Theresa A. Appelbaum

Principal and Partner

Theresa A. Appelbaum has been representing clients in the St. Louis metropolitan area for 28 years. As a partner at Padberg Appelbaum Knepper, Teri focuses her practice on plaintiff’s personal injury, including wrongful death, automobile collisions, medical malpractice, construction accidents, premises liability and workers compensation. She is widely recognized for her experience in these practice areas and often authors publications and gives lectures on pertinent topics.

She serves on the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys whose purpose is to preserve the right to trial by jury of victims who have been injured or who have lost their lives due to the fault of another. Teri co-chairs the Amicus Curiae Committee, where she authors legal briefs in the Missouri Supreme Court and appellate courts statewide on legal issues impacting the victims of injury or death. Additionally, Teri served on the Executive Committee and is a past president of the Lawyers Association of St. Louis. The Lawyers Association of St. Louis is a St. Louis Metropolitan trial lawyers organization consisting of plaintiff’s lawyers, defense lawyers and judges. Its purpose is to maintain professionalism, integrity and fellowship among members of the trial bar.

Teri attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis where she earned her B.A. in History, summa cum laude, in 1993. She then earned her law degree from St. Louis University School of Law, magna cum laude, in 1996. During law school Teri was elected to the Order of the Woolsack honor society and received academic achievement awards in the study of Evidence and Civil Procedure.

A native to St. Louis, Teri and her husband Paul and daughter Meghan live in St. Louis County. Teri is passionate about her family and her community. She is active in charitable organizations, including the BackStoppers, St. Patrick Center, and St. Peter Catholic Church in Kirkwood.

Representative Cases

• $8,000,000.00 judgment on behalf of a severely disabled man who was abused by a state employee while a resident in a habilitation center.
• $850,000.00 judgment for a woman who slipped and fell on a wet floor suffering permanent nerve damage to her right arm. At the time, it was the largest recorded slip and fall verdict in St. Louis County history.
• Litigated complex cases against Laclede Gas Company for natural gas explosions.
• Litigated complex neglect and abuse cases for the mentally handicapped against State facilities, Special School Districts, and private organizations
• Litigated complex medical malpractice actions against accredited hospitals who allow “never events” to occur such as inpatient falls, bed sores, and air emboli, resulting in serious injury and death
• Litigated complex cases against insurance companies for bad faith refusal to provide insurance coverage
• Litigated complex product liability litigation against manufacturers of defective products such as defective medical equipment, defective dump trucks and hoists, and defective pharmaceutical products

Professional Involvement

• Missouri Bar Association
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Board of Governors, 1998 to present
  • Co-chair, Amicus Curiae Committee
  • Past Chair, CLE Committee
  • Past Co-chair, Association Development Committee
• The Lawyers Association of St. Louis,
  • Past-President, 2020 -- 2022
  • Executive Committee, 2013 – 2024
• American Association for Justice
• The Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Published Works and Presentations

• “Evidence, Relevancy, Admissibility & Burden of Proof,” Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education Seminar, May 9, 2018
• “Burden of Proof,” Chapter 3 of Missouri Evidence, 6^th, Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education Deskbook, 2016.
• “Fighting with Giants” The Missouri Trial Magazine, Spring 2016
• “Direct Examination of Plaintiff’s Expert Witness,” Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Summer Convention 2013.
• “The Importance of Taking the Treating Physician Deposition,” Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, New Lawyers Section, October, 2011
• “Premises Liability Cases—Proving Negligence and Reducing Comparative Fault,” Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Women’s Caucus, July, 2011
• “Critical Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations,” American Association for Justice, Interstate Trucking Litigation Group, Winter Convention 2010
• “The Dangers of Sitting at the Bar,” The Missouri Trial Magazine, Spring 2006
• “Burden of Proof,” Chapter 3 of Missouri Evidence, 5th Ed., Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education Deskbook, 2005
• “Public Relations and Community Image in the Era of Tort Reform,” Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Summer Convention 2004