Vincent J. Quatrini, Jr.

Biography

Vincent J. Quatrini, Jr. is a founding partner at the firm and serves as managing partner. He concentrates his practice in the area of Workers’ Compensation and the representation of injured workers exclusively.

Mr. Quatrini has nearly 50 years of experience in state and federal courts and has served as counsel in prominent cases.

In 1986, Mr. Quatrini successfully argued to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, in the case of Gilliland v. Heckler, that the administrative law judge in a Social Security disability claim must give considerable weight to the opinions of a treating physician.

In 1987, in the case of Pawlosky v. WCAB (Latrobe Brewing Co.), regarded by Workers’ Compensation practitioners as the third most important case in the past 100 years, Mr. Quatrini convinced the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to dramatically redefine the term “injury” under the Workers’ Compensation Act; namely, any disease which constitutes an insult to the body as well as any work‑related aggravation of a non‑occupational disease are considered injuries.

In 1988, in the case of Camaione v. Boro of Latrobe, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court adopted Mr. Quatrini’s argument and spelled out the rule that all injured workers being paid under the Heart and Lung Act are entitled to a hearing in order to determine eligibility, and furthermore, that a injured worker’s disability status cannot be changed from temporary to permanent unless a due process hearing is conducted.

In 2002, in the case of McIlvaine v. WCAB (States), Mr. Quatrini persuaded the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that an over‑the‑road truck driver who was injured while passing through Pennsylvania was covered by the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act for that injury. The company had argued that the trucking company was headquartered in another state and that the injured worker had to use the workers’ compensation policy from the other state. As a result of this decision, any individual who is hurt while working in Pennsylvania ‑ no matter what state that person lives in or in what state that person was hired ‑ has the protection of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act.

In 2004, in the case of Coleman v. WCAB (Indiana Hospital), another workers’ compensation case handled by Mr. Quatrini, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that an independent medical examination could include a diagnostic test only if the test did not involve more than a minimal risk and was not unreasonably intrusive.

Mr. Quatrini has contributed to the professional advancement of Workers’ Compensation law in many ways:

He served on the Workers’ Compensation Rules Committee, a position appointed by the Secretary of Labor and Industry.

In 2016, he was one of three injured worker attorneys appointed by the Beach Bar Committee of the PA Bar Association.

He has been a member of the executive committee of the Workers’ Compensation Law Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association since 1984, and served as chair of the Section from 1989 ‑ 1990.

Mr. Quatrini is one of a statewide team of attorneys who co‑authors (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018) the publication Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure. The teaching group, which lectures to over 1,000 Workers’ Compensation attorneys in Pennsylvania, won the prestigious Award of Outstanding Achievement from the International Association for Continuing Legal Education in 2000 and 2002.

Mr. Quatrini launched a series of lectures entitled, “Medicine for Lawyers.” Mr. Quatrini moderated a panel of physicians and attorneys who lecture to attorneys all over Pennsylvania on medical topics related to work injuries. The presentations have included: Chronic Pain Syndrome; Orthopedics for Lawyers: Knees, Shoulders, and Elbows; Lawyers’ Guide to Mild to Moderate Brain Injury; Analyzing and Using Medical Records; Anatomy and Medical Jargon for Lawyers; Litigating the Upper Extremity Injury Case ‑ Do’s and Don’ts; Anatomy, Injuries, and Surgeries.

Mr. Quartini co-authored, along with his son, Adam, “Traumatic Brain Injury & Workers Compensation Claim” for the American Bar Association.

He is a member of, and has lectured around the United States for, the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group, a nationwide consortium of injured worker attorneys. In 2016, he spoke in Arizona on Brain Injuries in the Workplace. In 2017, he spoke in New York City on Brain Injury in the Workplace.

He is a frequent speaker at the PBA Workers’ Compensation Law Fall Section Meeting.

He contributes to the Pennsylvania Bar Institute publication Fee Agreements in Pennsylvania.

He has moderated the 8th Annual Administrative Law Symposium for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.

Mr. Quatrini was invited to San Antonio to lecture on Medicine Set Aside Accounts.

Mr. Quatrini is a regular presenter at the Annual Governor’s Workers’ Compensation Conference sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

He has moderated Current Trends in Workers’ Compensation Management, sponsored by Allegheny General Hospital and Allegheny Orthopedic Associates.

Mr. Quatrini has volunteered his time to numerous endeavors for the legal profession and has been recognized for his accomplishments:

He is a former chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Conference of County Bar Leaders, which provides training and programming for bar association presidents of the 67 Pennsylvania counties.

He is a member of the Westmoreland County and Pennsylvania Bar Associations.

He is a member of the Westmoreland County Academy of Trial Lawyers, a select group of trial attorneys.

He is past president of the Westmoreland Bar Association (1988‑1989). While on the Westmoreland County Bar Association’s Board of Directors, Mr. Quatrini played an active part in securing and financing the first permanent headquarters in the Association’s one hundred twenty‑five year history.

Mr. Quatrini has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America® each year since 1997.

He is listed as a Top 100 Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Attorney.

He is listed as a Top 50 Pittsburgh Workers’ Compensation Attorney.

He has been listed as a Super Lawyer for the past 12 years.

He was selected for the 2011 class of the nationwide College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers.

He is the 2013 recipient of the Irvin Stander Award for Professional Excellence bestowed, only a dozen times, by the PBA Workers’ Compensation Law Section to an attorney whose dedication to the administration of workers’ compensation law and whose professionalism and regard for clients and colleagues serves as an example to others.

As a top AV Preeminent Lawyer by Martindale Hubbell, he has been selected as a “Legal Leader” in Western Pennsylvania.

He is among the first group of Workers’ Compensation practitioners in Pennsylvania to be certified, upon sitting for an examination, as a Specialist in the area of Workers’ Compensation by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Mr. Quatrini has devoted considerable energy and time to the philanthropic community:

He is a founder and founding chair of the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, a philanthropic vehicle designed to provide all individuals, despite their economic status, with the opportunity to be a philanthropist and to positively impact the lives of members of the community.

He sits on the Board of Directors of The Pittsburgh Foundation.

He is a former Board member of the WESTCO credit union, the Westmoreland Bar Foundation, the Blackburn Center, Adelphoi, Inc., Adelphoi Village, and Adelphoi USA, and the former Board Chair for the Westmoreland County March of Dimes, the Westmoreland Land Trust, the Latrobe Community Revitalization Program, and the Duquesne Law Alumni Association.

He has been recognized with the prestigious Fred Funari Mental Health America Award of Distinction by the Mental Health Association of Westmoreland County.

He has been recognized with the Westmoreland Historical Society Arthur Sinclair Award for the renovation of the 7th Ward School in Greensburg and the Citizens Bank Building in Latrobe.

He has been conferred with the Italian of the Year award by the Sons of Italy.

He has been appointed to the Transition Task Force by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Mr. Quatrini received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from St. Vincent College in 1971, and his Doctorate of Law from Duquesne University in 1974. He is a lifelong resident of the Latrobe‑Greensburg area and is married to Patricia Cecchini, a former nursing instructor at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He and Patricia have two sons, Michael and Adam, who are Associates at QLG, and four grandchildren, Stella, Vivian, Paloma and Enzo.

Certified Legal Specialties

Workers’ Compensation, Pennsylvania Bar Association

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania, 1974
U.S. District Court Western District of Pennsylvania, 1975
U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1984
U.S. Supreme Court, 1977

Education

Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University (formerly Duquesne University School of Law), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- J.D. – 1974
St. Vincent College, Latrobe
- B.A. – 1971
- Honors: magna cum laude
- Major: Economics

Published Works

One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 1990
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 1992
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 1994
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 1996
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 1998
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 2000
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 2002
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 2004
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 2006
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 2008
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 2010
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 2012
One of a Statewide Team of Attorneys (Co-Author), Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Practice & Procedure, 2014
Traumatic Brain Injury & W.C. Claims, ABA, Medico-Legal Guides, Chapter 24, 2016
Fee Agreements in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Bar Institute

Representative Cases

Pawlosky v. WCAB, 514 PA 450, 1987, PA Supreme
Gilliand v. Heckler, 786 F.2d 178, 1986, 3rd Circuit
McIlvaine v. WCAB, 810 A.2d 1280, 2002, PA Supreme
Coleman v. WCAB, 842 A.2d 349, 2004, Pennsylvania
Camaione v. Boro of Latrobe, 1988

Representative Clients

Injured Workers

References

Workers Comp Rx
Commercial National Bank

Classes/Seminars

Lecturer, “Medicine for Lawyers”
Lecturer, Chronic Pain Syndrome
Lecturer, Orthopedics for Lawyers
Lecturer, Lawyers’ Guide to Mild to Moderate Brain Injury
Lecturer, Analyzing and Using Medical Records
Workers’ Compensation Rights, The National Business Institute
Workers’ Compensation Rights, The Industry for Workers’ Compensation Reform
Workers’ Compensation Rights, The Indiana University of Pennsylvania Industrial Conference
Workers’ Compensation Rights, The Pennsylvania Self-Insurers Association
Ethics in Rehabilitation
Worker’s Compensation Practice and Procedure, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 1992 to 2006
Medicine for Lawyers, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2003 to 2006
Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association, 1996, Lecturer
Lecturer, Knees, Shoulders, and Elbows
Lecturer, Anatomy and Medical Jargon for Lawyers
Lecturer, Litigating the Upper Extremity Injury Case Do’s and Don’ts
Lecturer, Anatomy, Injuries, and Surgeries.
Lecturer, Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group
Frequent Speaker, PBA Workers’ Compensation Law Fall Section Meeting
Regular presenter at the Annual Governor’s Workers’ Compensation Conference, Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
Moderated the 8th Annual Administrative Law Symposium for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.
Moderates Current Trends in Workers’ Compensation Management, sponsored by Allegheny General Hospital and Allegheny Orthopedic Associates
Medicine Set Aside Accounts

Honors and Awards

Prestigious Award of Outstanding Achievement
Named to The Best Lawyers in America’s Workers’ Compensation since 1997
Top 100 Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Pennsylvania Bar Association Irvin Stander Award, 2013
Top 50 Pittsburgh Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Super Lawyer for the past 10 years
Selected for the 2011 class of the nationwide College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
Top AV Preeminent Lawyer by Martindale Hubbell
Selected as a “Legal Leader” in Western Pennsylvania
Recognized with the prestigious Fred Funari Mental Health America Award of Distinction by the Mental Health Association of Westmoreland County
Recognized with the Westmoreland Historical Society Arthur Sinclair Award
Conferred with the Italian of the Year award by the Sons of Italy
John E. Murray, Jr. Meritorious Service Award, 2015
Best Lawyers in America

Professional Associations and Memberships

Westmoreland County Bar Association, Member
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
Westmoreland County Academy of Trial Lawyers, Member
Westmoreland Bar Association, Past President, 1988 to 1989
Westmoreland County Bar Association, Board of Directors
Hundred-Year History Association
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Workers’ Compensation Law Section , Member, Executive Committee, since 1984
Pennsylvania Bar Association, Workers’ Compensation Law Section, Chair, 1989 to 1990
Pennsylvania Bar Association Conference of County Bar Leaders, Former Chair
Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, Board Member
Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, Founding Chair
Worker’s Compensation Rules Committee, Member
Westmoreland County March of Dimes, Former Chair and Vice President
WESTCO Credit Union, Former Board Member
Westmoreland Bar Foundation, Board Member
Center Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, Former Board Member
Adelphoi, Inc., Adelphoi Village and Adelphoi USA, Former Board Member
Staunton Farms Foundation, Board Member
Member of the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group
Westmoreland Land Trust, Board Member
Latrobe Community Revitalization Program, Board Member
Duquesne Law Alumni Association, Board Member
Pittsburgh Foundation, Board of Directors
Blackburn Center, Former Board Member

Past Employment Positions

Westmoreland County, Assistant District Attorney, 1975 to 1980
WESTCO Credit Union, Chair
WESTCO Credit Union, Vice President
Westmoreland Bar Foundation, Chair
Westmoreland Bar Foundation, Vice President
Westmoreland County Controller, Solicitor

Pro Bono Activities

Board of Directors, The Pittsburgh Foundation

Ancillary Businesses

Lecturing on medical-legal issues.
Designing and moderating a series of medical-legal seminars.

Founding Partner

Contact Information

Practice Areas