systemwide. The boy had made his way into a motorman’s car with an open  window by evidently picking the lock on its door. Kline inspected the locks himself and noted to the news media how he was able to open one using only his finger. SEPTA replaced all of the locks. (News coverage)
  •  The City of Philadelphia agreed to pay more than $2.2 million to the estates of a man and his infant son who were killed when they were run down on a city sidewalk by a speeding police car that went out of control. But importantly, Specter, after a lengthy discussion with then Police Commissioner  John Timoney – and his discovery that in the previous five years police vehicles were involved in more than 3,800 crashes – got the department  to agree to a series of reforms designed the reduce the number of fatal accidents in the future. Among the new policies was a requirement that officers log 60 hours behind the wheel with a veteran before driving alone and a new rule that squad cars responding to emergencies most slow to 10 m.p.h. at red lights and stop signs. (News coverage)
  • Specter wasn’t satisfied after he won a substantial settlement for a Bucks County teenager shot and badly injured by a defective Daisy BB gun. He went before the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in an appeal for removal of 7.4 million of the “toys” from store shelves and general circulation. The CPSC called for a recall and its commissioner, Ann Brown, made a national appeal to get the defective high-powered air rifles out of the hands and houses of children. Specter’s client, Tucker Mahoney, died several years after suffering a severe brain injury as a result of being shot with one of the guns. (News coverage)
  • A local Hospital paid a confidential financial settlement but also agreed to hold grand rounds to educate staff on the importance of reviewing files and informing patients of the nature of their illnesses. Lawrence Strange was a patient at the hospital when staff failed to inform him about a nodule found on his lung because various doctors wrongly thought one another had told the patient. Nineteen months later, Strange was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and he died six weeks later. The hospital held a formal lecture in May 2013 with some 40 doctors in attendance in honor of Strange and stressed the importance of various hospital protocols, including proper communication among doctors and staff, documentation and follow-up of test results. The case was litigated by Tom Kline, Regan Safier and Geary Yeisley.
  • A worldwide safety improvement came about as a result of what Specter once termed “the worst day of my life.” It happened on a trip to Africa by Specter and his wife, Tracey, with several friends. During a drive over a mountain pass, one of three sport utility vehicles in their convoy went off the road and down a steep embankment, rolling over several times. The wife of a dear Specter friend was ejected and crushed by the vehicle. Specter rode down the Atlas Mountains in the back of a pickup truck with his friend and the woman’s body. Upon returning to Philadelphia, Specter sued the automaker for not equipping all of its vehicles with rear passenger seat belts, including those SUVs shipped to Africa to be assembled from kits. Monetary terms of the eventual settlement (and the automaker’s name) were confidential, but included an agreement that the company would never again sell a vehicle of any kind—kit or otherwise—without belts for all the seats.
  • In the middle of trial, Specter settled a case involving a student at the University of Pittsburgh who sustained severe brain damage. Erica Lynne Pratt was in math class when she suffered cardiac arrest. Campus police were summoned, but instead of administering aid, the first officer on the scene decided to wait and also prevented two fellow students trained in CPR from trying to resuscitate the 19-year-old student. Her injury left her unable to walk and with difficulty speaking. In addition to a substantial financial settlement, Specter obtained an agreement from the university to improve emergency medical response. It pledged to hire a qualified medical director and begin quarterly refresher courses for campus police on CPR and the use of automatic external defibrillators along with twice yearly testing of their skills. (News coverage)
  • In addition to a major monetary settlement, Specter won important reforms at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia in a case involving the death of a baby following a cervical cone biopsy performed on his mother during pregnancy. The procedure was performed despite the risk of necessitating an emergency delivery that the hospital was not equipped to handle since it lacked an obstetrics department, adequate fetal monitoring devices and a neonatal unit. The baby, Brandon Molloy, suffered brain damage due to asphyxia and died seven months later. Under the legal settlement, Graduate Hospital agreed to halted procedures on pregnant women.
  • In a settlement of a case, Tom Kline forced an unlicensed psychotherapist who had sexual contact with a teenage patient to agree to never practice psychotherapy or any other form of counseling ever again in the United States. Andrew J. Smith, who had practiced under the supervision of three psychologists, tearfully read a public statement that he was ashamed of his actions, which also included taking nude photographs of his young client. He also noted in his statement that Pennsylvania law allowed him to practice without a license and he urged the state legislature to adopt stricter regulations of therapists and tighter accountability. A  financial settlement of as much as $3.8 million was also reached in the case. (News coverage)
  • In a defamation case, Specter, with Kline, represented noted Philadelphia criminal defense attorney Richard Sprague in a suit filed against radio personality Howard Eskin. Eskin alleged that Sprague attempted to interfere with the case and might have paid off a witness to change his testimony in a prosecution of 76ers star Allan Iverson. None of the accusations was true. All charges against Iverson were eventually dropped in the case. The civil suit was settled with Eskin making a public apology and being suspended from the radio show for 30 days. His employer, Infinity Broadcasting, also agreed to pay “substantial” compensation to Sprague. (News coverage)
  • A week after Michael Trunk and Kristen Sipala won a $7.8 million jury verdict in April 2014 for the family of a jockey killed at Parx Casino & Racetrack, the company banned non-equine animals from the premises. Mario Calderon, 55, was thrown from a horse he was exercising when it was spooked by one of the chickens allowed to roam free at the track. Calderon’s foot caught in a stirrup and he was left to dangle upside-down on the side of the thoroughbred, which kicked him repeatedly in the chest and head. Neither the jockey’s death in May 2010 nor the filing of a lawsuit convinced Parx to change its ways and prohibit non-equine animals from the premises. But, nearly four years after the tragedy, a jury verdict did. (News coverage)

Kline & Specter understands the importance of going beyond financial resolutions and affecting change that will benefit people and society in general. In a memo to the firm’s more than 30 attorneys, Specter wrote:

It’s vital that plaintiff’s lawyers understand that seeking and/or obtaining equitable relief (a) is good for the client emotionally; (b)strengthens the case in multiple ways; (c) for the plaintiff’s lawyer it’s professionally satisfying and improves his reputation and that of his colleagues; (d) improves society by making America safer and by deterring misconduct both specifically and generally.