Robert B. Meola

Bob has represented insurance companies in first-party property insurance coverage actions and multi-million dollar subrogation actions for over 20 years in both state and federal courts. He has extensive experience handling large subrogation claims involving commercial and industrial insurance cases, maritime actions, transportation claims and warehouse losses. He also has significant experience defending complex environmental and pollution claims, toxic tort actions as well as various types of fraud, bad faith and arson cases, including the investigation and prosecution of numerous claims involving fidelity policies. In addition, Bob has successfully defended and prosecuted various claims for first-party insurers involving employee dishonesty, intentional and/or negligent misrepresentation and RICO actions. Finally, Bob has handled significant personal injury cases involving automobile accidents, products liability and premises liability.

• Insurance Coverage
• Subrogation
• Defense
• Appellate Practice

Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 1989

University of Delaware, B.S., 1986

New Jersey, 1989

New York, 1997

District of Columbia, 1992

U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1989

U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit,, 1993

U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, 1997

United States Supreme Court, 1999

U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, 2006

U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York, 2008

Former Law Clerk to the Honorable Edward F. Neagle, Jr. (Essex County, New Jersey)

Member: American Bar Association (Committee on Tort and Insurance Practice)

Member: New Jersey Bar Association

Member: Essex County Bar Association

Member: District Fee Arbitration Committee for Essex County, New Jersey (District V-B)

Member: New York Bar Association

• First-Party property insurance coverage, subrogation and recovery
• Environmental and Pollution claims
• Personal injury and premises liability
• Products liability
• Maritime
• Carmack Amendment
• Commercial litigation
• Municipal matters, including DWI cases

• Conair Corp. v. Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., 22 F.3d 529 (3rd Cir. 1994)

• Recovered $9,875,000 on behalf of a power utility entity against a marine contractor and the owner and operator of a marine construction vessel for property damage caused to an electrical cable buried underwater in the Long Island Sound. The case was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.
   
• Recovered $5,875,000 on behalf of several large corporations against a records storage facility and others for property damage caused to valuable papers and documents which were destroyed during a fire at the warehouse. The case was prosecuted in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Middlesex County.
   
• Recovered $3,250,000 on behalf of a shopping mall tenant against another mall tenant and others for property damage and business interruption losses resulting from a fire. The case was prosecuted in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Suffolk County.
   
• Recovered $3,247,199 on behalf of a state-owned hospital against a roofing contractor for property damage to its building and contents caused during a fire which resulted from faulty workmanship. The case was prosecuted in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Mercer County.
   
• Recovered $1,200,000 on behalf of a marine terminal operator against a personal cruise line for property damage caused when its vessel broke its mooring lines and struck a docking pier and passenger loading station. The case was settled before suit was filed.
   
• Recovered $1,100,000 on behalf of a large manufacturer of household consumer products against a warehouseman for property damage to its inventory of products caused during a roof collapse. The case was prosecuted in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Onondaga County.
   
• Recovered $1,100,000 on behalf of an electrical power company against a common carrier for property damage caused to an electrical power transformer during the transportation and uprighting process of the equipment. The case was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey.
   
• Recovered $1,050,000 on behalf of a container terminal operator against a shipping company and its vessel for property damage caused when the vessel struck a gantry crane in Port Newark, New Jersey. The case settled before suit was filed.
   
• Recovered $1,025,000 on behalf of a paper manufacturer against a public warehouse for property damage resulting from a fire caused by a ceiling mounted halogen light fixture. The case was settled shortly after filing suit in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York.
   
• Recovered $1,000,000 on behalf of a co-generation facility against a maintenance and repair contractor for property damage to a power turbine which resulted from faulty workmanship. The case was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
   
• Recovered $900,000 on behalf of a manufacturer of children's clothing for property damage resulting from a fire caused by the improper use of an electrical extension cord by an adjacent commercial tenant. The case was prosecuted in the Supreme Court of New York, County of New York.
   
• Recovered $850,000 on behalf of a pharmaceutical manufacturer against a public warehouse for property damage which occurred during a flood as a result of improper storage techniques. The case was prosecuted in the Court of Common Pleas, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
   
• Recovered $750,000 on behalf of a pharmaceutical manufacturer for property damage in a products liability action against a manufacturer of a defective sprinkler pipe coupling and others. The case was prosecuted in Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Union County.
   
• Recovered $550,000 on behalf of a large financial institution against a records storage facility and others for property damage caused to valuable papers and documents which were destroyed in a fire at the warehouse. The case was prosecuted in the Court of Common Pleas, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. A settlement was reached after a jury verdict on liability was obtained.

• Recovered $150,000 on behalf of a small business owner for business interruption losses against an attorney for legal malpractice. The case was prosecuted in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Union County.
   
• Recovered $125,000 for personal injuries sustained by a business invitee aboard a commercial fishing vessel. The case settled before suit was filed.
   
• Recovered $120,000 for personal injuries sustained by a passenger in an automobile collision. The case was settled during trial in the New Jersey Superior Court, Law Division, Bergen County.
   
• Recovered $100,000 for personal injuries sustained by the driver in a rear-end automobile collision with a commercial vehicle. The case was prosecuted in New Jersey Superior Court, Law Division, Middlesex County.

*** Because of the size and complexity of the above referenced cases, the names of parties and the captions of the cases are subject to confidentiality agreements which preclude disclosure of any additional information.