Michael W. Calder

Mike, an attorney at Perry Calder, devotes his career to protecting and pursuing the rights of those injured in medical malpractice, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, motor vehicle collision and serious personal injury cases. In doing so, he has developed a reputation as a skilled advocate not only because he has achieved significant financial recoveries for many injured individuals, but also because he has delivered closure to emotionally frustrating chapters in his clients’ lives. Mike has tried many cases to verdict, including a medical malpractice case in a county that had not seen a verdict in favor of a patient in nearly a decade. In that case, Mike delivered his clients a $2,000,000 verdict against a physician and the hospital where he practiced. Mike also served as co-counsel in a medical malpractice arbitration that resulted in an award of nearly $6,000,000. In 2022, Mike obtained a $19,000,000 verdict following a jury trial in Westmoreland County, the largest verdict in the county’s 250-year history, and a $6,250,000 verdict that included a $5,000,000 punitive damages award in Allegheny County. In June of 2024, Mike tried a medical malpractice case to verdict in Fayette County and the jury returned a verdict of $9,500,000, the largest medical malpractice verdict in county history. These results are in addition to the great many other cases Mike favorably settled at various points along the way to trial.

Mike was a long-time member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, where he served as a subcommittee chair on the Membership Committee. The Academy of Trial Lawyers is an invitation-only organization limited to 250 exceptional trial lawyers in Allegheny County. Additionally, each year between 2012 and 2022, Mike’s peers selected him for recognition as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star – an honor bestowed upon less than 2.5 percent…

100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

  • Pennsylvania, 2007
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania, 2007

Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • J.D. – 2007
  • Honors: Recipient, International Academy of Trial Lawyers Student Advocacy Award

Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, Pennsylvania

  • B.A. cum laude – 2004
  • Major: Business Administration
  • Minor: Psychology
  • Medical Malpractice Litigation Skills, Duquesne University School of Law
  • “Preparing a Witness to Testify,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute
  • Medical Malpractice Arbitration, Pennsylvania Association for Justice
  • Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2012 – 2022
  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, 2023 – Present
  • Allegheny County Bar Association, Member, 2007 – Present
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member, 2007 – Present
  • Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Member, 2008 – Present
  • Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyer Association, Board of Governors (2012 – 2017)
  • Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyer Association, Member since 2007
  • Phi Gamma Delta

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