I have empathy for those who have been harmed through corporate wrongdoing. It gives me satisfaction to know I can help obtain justice for clients who have sustained life-altering injuries.”
Weitz & Luxenberg is pleased to welcome Joseph Tyler Osborne to our defective drug and medical device team, this time as an attorney.
Mr. Osborne served as a law clerk for our firm for nearly two years. After graduating from New York Law School in May 2022, and receiving his New York bar admission in March 2023, he accepted our offer to continue his law career with us.
Interest in Law Began in College
“In college, I did not have a clear picture of what I wanted to do as a career. This all changed after watching my dad, a products liability attorney in Florida, deliver closing arguments in a jury trial. It was on behalf of a plaintiff harmed by a hip implant in Florida,” remembers Mr. Osborne.
“In the summer of 2020, I was a law clerk under an attorney at my dad’s firm. He brought me under his wing and instilled in me the foundational knowledge that has helped me get to where I am today. He taught me the process. I remember spending weeks preparing for a deposition. It was rewarding to then watch it firsthand, knowing our hard work paid off. The experience I had that summer showed me how everything worked.”
Mr. Osborne continues, “Things I learned as a communications major, especially writing, translated over to law. And I was genuinely interested in cases where people were unexpectedly harmed, cases where the victim had no control.”
He summarizes, “I learned that I wanted to help. My goal is to get closure and compensation for victims.”
Focusing on Defective Medical Devices
During his time as a law clerk, Mr. Osborne worked with our defective drug and medical device cases. These included the Exactech Polyethylene Orthopedic Products Liability litigation, as well as the Stryker LFIT V40 Femoral Head Products Liability litigation.
His daily work focuses on representing our clients suffering from pain and other issues with defective joint implants. While the Stryker litigation has largely settled, his legal work continues on our Exactech case. Mr. Osborne is seeking justice for clients harmed by excessive polyethylene wear of the Exactech Optetrak, Truliant, and Connexion GXL polyethylene liners.
In the Exactech case, these injuries include swelling, pain, limited mobility, device loosening, and osteolysis. These injuries are due to implant failures. The failures are requiring our clients to undergo revision surgery in their hips and knees.
Our Client’s Best Interest Is Key
“W&L is helping clients by truly looking out for their best interests,” says Mr. Osborne. “I genuinely love my work. It is unbelievable to me that I will get to continue to work with W&L as an attorney and help thousands of people.”
He emphasizes, “I am passionate about what we do and want to continue to put out good work. I will use my education and experience to make a difference and strive to be an asset to the firm and our clients.”
Lessons from Pro Bono Work
As part of his bar application, Mr. Osborne did volunteer work with the Legal Assistance of Western New York organization.
He points out, “The work was very interesting and very rewarding. I learned to be straight with clients. It’s important to be relatable, have empathy, and know how to develop trust. When I am actually talking with clients, they look to me for help. They need to know that you are going to look out for their best interests and always be on their side.”
Football and the Law
“I went to Denison University for my undergraduate degree, where I was a member of the football team for four years. It was hard work balancing an academic load with college athletics,” recalls Mr. Osborne.
“In addition to coursework, there were games, practices, training, and conditioning tests making demands on my time. I was not the best guy on the team, but I embraced my role as a member of the scout team, which I considered far more important than individual accolades.”
His experience provided a very valuable lesson, “What I learned from football applies to what I do now: functioning as a team player, handling adversity, being able to change on the fly, not getting easily discouraged, and working hard.”
Outside the Office
Sports is a passion he shares with his father. Mr. Osborne continues to be a huge sports fan, especially of the Eagles. Other than team sports, outside of work he runs and enjoys spending time outdoors.
