Attorney Profile
Ronald M. Puntil Jr.
Areas of Practice
Contact Info
Overview
Ronald is a member of the firm's Health Care Department and focuses his practice on the defense of physicians, nursing homes and other health care providers. He also has experience representing employers and insurance carriers in workers' compensation claims.
A seasoned trial attorney, Ron has taken approximately 100 trials to verdict, obtaining at least 90 defense verdicts. Several of the cases he has handled have resulted in verdicts or settlements significantly below the demands. Ron has represented a large number of physicians and long-term care facilities and has also defended employers in workers' compensation cases. He has also tried several product liability and premises liability cases to verdict. In workers' compensation matters, Ron has represented the manufacturer of rail cars in hundreds of cases.
Among his seminal cases, Ron obtained summary judgment on behalf of a methadone clinic in Stever v. Alliance Medical Services, Inc. In what is believed to be a case of first impression, the Pennsylvania Superior Court held that a methadone clinic holds no duty to injured third parties.
By working closely with his clients to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each case, Ron is able to make recommendations to achieve the best result possible. He provides effective representation at trial, with an eye toward economically resolving a case when appropriate.
Ron attended Villanova University and graduated cum laude with a degree in economics. He received his juris doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1984 and has been in the active practice of defense litigation since that time.
Ron has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in the area of medical malpractice personal injury defense in 2006-2014 and 2017-2020.
Results
Defended a neurologist in Allegheny County in a case in which the plaintiff, a registered nurse, sustained an anoxic brain injury after experiencing a seizure in the hospital. All other co-defendants entered into a joint tortfeasor settlement prior to trial. We argued that the brain injury was due to the seizure as opposed to failure to properly treat the patient. The jury returned a verdict in favor of the neurologist after a six-day trial.
Represented an emergency room physician in a case in Washington County in which a 45-year-old woman died as a result of an aortic dissection. We argued that the patient had symptoms that were not consistent with that diagnosis, which is rare in younger women. The jury returned a defense verdict after a nine-day trial.
Thought Leadership
Various seminars on workers' compensation for NBI as well as insurance carriers
Various lectures to physician groups and nursing personnel on medical malpractice issues
Authored several books used in CLE classes for NBI