Michael Schafle, Founding Partner
Michael Schafle focuses his practice in pharmaceutical liability, class actions, products liability, premises liability and other personal injury matters.
KEY PRACTICE AREAS
Michael maintains an active practice representing individuals in catastrophic accidents involving tractor-trailers, construction falls and injuries, and defective products. He also currently represents victims of several allegedly unsafe drugs and medical devices including Topamax, Mirena IUD, metal-on-metal hip implants and Zimmer NexGen knees.
Michael has a decade of experience litigating personal injury claims in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and throughout the country. Prior to joining Green & Schafle as partner, he played an integral role in successfully resolving the claims of multiple Anapol Schwartz clients who suffered heart attacks and strokes as a result of their exposure to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs BEXTRA and VIOXX (MDL 1657 and 1699).
Michael also played a key part the Trasylol litigation (MDL 1928), representing approximately 40 clients who allegedly suffered injuries in connection with their exposure to the drug. As part of the Trasylol litigation, he headed a team responsible for reviewing several million pages of documents crucial to developing the liability case against the Defendant.
In addition to his active unsafe drug and medical device practice, he has also had great success in representing victims in catastrophic accident cases. Michael has developed a specialty in representing clients in trucking accident cases. Over the past several years, he has been instrumental in securing tens of millions of dollars in settlements on behalf of individuals involved in trucking accidents (including multi-vehicle accidents). Most recently, he helped secure a multi-million dollar settlement for a truck driver who suffered serious injuries in a multi-vehicle accident that occurred on a snow-covered Interstate-80 in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. This was the sixth Interstate-80 accident case involving multiple vehicles that Michael has resolved in recent years on behalf of his clients.
Michael is an active member of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and American Association for Justice, and he serves on the Board of Governors for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice.
Mr. Schafle has been named a Rising Star in Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® every year since 2010, which recognizes the top 2.5 percent of attorneys 40 years old or younger. He was recently selected by the National Trial Lawyer’s Association as a Top 40 under 40 member for the State of New Jersey and has also been selected as an Outstanding Pennsylvania Attorney by the American Registry and the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys (AIOPIA).
In 2018, Michael was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Litigation lawyers in the State of Pennsylvania by the American Society for Legal Advocates (ASLA). ASLA is a members-only legal organization comprised of the nation's most skilled lawyers. Only 1.5% of the nation's attorneys in the litigation category receive such recognition by ASLA each year.
For the past four years, Michael has been recognized as among The Best Lawyers in America in Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Plaintiffs. This honor is bestowed upon the top 5% of private practice attorneys nationwide, as judged by one's peers.
Since 2015, Michael has been selected as a Nationally Ranked Top 10 Under 40 Attorney by the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys (NAOPIA).
BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION
In 2001, Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance, magna cum laude, from Catholic University of America, where he was a member of the following national honor societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Gamma Mu, and Phi Eta Sigma. He was also the recipient of the Wall Street Journal Award for Outstanding Student Achievement in Business Studies.
He received his law degree from Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law in 2004. While in law school, Michael received highest honors in Legal Research and Writing, as well as the Law Faculty Scholarship, a scholarship awarded to students with outstanding undergraduate records and LSAT scores.
Michael is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as before the United States District Courts for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey. Prior to joining Green, Schafle & Gibbs, he represented large corporations and insurance companies in personal injury matters and commercial disputes. This experience provides him with an advantage in negotiating on behalf of his personal injury clients by allowing him to anticipate defense strategies and tactics.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Mr. Schafle is a lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area and currently resides in Chestnut Hill with his wife and daughters. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the LaSalle College High School Alumni Association since 2011 where he serves as chair of the Alumni Scholarship Golf Outing which consistently raises tens of thousands of dollars every year to benefit children in need.
TALKS AND PUBLICATIONS
“Employers’ Vicariously Liable for Distracted Driving.” The Legal Intelligencer (June 14, 2013)
Another Fatal Pennsylvania Truck Collision Highlights Roadway Dangers -InjuryBoard, Feb 01, 2012
Fatal PA Tanker Truck Collision Highlights Vehicle Dangers - InjuryBoard, Sep 02, 2011
Michael was appointed to the PAJ Board of Governors at the Bedford Springs Convention. July 2010.
RECENT SUCCESSES
Tens of millions of dollars for victims of defective metal-on-metal hip implants
$3,750,000 recovery for a truck driver severely injured in a multi-vehicle collision
$1,750,000 recovery for the family of a man killed in a tractor-trailer collision
$19,900,000 for victims injured by a dangerous blood clotting drug
$450,000 premises liability fracture requiring extended hospitalization
$237,500 slip & fall on ice resulting in back and neck injuries without surgery
$650,000 settlement with major medical device manufacturer for failed hip implant device
$1,000,000 wrongful death award for industrial accident
$1,600,000 wrongful death - medical malpractice
$100,000 policy limits award in motor vehicle accident case
$100,000 wrongful death - policy limits in motor vehicle accident
$475,000 settlement with major Pennsylvania Municipality over allegedly defective roadway
$300,000 policy limits settlement in bicycle accident case
$100,000 wrongful death - nursing home negligence
8 figure recovery for victims of NSAID drug that allegedly caused heart attacks and strokes
Confidential recoveries for numerous victims of sexual abuse
