Louis J. Vogel, Jr. is a partner at Sweeney & Sheehan. An experienced defense attorney representing clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, his practice includes a variety of areas including general liability, commercial automobile, casualty, professional liability, construction defect, and subrogation. Corporate clients and insurance carriers turn to him for counsel in all phases of litigation from pre-suit investigation through trial. Lou maintains an active litigation practice in state and federal court.
Construction Law is not only a part of Lou’s practice but his heritage. Lou comes from a family of proud pipe fitters, carpenters and electricians. He has personally worked on jobsites installing masonry, sheetrock, and framing. Lou understands the industry and the intricacies that come with it. He has represented general contractors, subcontractors, architects, and engineers in matters involving construction defect, professional liability, catastrophic injury, and subrogation. He has maneuvered through numerous complex construction multiparty claims to success. In addition, he has represented insurance carriers in flood and fire cases involving private homes and commercial real estate.
Frequently being called upon, Lou presents topics pertinent to the construction industry, including litigation trends, changing technology, evidence preservation, and risk and claims management strategies. He serves as Vice Chair of the USLAW Network Construction Practice Group, a national organization comprised of defense firms throughout the United States and abroad.
Lou is a resident of the City of Philadelphia. Outside of his trial practice, Lou enjoys spending time with his wife and two young sons. He is a long-time Philadelphia Eagles season ticket holder and rabid Phillies, Sixers, and Flyers fan. He serves as the chairman of the Official Liverpool Supporters Club of Philadelphia and is a parishioner of Old St. Mary’s in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia.
- Obtained a defense verdict in a damages-only jury trial in Ocean County, New Jersey on behalf of a general contractor. The Plaintiff alleged extensive, catastrophic injuries arising out of a motor vehicle accident involving our client. Plaintiff ultimately underwent multiple pain management injections and a lumbar fusion, which she alleged was causally related to the motor vehicle accident. Lou argued that while liability was not disputed, the accident was not the proximate cause of the Plaintiff’s alleged injuries. After deliberation, the jury determined the alleged injuries were not related to the motor vehicle collision.
- Obtained dismissal on behalf of an attorney and the attorney’s law firm in a professional malpractice action filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. The Plaintiffs alleged the attorney and law firm were liable for damages exceeding $5,000,000. The claims were dismissed based on statute of limitations raised during the pleadings, and after briefing and intense oral argument before the Court.
- Prevailed on a Plaintiff’s petition to the New Jersey Supreme Court seeking to reverse the entry of summary judgment in favor of an HVAC contractor involving a catastrophic fire of a residential property and included claims of common law fraud, violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and negligence. The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the New Jersey Appellate Division, which affirmed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of the HVAC contractor.
- Obtained Summary Judgment on behalf of a contractor in a personal injury action in New Jersey Superior Court, Camden County where the Plaintiff fell more than two stories from a roof and sustained catastrophic injuries including multiple fractures requiring surgical interventions. After briefing and oral argument, the Court granted summary judgment, concluding that the Plaintiff failed to sustain its burden of proof and the evidence of record did not establish that any act or omission of the contractor was the proximate cause of the Plaintiff’s fall.
- Obtained Summary Judgment on behalf of a licensed optometrist in a professional liability action in New Jersey Superior Court, Essex County in a matter in which Plaintiff allegedly sustained substantial loss of vision. After briefing and argument, the Court dismissed all claims with prejudice.
- Obtained Summary Judgment on behalf of a commercial business concerning a slip and fall on ice in Middlesex County (New Jersey). Plaintiff slipped and fell on ice sustaining a bimalleolar fracture resulting in significant scarring. The Court determined that Plaintiff was not a business invitee and instead was a mere licensee on premises for personal reasons only. The Court concluded the business owner breached no duty to the Plaintiff and all claims were dismissed with prejudice.
- Obtained Dismissal of a construction company in Ocean County (New Jersey) for alleged negligence claims arising out of alleged improper performance of excavation of utility lines at a residential home.
- Obtained Summary Judgment in Philadelphia County (Pennsylvania) on behalf of a plumbing contractor in a construction site accident resulting in catastrophic injury and permanent disability. The court concluded there was insufficient evidence to any breach of a duty of care to Plaintiff and all claims were dismissed with prejudice.
- Trends in the Plaintiff’s Bar and Managing Nuclear Verdicts in Construction Cases; USLAW Construction Law Executive Legal Forum; 2024; Austin, Texas
- Creative Resolution Strategies; USLAW Spring Conference, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona
- “What? My Text Messages too?” -Managing the Increased Availability of Data in Construction Litigation; USLAW Spring Conference; Miami, Florida
- Construction Claims in the Era of COVID-19: Adjusting to the “New Normal” and Beyond; USLAW Spring Conference; Amelia Island, Florida
- Cybersecurity and the Construction Industry: Obligations, Liabilities, Insurance and Best Practices; USLAW Construction Law Executive Legal Forum, 2023, Phoenix, Arizona
Practice Areas
Education
- University of Pennsylvania – B.A., History, 2009
- Villanova University School of Law – J.D., 2012.
Bar Admission
- Pennsylvania – 2012
- New Jersey – 2012
- U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey – 2012
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania – 2014