Fowler Hirtzel McNulty Spaulding, LLC


* Joseph R. Fowler


Philadelphia
Office Phone: 215.789.4840
Office Fax: 215.987.2269
Email: jfowler@fhmslaw.com
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Practice Areas

  • Auto / Fleet
  • Construction Liability
  • Coverage
  • Employer Liability
  • General Liability
  • Product Liability
  • Professional Liability
  • Property
  • Trucking / Transportation
  • Workers’ Compensation
Joseph R. Fowler is a founding partner of the firm and the managing partner of the firm’s Philadelphia office. Mr. Fowler focuses his practice on the defense and investigation of commercial vehicle and construction accident cases for trucking companies, public transportation companies and their insurers. He also represents construction companies and sub-contractors in catastrophic losses. Mr. Fowler defends bad faith and UM/UIM cases and is routinely appointed as a defense arbitrator for numerous insurance carriers. He regularly represents commercial property owners in severe injury cases. For over 24 years, Mr. Fowler has directed the investigation and defense of catastrophic commercial vehicle accidents from the date of loss. This includes the immediate counseling of drivers and safety directors, the retention of accident reconstruction experts and evidence preservation. Mr. Fowler regularly counsels a variety of national commercial transportation companies to ensure their compliance with Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act regulations. In addition to his transportation work, Mr. Fowler routinely represents and counsels general contractors and subcontractors during their post-accident and OSHA investigations. Mr. Fowler has extensive trial and appellate experience in both the Pennsylvania federal and state courts. He recently obtained a defense verdict in a case in which plaintiff claimed catastrophic injuries as a result of being rear-ended by a bus operated by the defendant bus company. Phillips Trial (2013). Mr. Fowler also successfully defended a construction company receiving a defense verdict where the defendant’s truck struck a low hanging cable line resulting in the death of a Verizon worker. Hetrick Trial (2012). Mr. Fowler has drafted multiple white papers regarding the transportation industry. He speaks internationally on transportation-related topics for a variety of organizations including the Transportation Lawyers Association, Mealey’s Publications, Dispute Resolution Institute, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Lorman Education as well as numerous insurance companies and self-insureds. Since 2007, Mr. Fowler has been recognized by his peers as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer as published by American Lawyer Media and Philadelphia Magazine. Mr. Fowler’s Martindale-Hubbell rating is AV, the highest rating given by Martindale-Hubbell.

Martindale Rating

AV

Education

  • Villanova University School of Law (J.D., 1989)
  • Villanova University (B.A., 1986)

Bar Admissions

  • Pennsylvania, 1989
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