Attorney Profiles

Louis Bell
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Shareholder
phone	(215) 575-2670
fax	(215) 575-0856
email	llbell@mdwcg.com

For more than 34 years, Louis has been defending domestic and international corporations and insurance companies. He has provided legal counsel to the top two leading U.S. automobile manufacturers in asbestos litigation.

Throughout his legal career, which spans over three decades to date, Louis has tried scores of cases in federal and state courts in multiple jurisdictions.

Louis has handled a variety of product liability cases in which there were catastrophic injuries, negligence cases involving accidents with trucks and tractor trailers whereby an extensive knowledge of federal regulations is required to litigate the case, and an array of general liability claims.

Prior to joining Marshall Dennehey, Louis was a shareholder and litigator with the firm of Liebert, Short, Fitzpatrick & Lavin in Philadelphia.

Significant Representative Matters

Ballarini v. Clark, 841 F. Supp. 662 (Ed. Pa. 1993). Defense verdict in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in a 402A case where the operator alleged the forklift truck went into gear when he dismounted. An unanimous jury found that a Dead Man's seat, advocated by plaintiff, was neither feasible nor necessary and plaintiff failed to utilize existing safety devices.

Baliotis v. McNeil, 870 F. Supp. 1285 (M.D. Pa. 1994). An economic settlement was reached before trial in a products liability case where plaintiffs' young son was killed in a house fire. Plaintiffs contended that defendant's microwave oven caused the fire. The microwave oven was not located at the origin of the fire and no abnormal electrical activity was found in the oven.

Moyer v. United Dominion Industries, Inc., 473 F.3d 532 (3rd Cir. 2007). Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's judgment and remanded for a new trial in a 402A case where plaintiffs alleged they suffered neurovascular injuries to their fingers while operating a machine which generated vibration. The Third Circuit held that the trial court erred in refusing to admit evidence of the lack of maintenance as a cause of the injuries.

In the United States District Court for New Jersey, a defense verdict in an amount less than defendant's settlement offer when defendant's tractor-trailer collided into the rear of plaintiff's car. Plaintiff alleged he sustained a herniated disc. The jury found soft tissue injuries only.

In the United States District Court for Delaware, a defense verdict in a 402A design case in which wife-plaintiff was burned while fueling a marine alcohol stove. The defense established that plaintiff had been drinking alcohol and was intoxicated. As a result, she incorrectly fueled the stove. The unanimous jury found that the stove was not defective.

Defense verdict in favor of the manufacturer of a household range which allegedly tipped over, because of its design, and burned minor-plaintiff. The jury found that the range was stable as designed and if it tipped over, it did so because of product misuse. The jury returned an unanimous verdict in favor of the manufacturer.

Defense verdict in a case involving an elementary school student who ran from between parked cars onto a major roadway and was struck by defendant's van. Minor-plaintiff was rendered a spastic quadriplegic as a result of the accident. Because the child darted directly in front of and a short distance in front of the van, defendant was unable to stop before striking her. The jury found that the driver was not negligent and returned a defense verdict.

In a 402A design case tried in Federal Court in New Jersey, defense verdict in favor of the forklift truck manufacturer. Plaintiff contended that the upright, which fell, severing one of plaintiff's hands, was defectively designed with plaintiff advocating devices to retain the upright in a raised position. An unanimous jury found the devices advocated were unfeasible, dangerous and unnecessary. An unanimous jury found that the lift truck was not defective.

Year Joined Organization:: 1993

Areas of Practice:: Products Liability Law; Trucking; Toxic Torts

Bar Admissions:: Pennsylvania, 1974; U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1974; U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1992; U.S. Supreme Court, 1988

Education:: Temple University School of Law, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1974
J.D.; Temple University, 1969
Master of Arts
Major: History; Temple University, 1967
B.A.
Major: History

Published Works:: Spoliation of Evidence, Hand and Power Tools, DRI Newsletter, 1999; Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rules On Warnings, Defense Digest, 1997; Trying the Automobile Injury Case in Pennsylvania, National Business Institute; Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence for Paralegals, National Business Institute; Effective Use of Experts in Pennsylvania Litigation, National Business Institute

Representative Cases:: Baliotis v. McNeil, 870 F. Supp. 1285 (M.D. Pa. 1994); Ballarini v. Clark, 841 F. Supp. 662 (Ed. Pa. 1993)

Classes/Seminars Taught:: Lectured to Pennsylvania Bar Institute, National Business Institute, and Philadelphia Association of Defense Counsel on multiple topics, evidentiary and procedural issues.

Honors and Awards:: AV Peer Review Rating by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell; Products Liability Lawyer of the Year by Terex Corporation, a major manufacturer of cranes, lifts and construction equipment (2005)

Professional Associations and Memberships:: Defense Research Institute; Pennsylvania Bar Association; Philadelphia Bar Association; Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA)