Melissa Scartelli, Esq.

Why Juries Matter
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Professional & Community Affiliations
- Multi Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- American Association for Justice
- Lackawanna Bar Association, Board of Directors, 2002-2008
- Luzerne County Bar Association, Social Committee, 1999-Present
- Northeastern Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, President, 2000-2001
- Pennsylvania Association for Justice
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
- Trial Lawyers for Public Justice
Honors & Awards
Education
- The Dickinson School of Law, J.D., 1987
- Dickinson College, B.A., Cum Laude, 1984
Experience
- Scartelli Olszewski, P.C., President/Shareholder, 2006-Present
- Scartelli & Distasio Law Firm, P.C., President, 2005-2006
- Scartelli Law Firm, P.C., President, 2001-2005
- Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn, P.C., Associate, 1989-1993; Partner, 1993-2001
- Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas Judge S. John Cottone, Law Clerk, 1987-1989
Court Admissions
- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
- United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
Presentations & Publications
- Melissa A. Scartelli Featured in National Board of Trial Advocacy Video
- Melissa A. Scartelli and Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr. Named 2017 ‘Best Lawyers in America’
August 30, 2016 - Melissa Scartelli Achieves Recertification in Civil Trial Law with National Board of Trial Advocacy
June 7, 2016 - Thomson Reuters Names Melissa A. Scartelli a 2016 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer
May 13, 2016 - Personal Injury Attorneys Melissa Scartelli and Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr. to Present CLE on Expert Witnesses
February 10, 2016 - Scartelli Olszewski to be Title Sponsor of Lacawac ‘Lake to Lake’ 8K Trail Run and Woods Walk
October 1, 2015 - Melissa A. Scartelli Named Among ‘Best Lawyers’ for 2016
August 17, 2015 - Melissa A. Scartelli and Peter Paul Olszewski, Jr. Recognized as 2015 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
May 15, 2015 - Attorney Melissa Scartelli To Be Faculty Member of Trial Tactics, Tips & Techniques CLE
April 3, 2015 - Luzerne County Man’s Wrongful Death Suit Settled
October 28, 2014 - Scranton Personal Injury Attorney Melissa Scartelli to Present a CLE Entitled Personal Injury 101
September 23, 2014 - Scartelli Olszewski to Sponsor Lacawac ‘Lake to Lake’ 8K Trail Run and Woods Walk
August 12, 2014 - Attorney Melissa Scartelli Speaks on the Effect of Social Media on Personal Injury Matters in Pennsylvania
June 11, 2014 - Melissa A. Scartelli Recognized as a 2014 Pennsylvania Super Lawyer
May 23, 2014 - Scartelli Olszewski Attorneys Named to Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
April 7, 2014 - Florida Supreme Court Overturns Law Limiting Medical Malpractice Damages
March 14, 2014 - The Times Leader – Commentary: David I. Fallk – Limit Hospital Errors, Not Lawsuits
November 5, 2013 - Pennsylvania Truck Accident Attorney Television Commercial from Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.
September 3, 2013 - Television Commercial Discusses Representing Pennsylvania Truck Accident Matters
September 3, 2013 - Scartelli Olszewski, P.C. Mobile Website Television Commercial
September 3, 2013 - Visit Scartelli.com on Your Mobile Device for Auto and Truck Accident Information – TV Commercial
September 3, 2013 - Scranton Personal Injury Attorney Melissa Scartelli Named to 2013 PA Super Lawyers List
May 17, 2013 - The Citizens’ Voice – Teen Murder Suspect Rearrested
January 12, 2013 - The Times Leader – Homicide Charge Dismissed Against Lee
January 11, 2013 - Scranton, PA Criminal Defense Law Firm Television Commercial from Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.
February 8, 2012 - Scranton, PA General Litigation Law Firm Television Commercial from Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.
February 8, 2012 - Scranton, PA Auto Accident Law Firm Television Commercial from Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.
February 7, 2012 - Scranton, PA Medical Malpractice Law Firm Television Commercial from Scartelli Olszewski, P.C.
February 7, 2012 - Scranton Defective Product Attorney Melissa Scartelli Talks about Identifying a Product Liability Case
September 20, 2011 - Scranton Medical Malpractice Attorney Melissa Scartelli Discusses How to Know if You have a Medical Malpractice Case
September 12, 2011 - Scranton Personal Injury Lawyer Melissa Scartelli to Present CLE for Northeastern Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association & Pennsylvania Defense Institute on Aug. 24
August 24, 2011 - Scranton Personal Injury Attorney Melissa Scartelli Presents at Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Trial Tactics, Tips and Techniques Seminar
April 27, 2011 - Melissa Scartelli Presents at 2010 Luzerne County Bar Association Bench-Bar Conference
November 22, 2010 - Scranton Personal Injury Lawyer Melissa Scartelli to Present CLE on Effective Use of Medical Experts in Medical Malpractice Cases
September 17, 2010 - Scranton Attorney Melissa Scartelli Speaks at Dispute Resolution Institute Personal Injury Potpourri CLE Seminar on Constitutional Torts
- ‘Limited Tort’ Pennsylvania Bar Institute 2009
- ‘Limited Tort’ Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- ‘Motions in Limine’ The Dispute Resolution Institute
- ‘Trial Tactics, Tips and Techniques for Jury Selection’ Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- ‘E-Discovery’ Pennsylvania Association for Justice
- ‘Limited Tort’ Annual Auto Law Update Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- ‘Discovery for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Cases’ Auto Law Seminar, Pennsylvania Association for Justice
2008 - ‘Underinsured Motorist Law’ Annual Auto Law Update, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
2007 - Recent Subrogation and Reimbursement Decisions, Annual Auto Law Update, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- Recent Subrogation and Reimbursement Decisions, Annual Auto Law Update, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- ‘Subrogation’ Annual Auto Law Update, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- ‘Limited Tort’ Annual Auto Law Update, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
- ‘Evidence/Civil Litigation Update’ Lackawanna County Bench-Bar Conference
2002 - Trial Advocacy Seminar and Workshop Dickinson School of Law
2002 - ‘Alcohol in Civil Cases: A Plaintiff’s Perspective’ Pennsylvania Bar Institute
2002 - Annual Auto Law Update Pennsylvania Bar Institute
2001 - ‘Dram Shop Liability: A Plaintiff’s Perspective’ Pennsylvania Bar Institute
1999
Practice Areas
- Medical Malpractice
- Defective Medical Devices
- Defective Drugs
- Nursing Home Negligence
- Product Liability / Defective Products
- Electrocution Cases
- Automobile Accidents
- Dram Shop / Liquor Liability
- Insurance Bad Faith / Insurance Denials
- Premises Liability
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 President and founder Melissa A. Scartelli represents people who have been seriously injured by the negligence of others. She is one of the leading trial lawyers in Northeast Pa and won a record 10 million dollar jury verdict for a young man injured by medical malpractice at Geisinger Clinic. It remains the highest jury verdict in a medical malpractice case in Luzerne County history.
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 only take 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 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 attorneys 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 innocent victims of accidents and malpractice. 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.”
A 1987 graduate of The Dickinson School of Law, Melissa was captain of the trial 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.