Practice Areas
Biography
J. Fred Lorusso concentrates his practice on complex casualty defense litigation, primarily focused on defending clients in matters involving premises liability, motor vehicle, construction, liquor liability and product liability claims. He has experience with personal injury matters ranging in complexity from low exposure to catastrophic loss and fatality claims. His clients include transportation companies, commercial and residential property owners and large national insurance carriers.
Experience
Recognition
AV Preeminent® rating by Martindale-Hubbell®
The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.
First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Pro Bono Roll of Honor, 2011, 2013
The First Judicial District recognizes the importance of performing pro bono work in order to ensure justice for the citizens of Philadelphia. It is also important to the First Judicial District to recognize the tremendous effort that many attorneys expend in providing pro bono services to litigants in the Court of Common Pleas or Municipal Court.
Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association and the American Board of Trial Advocates National Trial Academy, 2011
Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2008
The Rising Stars list recognizes no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in each state. To be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars, a candidate must be either 40 years old or younger, or in practice for 10 years or less.
Representative Matters
- Defense verdict following three-day trial in rear-end motor vehicle accident claim despite client’s concession of negligence prior to the commencement of trial.
- Defense verdict following four-day trial in a commercial property damages claim. This claim involved complex issues regarding contractual modifications of commercial leases, as well as ancillary issues related to insurance coverage and proper accounting of commercial property and assets by and between related corporate entities.
- Jury verdict awarding less than $5K against residential property owner client following three-day trial related to plaintiff’s slip and fall on client’s property and resultant knee fracture.
- Summary judgment in favor of machine parts fabricator in a catastrophic injury claim implicating failure of the client’s product.
- Negotiated resolution under initial reserves of four consolidated motor vehicle accident claims including one fatality and three catastrophic injury claims related to alleged service of alcohol by client bar to striking driver defendant.
- Negotiated resolution well under initial reserves of passenger fatality claim related to alleged service of alcohol by client bar to decedent’s driver.
- Negotiated resolution under initial reserves of plaintiff driver’s catastrophic injury claims and plaintiff’s minor passenger’s fatality. The claims were related to the alleged service of alcohol to the client bar’s patron, who struck the plaintiffs’ vehicle while traveling nearly twice the posted speed limit.
- Regularly represents residential and commercial property owners, including supermarket chains, convenience stores, restaurants and car washes in premises liability claims.
Background
Bar and Court Admissions
Admissions
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
State of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
Licenses
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Education
Temple University Beasley School of Law | J.D., 2003
Boston College | B.S., 1999
News & Events
News & Events
- Case Note, “ALERT: Spoliation of Evidence,” December 21, 2016
- Case Note, “Defense Verdicts, Rawle’s Reports, Volume 15, Number 7,” 2011
- White Paper, “The Pennsylvania Uniform Trade Secrets Act, What You Should Know,” September 2004
- White Paper, “Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003: How will the new Medicare drug benefit affect you and your company?,” February 2004