Formerly Padberg, Corrigan & Appelbaum

Theresa A. Appelbaum Principal and Partner

Theresa A. Appelbaum

Theresa A. Appelbaum has been representing clients in the St. Louis metropolitan area for more than 20 years. As a partner at Padberg Appelbaum Knepper, Teri focuses her practice on plaintiff’s personal injury, including wrongful death, automobile collisions, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, construction accidents and premises liability. 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 for the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (MATA) which is a Missouri professional organization whose purpose is to preserve the rights of injured people in the Courts.  She co-chairs the MATA Amicus Committee where she authors legal briefs in Missouri Supreme Court and appellate courts statewide on legal issues impacting the victims of injury or death.  Additionally, Teri serves on the Executive Committee of the Lawyers Association of St. Louis and is currently the President-Elect.  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 the 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

  • In 2011, Teri received an $850,000 judgment for a woman who slipped and fell on a wet floor at work, suffering permanent nerve damage to her right arm. At the time, it was the largest recorded slip and fall verdict in St. Louis County and one of the largest in Missouri history.
  • Litigated against Laclede Gas Company for natural gas explosions.
  • Represented the mentally handicapped in complex neglect and abuse cases against State Facilities, Special School Districts, and private organizations.
  • Litigated complex medical malpractice cases against accredited hospitals that allowed “never events” to occur, such as inpatient falls, bed sores, and air emboli.
  • Litigated against insurance companies for bad faith refusal to provide insurance coverage.
  • Handled complex product liability cases against manufacturers of defective products, such as medical equipment, dump trucks and hoists, and pharmaceutical products.

Professional & Community Involvment

  • Missouri Bar Association
  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
    • Board of Governors, 1998 - present
    • Co-chair, Amicus Curiae Committee
    • Missouri Trial Lawyers Care Committee
    • Past Chair, CLE Committee
    • Past Co-chair, Association Development Committee
  • The Lawyers Association of St. Louis
    • President-Elect, 2019 - 2020
    • Executive Committee, 2013 – present
  • The American Association for Justice
  • The Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis
  • Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis
  • Former St. Louis University School of Law, Adjunct Professor for Trial Advocacy

Published Works & Presentations

  • “Evidence, Relevancy, Admissibility & Burden of Proof,” Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education Seminar, May 9, 2018
  • “Burden of Proof,” Chapter 3 of Missouri Evidence, 6th, 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