Edward Chacker

Whether he is negotiating a settlement or trying a case to verdict, Edward Chacker is recognized as one of the leading trial lawyers in Pennsylvania. As Senior Managing Partner and Chair of Gay & Chacker, Edward has built a successful career representing clients in the personal injury and civil litigation arenas, particularly in cases involving car and truck crashes, workplace injuries, slip and fall accidents, medical malpractice, and police and correctional guard abuse. He is an approachable and compassionate advocate for his clients.

Some of Mr. Chacker’s notable verdicts and settlements include:

• $4.5 million settlement for the estate of a 90-year-old man who was struck and killed by a dump truck while grocery shopping with his son. As lead counsel of the client, Edward took on the case others did not believe had value due to the man’s age, and he achieved a successful resolution without the need for a costly jury trial.
• 9 million verdict for a woman who sustained severe emotional distress after witnessing a truck lose control on a highway and narrowly miss her vehicle at an intersection. Engineers recreated the incident and proved the woman suffered from psychosomatic injury.
• Million-dollar medical malpractice settlement for a five-year-old girl who was injured and required surgery after an IV was placed incorrectly. In addition to the settlement for her injury, the Philadelphia hospital installed a plaque on the wall recognizing their wrongdoing.
• $900,000 settlement for the family of a man shot through the heart by a police officer who claimed he had gun. Thorough investigation and witness interviews created doubt that the gun belonged to the victim, and the city made an offer to settle.

Through these and many other verdicts and settlements, Mr. Chacker has built a reputation for obtaining exceptional outcomes in very difficult cases. His ability to see the potential in clients’ unique situations has led him to obtain these unexpected results.

For decades, Edward has been recognized not only for his tenacious legal representation of individuals, but also for his pro bono work for the public at large. In 2012, he received the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association’s Justice Michael A. Musmanno Award, an award given annually to the person who best exemplifies the late Justice’s qualities of high integrity, scholarship, imagination, courage, and concern for human rights. Mr. Chacker was also the recipient of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Pillar of Justice in 2013. The Philadelphia Bar Association honored him with the VIP Chancellor’s Award each year from 1991 to 1994 and in 2003. Philadelphia’s Volunteers for the Indigent (VIP) Program recognized his firm for outstanding professional leadership and commitment to equal rights for all. Edward has also received the following awards and recognition:

• Pennsylvania Legal Services Ambassador for Justice Award, 2003
• Community Legal Services, Equal Justice Award, 1995
• Tau Epsilon Rho Law Society, For Service to the Bar and to the Community, 1993
• Community Legal Services, Recognition of Outstanding Service

Edward’s reputation as a skilled litigator and compassionate advocate has led him to frequently receive many case referrals from other law firms. With every case he takes on, he is devoted to obtaining the best results possible for the client.

Education and Background

Mr. Chacker earned his bachelor’s degree from Temple University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law. He is admitted to practice in U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Federal Claims Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Edward is a Mediator and Arbitrator for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and he is a former Hearing Officer for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s Disciplinary Board.

A frequent speaker before legal and educational organizations, Edward places a special emphasis on trial techniques during his lectures. He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows to discuss a range of subjects in the field of law. Mr. Chacker is also deeply involved in numerous charitable organizations in the community and nationwide.