John E. Lavelle | Bellefonte Personal Injury Lawyer

My experience in the field of personal injury litigation began as a high school intern for a Personal Injury attorney. From that experience, I knew that helping injured people would be the focus of my professional career. I worked diligently in school and obtained scholarships in excess of the tuition from St. John’s University and then a full Presidential Scholarship from St. John's University School of Law. I continued to work at a personal injury firm throughout college and law school and learned the “nuts and bolts” of how to litigate cases and handle insurance claims. Once I graduated from law school, I began my career as an attorney and quickly learned what it takes to be both proficient and efficient with paperwork and in the courtroom. It became clear that there is no substitute for hard work, diligence, and preparation.  There is no greater compliment that a client can pay their attorney than to refer a friend or loved one. I want every client to feel that I have been fair, considerate and diligent in representing them. I strive to be helpful and supportive and take many of the burdens of the insurance claim processes off of my clients.

My experience includes both work as a trial lawyer both in New York and Pennsylvania and as an appellate attorney. I have tried cases in both New York and Pennsylvania and also briefed and argued appeals before the Appellate Division in New York and Superior Court in Pennsylvania. I have successfully handled cases and appeals arising from motor vehicle accidents, construction site accident, premises cases, trip/slip and falls, medical malpractice actions and cases arising from the negligence of municipalities including local, county and state governments and even claims against the United States of America. Through my appellate work, I help shape the law and grant more people access to justice. I am particularly proud of my work on the case of Fessenden v. Robert Packer. In that case, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania changed the law regarding the need for experts in retained sponge cases where claims are often based on the doctrine of res ipsa loquitor. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania subsequently denied leave to appeal thereby making Fessenden the controlling case law on the issue.