Personal Injury Law Conference 2026

overview faculty related courses This program is eligible for 6 hours of CLE credit in 60-minute states. In 50-minute states, this program is eligible for 7.2 hours of CLE credit. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state’s approval and credit rounding rules. Overview Join PBI for the 2026 Personal Injury Law Conference — the premier gathering for plaintiff and defense attorneys, judges, and litigation professionals shaping the future of personal injury practice. Dive into the latest developments, emerging trends, and real-world strategies impacting personal injury litigation across Pennsylvania and beyond. This dynamic program delivers practical insights, spirited perspectives, and meaningful discussion designed to sharpen your advocacy and strengthen your practice. Learn from leading trial lawyers, respected judges, and industry experts as they tackle the issues making headlines — and the ones quietly changing the way cases are litigated. From cutting-edge tactics and courtroom trends to evolving damages issues and practice management insights, this agenda is built for today’s PI practitioner. Benefit from statewide representation, plaintiff and defense viewpoints, engaging panel discussions, and candid conversations that bridge generations of experience — from seasoned litigators to rising stars in the profession. Attend virtually and take advantage of: Timely lectures and interactive panels Access to some of Pennsylvania’s most respected plaintiff and defense counsel and judges Practical takeaways you can put to work immediately Opportunities to ask questions and engage with presenters throughout the program Stay current. Stay competitive. Stay connected. Special thanks to our exceptional planning team: Jennifer S. Coatsworth, Esq. J. B. Dilsheimer, Esq. Timothy M. Knowles, Esq. Carrie J. McConnell, Esq. Sean M. McMonagle, Esq. Gina M. Zumpella, Esq. Presented in partnership with PBA Civil Litigation Section, this Conference supports their mission to build community and a supportive network through innovative, informative and fun programming. Faculty Sean M. McMonagle, Esq. Sean M. McMonagle, Esq. Sean is a personal injury attorney specializing in catastrophic injury cases throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Sean grew up in a blue-collar household which has shaped him into an aggressive trial lawyer dedicated to advocating for the rights of individuals who have suffered injuries. Sean is known for his unwavering dedication to his clients regardless of the circumstances. He believes in providing attention and support to each client, understanding that every case is unique and requires a personalized approach. Sean maintains a commitment to providing simple, clear, and honest communication that ensures his clients receive the highest level of representation during their toughest times. With over a decade of legal experience prior to joining Stampone O’Brien Dilsheimer Holloway, Sean has consistently demonstrated his commitment to achieving justice for his clients. His track record includes numerous successful multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, earning him recognition as a distinguished member of both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Membership in these prestigious organizations is limited to attorneys who have secured million and multi-million-dollar outcomes for their clients, a distinction attained by fewer than 1% of all attorneys nationwide. Sean is a graduate of Lafayette College where he played Division I Golf and obtained his law degree from Widener University School of Law. He enjoys travelling to play golf courses across the country, skiing, fishing and is a passionate 4 for 4 Philadelphia Sports Fan. Hon. Lisa Pupo Lenihan Hon. Lisa Pupo Lenihan Judge Lenihan has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S.D.C. for the Western District of Pennsylvania since April 2004. From January 2000 until her appointment to the bench she served as Assistant Counsel and Corporate Secretary for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Before going in-house, Judge Lenihan was in private practice handling primarily corporate litigation matters. Judge Lenihan is a 1983 magna cum laude graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where she is teaching Mediation Skills and serves as a member of its Board of Visitors. In her role as a federal Magistrate Judge, Lenihan handles a wide variety of both criminal and civil cases. She was appointed by Chief Justice Roberts to the Federal Judicial Center’s Magistrate Judge Education Committie through which she taught magistrate judges on a national level in a wide variety of areas, including mediation skills. She has also mediated hundreds of cases for her colleagues on the bench. Judge Lenihan was instrumental in developing the ADR Policies and Procedures for the Western District of Pennsylvania and serves on the Court’s Case Management and ADR Committee. She plans to retire in October of 2023 and start her own mediation practice as Judge Lenihan ADR. Timothy M. Knowles, Esq. Timothy M. Knowles, Esq. Tim’s practice includes all aspects of civil litigation, including personal injury and commercial/business lawsuits. Tim has experience litigating cases in Pennsylvania state and federal courts. As a result of his successes, Tim has been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star list. This distinction is given to lawyers under 40 and to no more than 2.5% of lawyers in the state. Tim is active in the Montgomery and Pennsylvania Bar Associations. He has been a member of the Montgomery Bar Association’s Leadership Academy and the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Bar Leadership Institute. He is Co-Chair of the Montgomery Bar Association’s Pro Bono, Access to Justice, and Community Service Committee. He also serves as Education Liaison to the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Civil Litigation Section. In recognition of his public service, Tim was awarded the Montgomery Bar Association’s 2022 Henry Stuckert Miller Public Service Award. Tim graduated from Temple University Law School in 2010, where he was in the top twenty-five percent of his class and served as a staff editor on the Temple Journal of Science, Technology, and Environmental Law. While in law school, Tim interned for Judges Abramson and Carrafiello in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, volunteered at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, and spent a semester as an intern with the Claims Unit of the Philadelphia Law Department. As an undergraduate, Tim studied double bass performance at Temple University, where he graduated summa cum laude. When Tim is not practicing law, he likes to listen to music, spend time with his family, and study the Korean language. He serves on the board of directors for the Cheltenham Center for the Arts and on the Whitpain Township Shade Tree Commission. Carrie J. McConnell, Esq. Carrie J. McConnell, Esq. Ms. McConnell is an Partner at Summers, McDonnell, Hudock, Guthrie & Rauch, PC. She specializes in complex litigation, with a focus on UM/UIM coverage, transportation defense, premises liability, construction and products liability. Ms. McConnell has tried multiple jury cases to verdict throughout Central Pennsylvania. She has also appeared before the Pennsylvania appellate courts. Ms. McConnell earned her law degree from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law in 2011 and her B.A. from Drexel University in 2008. Gina M. Zumpella, Esq. James B. Dilsheimer, Esq. James B. Dilsheimer, Esq. Mr. Dilsheimer is a partner and trial attorney at Stampone O’Brien Dilsheimer Law in Cheltenham. Before that, he practiced most recently with Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky. Mr. Dilsheimer has vast experience handling complex, catastrophic injury cases in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, as well as other locations around the country. He concentrates his practice on major, catastrophic injury litigation. He has worked on the settlement and trial of several multi-million dollar cases and has a wide range of experience in cases involving traumatic brain injury, defective products, construction accidents, FELA, premises liability, medical malpractice, motor vehicle accidents, subrogation matters, and commercial litigation. Mr. Dilsheimer’s successful verdict in a Monroe County, PA jury trial was reported by The National Law Journal as one of the “Top PA Verdicts of 2010” in the January 2010 edition of Verdict Search National. The trial involved a head-on automobile accident. He graduated magna cum laude from the Temple University Beasley School of Law in 1992. Mr. Dilsheimer was Managing Editor of the Temple Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude from Bowdoin College in 1988. Mr. Dilsheimer does pro-bono work for the Gift of Life, which coordinates organ donation and transplantation in the tri-state area. Jennifer S. Coatsworth, Esq. Jennifer S. Coatsworth, Esq. Ms. Coatsworth is a partner at Margolis Edelstein. She has litigated hundreds of motor vehicle, dealer fraud and lemon law cases from both the plaintiff and defense sides. Additionally, she concentrates her practice in the defense of professionals such as realtors, home inspectors, accountants and physicians. She also has extensive experience with premises liability and product liability and has handled employment and construction work and several fraternity cases. Ms. Coatsworth has defended dozens of car dealerships and real estate sales people for claims of breach of contract and fraud and violations of various fraud-related statutes such as the Unfair Trade Practices Act, the Magnuson Moss Warranty Improvement Act, the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Lemon Laws, the New Vehicle Damage Disclosure Act, the Automotive Industry Trade Practices Act, the Real Estate Sellers Disclosure Law and the Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act. Additionally, Ms. Coatsworth specializes in representing Greek letter organizations in all manner of claims including dram shop, hazing, and personal injury. She was selected for inclusion in Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Stars from 2011 through 2018 and Super Lawyers in 2021-2025. Ms. Coatsworth currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association as Immediate Past Chancellor, having previously served as Chancellor, Chancellor-Elect, Vice Chancellor, Assistant Treasurer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Parliamentarian and Elected Member. Additionally, she is a past co-chair of the Women in the Profession Committee, and she is also very active with the State Civil Litigation Section, Women’s Rights Committee, LGBTQ Rights Committee and the Real Property Section. She previously served on the Executive Committee of the Young Lawyers Division of that organization for six years and held the positions of Secretary and Vice Chair of the Division. She also served as a Trustee of the Philadelphia Bar Foundation and a Board Member for Philadelphia VIP. She serves on the Leadership Council of Community Legal Services and the Advisory Board for Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts. In the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Ms. Coatsworth is the Immediate Past Zone One Governor and she co-chairs the Membership Development Committee. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Civil and Equal Rights Committee and Large Firm Management Committee, and she sits on the Executive Counsel of the Civil Litigation Section as a Past Chair and the Women in the Profession Commission’s Executive Council as Co-Chair of the 2026 Fall Retreat. She previously served as co-chair of the PBA Women in the Profession Commission and chaired several of its committees including Annual Meeting, Fall Retreat and Awards Committee. She is also a Past Chancellor of the Louis D. Brandeis Law Society, and she serves on several committees of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania including the Community Outreach Committee and the Jury Diversity Task Force. Need help navigating your CLE requirements? You have a lot on your plate. We’ll help you stay on top of your compliance — in PA and beyond. learn more Related Courses On-Demand Video CC Start to Finish in Personal Injury 2022 City: Start Date:2022-11-13 19:00:00 End Date:2024-11-13 19:00:00 Length: Level:Various Topics:Personal Injury $249.00 ProPass Credits [{"jurisdiction":"Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board","status":"Approved","state":"Pennsylvania","credits":"","expiration_date":"November 13, 2027","speciality_credit":[{"category":"General","state_category":"General","credit":"2.0"},{"category":"Ethics and Professional Responsibility","state_category":"Ethics","credit":"0.5"}]}] Credit States Status Credits Earn credit until Add to cart E-Book CC Anatomy and Physiology for Legal Professionals City: Start Date:2019-06-30 20:00:00 End Date: Length: Level: Topics:Personal Injury $149.00 Add to cart On-Demand Video CC Premises Liability Litigation 2024 City: Start Date:2024-02-23 04:00:00 End Date: Length: Level:Various Topics:Personal Injury $299.00 ProPass Credits [{"jurisdiction":"Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Education","status":"Reciprocity ","state":"New Jersey","credits":"","expiration_date":"February 22, 2027","speciality_credit":[{"category":"General","state_category":"General","credit":"3.6"}]},{"jurisdiction":"New York CLE Board","status":"Approved","state":"New York","credits":"","expiration_date":"February 22, 2027","speciality_credit":[{"category":"General","state_category":"Areas of Professional Practice","credit":"3.5"}]},{"jurisdiction":"West Virginia State Bar Continuing Legal Education Commission","status":"Approved","state":"West Virginia","credits":"","expiration_date":"February 22, 2027","speciality_credit":[{"category":"General","state_category":"General","credit":"4.8"}]},{"jurisdiction":"Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board","status":"Approved","state":"Pennsylvania","credits":"","expiration_date":"February 21, 2029","speciality_credit":[{"category":"General","state_category":"General","credit":"4.0"}]}] Credit States Status Credits Earn credit until Add to cart