Richard A. Godshall

Shareholder

215.399.1457
215.972.8016 (fax)
rgodshall@smsm.com
1818 Market Street, Suite 2600
Philadelphia, PA 19103
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Richard Godshall primarily handles catastrophic injury cases arising from construction or trucking accidents, purported defective products, and standard premises liability scenarios. In the construction arena particularly, Mr. Godshall handles a variety of insurance issues stemming from contractual risk transfer, indemnification provisions, and additional insured endorsements.

Mr. Godshall represents an international waste company in a variety of its litigation including commercial trucking, property damage subrogation, and general casualty claims. His clients also include a national consumer product company and a local construction company. Mr. Godshall has significant trial experience, including extensive expert preparation, presentation, and cross-examination, and alternative dispute resolution handling, including mediation and binding arbitrations.

Mr. Godshall lives in Malvern, Pennsylvania with his wife Alice.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

  • Recently represented a construction company to recoup a large portion of a loss arising from a contractual business dispute/workmanship issues.
  • Recently provided an in-depth analysis of general construction law issues throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey in an effort to perfect reduced exposure for a national insurer.
  • Garnered a satisfactory settlement for a large charitable organization in a death case originating from clear member negligence.
  • Successfully perfected an indemnity risk transfer for one of the firm's product distributors in a seven figure construction loss.
  • Successfully assisted in obtaining a defense verdict for a business owner in a premises liability matter where plaintiffs demanded the insured's $1M policy limits.
  • Integral in defending and procuring a favorable settlement for a Michigan drug manufacturing company arising from a lawsuit involving the alleged ingestion of a diet drug containing PPA.

EDUCATION

LaSalle University, B.S., 2001
Temple University Law School, J.D., 2004, Dean's List

BAR ADMISSIONS

New Jersey, 2004
Pennsylvania, 2004
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 2005
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2005
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania, 2008

SPEECHES AND PUBLICATIONS

Author

  • "Client Alert: General Contractors Face Increased Exposure Following Alterations to the Statutory Employer Defense" (June 2012).
  • "Client Alert: Property Owner Non-Liability Restored in Third Party Construction Related Personal Injury Cases" (March 2011).　

Co-Author

  • Contributing Editor, LexisNexis Practice Guide:  Pennsylvania Personal Injury Litigation (2012 Edition, LexisNexis Matthew Bender)

Speaker

  • "Effective Negotiation for Litigation Claim Handlers," Perrin Conferences, Wilmington, DE (December 2011).

PROFESSIONAL AND CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Pennsylvania Bar Association
DRI, Construction Subcommittee
Philadelphia Futures

OTHER HONORS

Barrister Award for outstanding trial advocacy