When Melissa Scartelli agrees to take your case, she personally handles your case from start to finish. In fact, she doesn’t take “cases,” she takes “causes” on behalf of real people who need a strong advocate to repair the damage that has been done to them. Scartelli Olszewski, P.C takes cases large and small if the cause is right. In May 2017, Scartelli Olszewski, P.C had a record setting medical malpractice jury verdict in Luzerne County.

Ms. Scartelli started her own law firm so she could have the freedom to make her own choices. She has won huge verdicts and settlements in medical malpractice and personal injury lawsuits and has won cases no other attorney would take.

Melissa A. Scartelli is a true champion for the legal rights of the people she represents in Northeast Pennsylvania, including those who have been victims of medical malpractice, of negligent driving practices, of faulty products, or of defective drugs.

When asked why she takes medical malpractice cases against doctors and hospitals, Melissa says, “It’s because I know firsthand the shock, pain and anger that comes when you discover your loved one has been harmed through medical neglect. No one ‘likes’ to sue for medical malpractice, and we take on only cases involving serious harm or death. The reality is, although there are some terrific doctors and nurses in our community, there also are too many instances where someone ‘drops the ball’ in life-and-death situations. These causes deserve attention and civil action because that is the only way we can fight to ensure that these errors never harm another family.”

The president and founder of Scartelli Olszewski, P.C., Melissa has represented seriously injured plaintiffs in the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania for nearly 30 years. An experienced and compassionate attorney, Melissa’s areas of practice include automobile accidents, auto defects, construction and workplace accidents, defective drugs and medical devices, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, premises and product liability, and more. She firmly believes that products and health care are made safer in the United States through lawsuits that shed light upon unsafe products and practices.

Melissa’s successful advocacy on behalf of clients earned her admission in 2014 to the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which requires members to secure at least one multi-million dollar verdict, award or settlement. She is one of few women in Northeast Pennsylvania to be a Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate which requires completion of numerous jury trials and passing a written test. For years, she has been named among Pennsylvania’s Super Lawyers, a recognition earned by fewer than 5 percent of the state’s attorneys.

A native of Scranton, Pa., Melissa has remained dedicated to representing the people of Northeast Pennsylvania throughout her career. After more than a decade practicing law, Melissa had come to believe that she could best protect the rights of accident and malpractice victims if she began her own independent legal practice. In 2001, she founded the firm that would later become Scartelli Olszewski. Melissa takes pride in getting to know her clients personally.  She takes seriously her slogan “Small enough to care, big enough to win.” Today, both Melissa and her firm are known for tackling difficult cases that require exceptional effort, thorough investigation, and creative lawyering.

A 1987 graduate of The Dickinson School of Law, Melissa was captain of the moot court team and received the Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy by the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Melissa is admitted to practice before all of Pennsylvania’s state courts, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and enjoys practicing law with her husband, attorney Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr. , who also is a shareholder with the firm.