Martin Colavincenzo has been an attorney at Dugan & Associates since 2004, specializing in workers compensation and social security disability. A Pittsburgh native and Duquesne University graduate--both undergraduate and law-- Colavincenzo took a unique path to workers compensation.
As a young college student, he wanted to work in government, so he majored in political science and history, later pursuing a law degree at a professor's recommendation. Initially, Colavincenzo did not intend to practice law but rather to use his credentials to open the door to a career in state or federal government.
Though practicing law may not have been his original plan, the motivation behind his career choices has remained the same. To Colavincenzo, working in government represented an opportunity to make a difference. He could have an impact on the bigger stage of government that would mean a difference in the lives of individual Americans. The opportunity to be a driving force behind that sort of difference was appealing, and it drove him to excel in studies.
When he graduated, however, government opportunities were slim. He fell back on his law degree and joined a firm.
Early on, Colavincenzo represented employers in workers compensation cases, sitting opposite of where he sits in court today. That work gave him a behind the scenes insight into how employers, insurance companies, and insurance adjusters approach cases and treat workers. He learned how they think, and how they approach cases. Those insights play a critical role in how he represents clients--injured workers in Pittsburgh--in every case that he tries in his role at Dugan & Associates.
"That work meant that I got to meet the players and learn how these people do things," Colavincenzo says.
In 2004, he joined Dugan & Associates and began representing workers.
"This one case stands out," Colavincenzo says. "He was a laborer and had two surgeries on each shoulder. He had a good work history and worked hard for his family, but he was denied benefits. Those are the people I like to fight for. I like making a difference for hard-working people."
From working on both sides, Colavincenzo knows how often workers "get the runaround" and are frustrated by rules that are old and arcane. That same runaround can also impact how an injured worker in Pittsburgh finds representation.
"All attorneys are smart," Colavincenzo says, "But getting an honest one is hard. Going in, with all of my clients, I'm honest. Sometimes that means hearing something difficult, but that's the only way I can really make a difference for them."
To learn more about Colavincenzo or to see if you have a case, visit his attorney biography.
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