Commercial Claims:

The firm regularly handles all types of commercial matters arising from business disputes, alleged product defects, breach of contract, trucking claims, premises liability suits, as well as general commercial litigation. We have handled cases dealing with sales contracts, development agreements, corporate debt collection, and insurance coverage applicability. Business litigation is a hallmark of our practice.

Premises Liability/Shopping Center & Security Litigation:

We have developed special expertise in the defense of shopping centers, malls, entertainment venues, and other commercial sites in all facets of civil litigation, from slip and fall defense to complex security issues. Today’s malls are often thought of as the public square and we are often called upon to litigate claims which arise from incidents in these communities. We routinely handle cases involving allegations such as negligent security, negligent maintenance, motor vehicle accidents, negligent design, sexual harassment, construction law, constitutional questions arising out of the operation of a mall, and disputes between mall tenants and their landlord.

Our clients have included some of the largest shopping centers, malls, and sports venues in the United States. We have developed a hard-earned reputation for being extremely aggressive. This has allowed us to achieve very favorable results for our clients.

Insurance Coverage/Bad Faith:

The firm has special knowledge in the area of drafting, regulation, and construction of insurance policies and underwriting practices. We are regularly involved in litigating declaratory judgment actions, primary and secondary coverage issues, as well as bad faith claims. Our firm has represented many clients in bad faith with allegations of “low-balling” settlement offers, breach of contract, assistance of computer evaluation tools, and interpretation of insurance policy language. In an effort to advise our clients as to their best course of action, we often draft coverage opinions providing our clients with the most recent caselaw regarding the underlying claim.

In addition, we have litigated the construction of insurance policies issued in other jurisdictions. Often, our attorneys hold seminars for claims personnel educating them on how to proactively handle their cases to avoid bad faith litigation.

Product Liability:

We have been at the forefront of developing product liability defense law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We have defended manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of such products as hoist motors, scaffolding, fork lifts, cement block machines, tractors, mowers, pie-making machines, portable heaters, lighters, box-making machines, commercial dust cleaners, dog collars, hosts, cosmetics, medical appliances, automobiles, armored cars, elevators, escalators, injection molding machines, soft drinks, food products, motor cycles, trailers, trucks, stepladders, paint products, clothes, and furniture.

We routinely work with electrical, structural and mechanical engineers, cause and origin experts, and renowned specialists with particular knowledge of the products we defend. Our knowledge of the law in this area has led to summary dispositions of cases on numerous occasions. On the appellate level, we have produced some of the most favorable and frequently cited cases in product liability defense under Pennsylvania law.

Trucking Company Defense:

For more then fifty years, this firm has defended some of America’s largest carriers and truck manufacturers, as well as many small independant fleets. We are thoroughly familiar with the operation, design, and manufacturing of trucks as well as the regulations governing the trucking industry. We have experience handling trucking cases involving such claims as negligent operation, failure to properly load cargo, failure to properly handle and placard toxic cargo, failure to properly hire, train, and test drivers as well as a range of cargo claims and defective design of truck claims.

Motor Vehicle Accident Cases:

Automobile cases are a regular part of our practice. We pride ourselves on our ability to investigate these cases thoroughly and bring efficient optimum results. We are actively involved in alternative dispute resolution within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In this area, we handle such cases as those involving operation, design, testing, negligent entrustment, barriers to obstruction, signage, improper highway design, and substance abuse. We also handle cases involving motorcycles and specialty vehicles. Uninsured and underinsured claims are both tried and arbitrated.

Toxic Tort & Petroleum Industry Defense:

We have obtained remarkable results in a wide variety of cases involving exposure to toxic chemical, petroleum leakage, and explosion matters. Our experience in this area has spanned decades. In fact, we recently won national recognition for the successful handling of a toxic tort matter with thirty-six claimants.

Maritime Claims:

Gekoski and Bogdanoff has handled numerous maritime matters over the years. We work closely with domestic and international firms who regularly deal with issues involving catastrophic bodily injury, death at sea, property damage, fire loss, damage to goods during transportation, suits by long shore workers, and recreational boating accidents. We have handled cases where the major issue was choice of laws and the respect that one maritime nation must have for the legal system of another sovereign state. We have defended multi-national corporations in their repeated attempts to try to obtain American jurisdiction over incidents. Our firm has also litigated controversies between foreign nationals and corporations with ownership interests in the United States. Our attorneys litigate maritime matters in both state and federal court, representing national and international clients.

Claims Against Professionals & Defendants with Specialized Occupations:

Throughout our history, the firm has defended a wide variety of negligence claims, which have been brought against professionals and defendants with specialized occupations. These have included suits against claims investigators, adjustors, third-party administrators, insurance brokers, accountants, artists, and interior designers.

Workers Compensation:

The firm has handled a wide variety of workers compensation issues such as terminations, modifications, and suspensions of benefits, entitlement of benefits, enforcement of liens, appropriateness of treatment, job availability compliance, commutations, and supersedas. We represent both insurers and those who are self-insured.

Subrogation:

We routinely offer subrogation services to many insurance clients. We have had great success in recovering funds, which had previously been written off.

Dram Shop Liability:

Our defense of Dram Shop cases involves knowledge of specialized areas such as accuracy of test and autopsy results, metabolization of alcohol and apparent versus actual intoxication. We have achieved good results defending cases requiring this specialized knowledge and have handled such cases in numerous venues.

Employment:

We have represented management in sexual harassment claims and general employment disputes. We are known for our investigation skills, for finding creative solutions to workplace challenges, and for significant experience with mediating or litigating claims as needed.