RICHARD E. SNYDER
RSnyder@morganlawfirm.com

Seminars, Speeches and Articles

Published Opinions

Mr. Snyder has litigated many types of tort and contract cases including bodily injury, property damage, insurance coverage, construction contract, and civil rights/discrimination, Mr. Snyder has handled litigation cases of a legally and/or technically complex nature and involving serious injuries and substantial losses.His practice includes both trial court and appellate work.

Mr. Snyder was involved in the concluded Passaic Fire litigation, a multi-party action involving a massive industrial complex fire settled for $59.6 million and has participated in a number of multi-party construction defect cases. He obtained an Appellate Division decision interpreting an AIA standard form indemnity clause in Mautz v. J.P. Patti Co., 298 N.J. Super. (App. Div. 1997) cert. denied, 151 N.J. 472 (1997), a case involving a traumatic arm amputation. In an area of more frequent current litigation, he obtained an Appellate Division decision affirming additional insured coverage in favor of the landlord of a multi-tenant mall interpreting the standard premises additional insured endorsement in Liberty Village Associates v. West American Ins. Co., 308 N.J. Super. 393 (App. Div. 1998), cert. denied, 154 N.J. 583 (1998).

Following are examples of cases handled by Mr. Snyder and tried and adjudicated : product liability claim of a dislocated cervical vertebrae from a defective seat in a fire truck; knifepoint assault claim of lack of security at regional shopping mall; summary judgment affirmed on appeal establishing charitable immunity to Boy Scout organization defeating sexual abuse claim; electrical burns suffered by electrician on high voltage panel; arbitration of architectural malpractice claims involving construction of multi-story condominium; legal malpractice claim against attorney from handling of penalty litigation in which client was civilly jailed; summary judgment affirmed on appeal dismissing malpractice/conflict of interest claim against attorney; motorcycle/automobile/agency action by young quadriplegic; summary judgment dismissing paraplegic worker's claim against pre-engineered building manufacturer; trench collapse construction site accident permanent disability claim against engineer, owner, contractors; summary judgment affirmed on appeal in favor of general contractor dismissing scaffold topple accident claim resulting in serious orthopedic injuries; gender discrimination and harassment; whistle-blower employment cases; dismissal at trial for legal malpractice claims and entry of judgment for fees owing to attorney; summary judgment dismissing legal malpractice claims against attorneys in medical malpractice / wrongful death and assault / chemical burn cases, affirmed on appeal; summary judgment dismissing claim of wrongful death from lightning strike.

Work Experience
1981-present Morgan Melhuish Abrutyn
1975-1981 Goodman & Stoldt
1974-1975 Law Clerk to the Honorable Thomas S. O'Brien, Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey