Sherri L. Dougherty

Partner
Philadelphia
2000 Market Street
Suite 1300
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Sherri Dougherty defends manufacturing plants, staffing agencies, shipping corporations, retailers, restaurants, transportation companies, insurance carriers and self-insured employers in workers’ compensation claims in Pennsylvania.

To ensure her clients are using best risk management practices and reducing exposure risk, Sherri provides extensive counseling on potential claims, minimizing the costs of claims not just in litigation but also the settlement value of claims.

Sherri handles all types of workers’ compensation litigation including standard utilization reviews, fee review disputes, average weekly wage disputes, and jurisdiction disputes. With decades of experience, Sherri is well versed in all issues that arise concerning the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act. Sherri has been instrumental in securing her clients’ wins before Workers’ Compensation Judges, the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Appeal Board, and the Commonwealth Court.

Sherri has achieved a DistinguishedSM Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. This is given to attorneys who have experience and are widely respected by their peers for their professional achievement and ethical standards. From 2024 – 2026, Sherri was named to the The Best Lawyers in America® list.

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Delaware County Human Resources Association (Delco SHRM), Legislative Liaison, Board Member
  • Judge Alexander F. Barbieri Workers’ Compensation American Inn of Court, Member
  • Power of Professional Women, Member

 

Speaking Engagements

  • 04.02.24 Guest lecture on Workers’ Compensation, Villanova Law School
  • 01.20.22 Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation 101
  • 07.21.21 Strategies to Manage Costs of Medical Care in a PA Workers’ Compensation Claim
  • 12.17.19 Professionally Administered Structured Settlements: Increasing Benefits or Impending Opportunity?
  • 12.13.18 Defending Chronic and Preexisting Conditions – What Really Works
  • 08.11.16 Going Beyond the Hand Held Camera: Effective Investigations in 2016
  • 07.26.16 Presenter, “Going Beyond the Hand Held Camera: Effective Investigations in 2016,” Webinar
  • 05.14.13 Presenter at Judge’s Round-table, “How to Improve the Mandatory Mediation Program”

Cases and Experience

Successful in defending a Reinstatement and Review Petition of an employee who tripped and fell at work, injuring her knee. The claimant was terminated for cause post-injury, and alleged injuries to multiple body parts other than the knee. The Judge found claimant’s injury to be limited to a knee contusion, that claimant’s wage loss was not related to her work injury, and found her fully recovered from the knee contusion based on credible testimony of employer’s medical expert.

Successful in defending a Fatal Claim Petition for a traveling employee, whose widow alleged claimant had a heart attack due to work-related stress. The Judge found credible employer’s medical and fact witness testimony, which did not support work stress as a causal factor in claimant’s heart attack.

Successful in defendant a Claim Petition filed by a part time supervisor who alleged that due to 18 years of heavy physical activity on the job, she had cumulative injuries to the neck and lower back. The Judge denied the Claim Petition, finding credible the four employer fact witnesses who testified that claimant’s job was not heavy or repetitive, and that claimant went out of work on short term disability benefits without reporting a work injury within 120 days. The WCJ also accepted employer’s medical expert as more credible than two medical experts presented by claimant.

Prior results cannot and do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter that we or any lawyer may be retained to handle.

News & Presentations

08.17.23 | Firm News, Press Releases | Casualty, General Liability, Premises Liability, Product Liability, Trucking & Transportation, Workers’ Compensation, Insurance, Professional Liability, Medical Malpractice, Civil Rights & Municipal Liability, Employment, Family Law

Assistant

Education

  • Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, J.D., 1993
  • Franklin and Marshall College, B.S., 1990

Practices

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

 

Industries

Awards & Recognition

  • Martindale-Hubbell DistinguishedSM Rating
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, 2024 – 2026
Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby, LLP
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