Ralph P. Bocchino

Practice Details

• Firm Information
  Position

  Senior Counsel

  Firm Name

  Marshall Dennehey
• Representative Cases & Transactions
  Cases

  Significant Representative Matters: Obtained summary judgment in a premises liability slip
  fall case after their initial Rule 1036 motion had been denied. The plaintiff alleged that a metal protrusion from our clients' property created a dangerous condition on a Philadelphia street. We first moved to dismiss on April 24, 2025, arguing that our clients had no affiliation with the property, but the court denied the motion as outside the scope of Pa.R.C.P. 1036. After efforts to secure a stipulation of dismissal were unsuccessful, we filed a second motion on December 10, 2025, asserting prejudice following the close of discovery. The Court ultimately granted the motion, resulting in summary judgment for our clients.
  Successfully secured reconsideration following the denial of summary judgment motion in a construction accident case. The plaintiff, represented by a prominent personal injury firm, dem
  ed $35 million. Though the court initially denied summary judgment, the team argued for reconsideration following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision in Yoder. Two weeks before jury selection, the Court of Common Pleas granted our motion-an outcome that is highly uncommon in Philadelphia-providing a decisive victory for our clients.
  Defense verdict for manufacturer of concrete mixers in a suit claiming defective design in a truck roll-over matter.
  Defense verdict for a garbage truck manufacturer for alleged defective design
  failure to warn a truck driver who fell from the truck
  required multiple surgeries.
  Represented a personal care home in an elopement case where a resident left the premises
  was found three weeks later drowned in the Delaware River. The court granted a compulsory non-suit based on the law of Pennsylvania
  personal care homes.
  Defense verdict on behalf of a manufacturer of a saw when a worker inadvertently sawed off part of his arm in a work-related accident.
  Was the first attorney in Philadelphia to have an Azzarello hearing granted in a product liability case. A hearing was conducted before trial
  then after the motion was granted, trial was commenced with product liability removed from the case,
  a defense verdict was rendered thereafter by the empanelled jury. [Azzarello deals with having a court decide if a product is defective before trial, as a matter of law
  fact.]
  Received a defense verdict representing a 'mom
  pop' hair salon when one of the customers claimed that they had a severe fall down the salon steps
  required a hip replacement
  knee replacement surgery.
  Defense verdict received in representing an amusement park where a teenager drowned.
  Defense verdict in a ski death case in upstate Pennsylvania.
  Defense verdict in an asbestos case representing Johns Mansville Corporation, the largest manufacturer of asbestos products in the world in Philadelphia County, in 1980.
  Defense verdict for an amusement park where a young child had severe lacerations
  fractures from being injured in a sliding board accident.
  Defense verdict in a gymnastics accident involving allegations of torn hamstrings, ruptured piriformus muscle
  low back surgery following alleged improper stretching
  warm-up exercises by a gymnastics instructor
  coach.
  Argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in an elevator accident case trying to maintain a Rule 50(A) Motion, which was granted at trial by the trial court, involving multiple back surgeries following an elevator accident.
  Two defense verdicts in fraud matters involving staged automobile accidents.
  Representative Cases & Matters: Obtained summary judgment in a premises liability slip
  fall case after their initial Rule 1036 motion had been denied. The plaintiff alleged that a metal protrusion from our clients' property created a dangerous condition on a Philadelphia street. We first moved to dismiss on April 24, 2025, arguing that our clients had no affiliation with the property, but the court denied the motion as outside the scope of Pa.R.C.P. 1036. After efforts to secure a stipulation of dismissal were unsuccessful, we filed a second motion on December 10, 2025, asserting prejudice following the close of discovery. The Court ultimately granted the motion, resulting in summary judgment for our clients.
  Successfully secured reconsideration following the denial of summary judgment motion in a construction accident case. The plaintiff, represented by a prominent personal injury firm, dem
  ed $35 million. Though the court initially denied summary judgment, the team argued for reconsideration following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's decision in Yoder. Two weeks before jury selection, the Court of Common Pleas granted our motion-an outcome that is highly uncommon in Philadelphia-providing a decisive victory for our clients.
  Defense verdict for manufacturer of concrete mixers in a suit claiming defective design in a truck roll-over matter.
  Defense verdict for a garbage truck manufacturer for alleged defective design
  failure to warn a truck driver who fell from the truck
  required multiple surgeries.
  Represented a personal care home in an elopement case where a resident left the premises
  was found three weeks later drowned in the Delaware River. The court granted a compulsory non-suit based on the law of Pennsylvania
  personal care homes.
  Defense verdict on behalf of a manufacturer of a saw when a worker inadvertently sawed off part of his arm in a work-related accident.
  Was the first attorney in Philadelphia to have an Azzarello hearing granted in a product liability case. A hearing was conducted before trial
  then after the motion was granted, trial was commenced with product liability removed from the case,
  a defense verdict was rendered thereafter by the empanelled jury. [Azzarello deals with having a court decide if a product is defective before trial, as a matter of law
  fact.]
  Received a defense verdict representing a 'mom
  pop' hair salon when one of the customers claimed that they had a severe fall down the salon steps
  required a hip replacement
  knee replacement surgery.
  Defense verdict received in representing an amusement park where a teenager drowned.
  Defense verdict in a ski death case in upstate Pennsylvania.
  Defense verdict in an asbestos case representing Johns Mansville Corporation, the largest manufacturer of asbestos products in the world in Philadelphia County, in 1980.
  Defense verdict for an amusement park where a young child had severe lacerations
  fractures from being injured in a sliding board accident.
  Defense verdict in a gymnastics accident involving allegations of torn hamstrings, ruptured piriformus muscle
  low back surgery following alleged improper stretching
  warm-up exercises by a gymnastics instructor
  coach.
  Argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in an elevator accident case trying to maintain a Rule 50(A) Motion, which was granted at trial by the trial court, involving multiple back surgeries following an elevator accident.
  Two defense verdicts in fraud matters involving staged automobile accidents.