R. Anthony Michetti

R. Anthony Michetti handles a wide variety of cases in his practice, including premises liability, liquor liability, auto, municipal tort claims, professional liability (legal, accounting and medical) and construction defects claims. His clients include municipalities in tort claim cases, property management companies in premises liability cases and liquor licensees in dram shop cases. Over the course of his career, Tony has gained extensive litigation experience, having handled over 200 liquor liability cases, more than 700 auto accident cases, approximately 700 premises liability cases and over 300 municipal tort claims cases.

Tony's career with Marshall Dennehey began in 1978 as a law clerk. He was hired after graduation as an associate attorney working in the Montgomery County office. In 1983, he moved to the firm's Doylestown office where he has been the managing shareholder since 1989.

Tony has experience in bringing high-exposure cases to successful conclusion. Some examples include: successful defense of a liquor licensee in an action where the plaintiff was murdered by an allegedly intoxicated patron; successful defense of a day development program against a claim that a staff member sexually abused three mentally handicapped clients of the program; settlement for cost of defense in a multi-million dollar construction defect case as a result of successfully moving to preclude plaintiff's expert from giving testimony at trial.

In all, Tony's exceptional trial record includes 125 cases taken to trial, 123 of which resulted in defense verdicts. Consistent with his record, Tony has been named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2006 to 2008 in the area of Personal Injury Defense.

Tony graduated from Gettysburg College in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. At Widener University School of Law, Tony was elected and served as class representative. In 1977, he received the Charles Lowenthal Award given annually to the winner of the Law School's Moot Court Competition. In 1979, he graduated from Widener University School of Law, cum laude.

Outside of his practice, Tony is an active Plumstead Christian School Booster, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School Booster, and a coach for various youth baseball teams.

Honors & awards

AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell

Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
2006-2008

Year joined

1978

Results

Defense verdict for driver despite his conviction for driving under the influence.

Automobile Liability
March 1, 2020

We obtained a defense verdict in a Bucks County case on behalf of a driver despite his conviction for driving at the time under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The accident occurred at an intersection controlled by a flashing traffic light. The defendant was traveling in the direction of the yellow flashing light. The plaintiff testified that he stopped at the painted stop block for the red flashing light.

Successful defense of dog mauling claim

General Liability
December 30, 2019

We successfully defended a significant dog mauling case against a landlord defendant. The plaintiff was fortunate to have survived the attack and suffered severe permanent physical and emotional trauma.

Plaintiff’s Case Goes to the Dogs.

General Liability
May 11, 2018

We obtained a defense verdict in a jury trial in Pennsylvania. The defendant was walking her Labrador Retriever, along with her five-year-old cousin. She entrusted the leash to her cousin, who promptly lost grip on the leash, allowing the dog to escape. The dog ran in the direction of the plaintiff and his Shih Tzu, with the defendant in pursuit. The plaintiff claimed that the Labrador Retriever jumped on his chest, knocking him to the ground and causing compression fractures in his lumbar spine. The injuries were confirmed by the defense IME.

Jury Agrees Student Athlete Assumed Risk for Injury

General Liability
December 1, 2017

Obtained a defense verdict in a Bucks County jury trial. The plaintiff and defendant, both high school seniors, were participating in the annual spirit event in the school gym. Two student athletes were called to compete against each other in the tire tug of war. The plaintiff claims that as he and the defendant approached the tire running at full speed, the defendant left his feet and “torpedoed” head first into the plaintiff with the specific purpose of preventing the plaintiff from grabbing the tire.

No Slippery Condition for Slip-n-Slide

General Liability
April 21, 2016

Obtained a defense verdict at arbitration on behalf of a tenant renting a single family home. As part of a Memorial Day picnic at his rented home, the defendant set up an inflatable water slip-n-slide in the middle of the back yard for the use and enjoyment of his guests. The plaintiff claimed that a dangerous slippery condition existed on a grassy sloped portion of the property some distance from the slip-n-slide. The plaintiff was walking to the back yard from the side of the house down the sloped grassy area when she slipped and fell fracturing her ankle.

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Thought Leadership

On the Pulse...Liquor Liability/Hospitality Practice Group

Doylestown
Hospitality and Liquor Liability
March 1, 2019
Defense Digest, Vol. 25, No. 1, March 2019By R. Anthony Michetti, Esq.* Defense Digest, Vol. 25, No. 1, March 2019. Defense Digest is prepared by Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin to provide information on recent legal developments of interest to our readers.

On the Pulse...About Our Doylestown Office

Doylestown
June 1, 2015
Marshall Dennehey’s Bucks County office is located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, the county seat. Bucks County is just north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is one of the three original counties founded by William Penn in 1682. Defense Digest, Vol. 21, No. 2, June 2015

On the Pulse...Doylestown Office Profile

Doylestown
December 1, 2009
Bucks County is one of the five counties in Pennsylvania that make up the Delaware Valley and is one of the three original counties founded by William Penn in 1682. Defense Digest, Vol. 15, No. 4, December 2009