Our Team

Personal injury/wrongful death matters including:

• Motor vehicle accidents, trucking/transportation litigation, and premises liability
• Construction worksite accidents
• Recreational claims and cases involving white water rafting, ATV accidents, vehicle raceway accidents, sporting event injuries/accidents, fraternities and similar organizations
• Deliberate intent claims in West Virginia as a result of work related injuries/death

Toxic tort matters including:

• Asbestos litigation involving the defense of premises owners, manufacturers and suppliers of products alleged to have contained asbestos and contractors who are alleged to have removed and/or installed asbestos-containing products
• Defense of solvent manufacturers in cases alleging cancer as a result of benzene exposure
• Defense of product manufacturers in cases alleging poisoning as a result of mercury exposure
• Defense of railcar maintenance companies in cases alleging personal injuries and property damage as a result of exposure to coal tar light oil (CTLO)

Education

• Undergraduate:

  West Virginia University, B.A. History, 1999

• Law School:

   Duquesne University, 2002

Admissions

• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• United State District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of West Virginia

Memberships

• Defense Research Institute
• Pennsylvania Bar Association (Civil Litigation Section member)
• West Virginia Bar Association
• Allegheny County Bar Association

Venue Experience

• All state courts in Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia
• Federal District Courts of Pennsylvania and West Virginia

Additional Information

• Volunteer work with Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Western Pennsylvania
• Volunteer work for Career Literacy for African-American Youth (CLAAY)

Significant Matters

1. Estate of Brian A. Obermeier, et al. v. Dynamic Building Corporation, et al. (Allegheny County, PA 2009), obtained summary judgment for a property owner in a wrongful death case involving a construction worker who died as a result of a fall from the roof of the client’s building while performing renovation work.
2. Curtis, et al. v. Hartley Trucking Company, Inc. (Kanawha County, WV 2005), wrongful case involving 3 fatalities successfully resolved within the policy limits following extensive fact and expert discovery.
3. Adkins, et al. v. Marathon Ashland Petroleum, et al. (Wayne County, WV 2004), successfully defended and resolved hundreds of claims for personal injury and property damage as result of a release of over 20,000 gallons of coal tar light oil from a railcar into a residential community. Also, defended the cross-claim asserted by a major oil company to verdict and resolved all claims within the client’s insurance policy limits.
4. Hill v. Ashland, Inc., et al. (Marshall County, WV 2011), obtained voluntary dismissal for a solvent manufacturer and target defendant in a case alleging benzene exposure.
5. Wamsley, et al. v. G.A. Brown & Son, et al. (Tucker County, WV 2012), defense of a general contractor in a wrongful death/medical monitoring claim in which Plaintiffs are alleging exposure to “toxic dust” as a result of construction renovation work on the Tucker County, WV Courthouse.