Robert E. Smith

Robert has significant experience handling a wide variety of casualty matters, many of which focus on the areas of uninsured/underinsured motorist claims and motor vehicle litigation. Particularly in Pennsylvania, Robert is highly knowledgeable about UM/UIM law, and intimately familiar with the protocols and nuances of each county's local procedures and practices, factors that can have a substantial impact on the final result of a claim. Robert's law practice also focuses on the representation and defense of insurance carriers, particularly when alleged bad faith claims are brought against them.

Throughout his career, Robert has resolved many hundreds of uninsured/ underinsured motorist claims before arbitration and mediation panels, and he has tried many of these same cases in both State and Federal Courts. Clients and professional organizations alike have asked Robert to lecture on a variety of topics regarding the handling of uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.

Robert is admitted to practice in all courts in Pennsylvania as well as the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Middle District of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association and Luzerne County Bar Association. While primarily in Philadelphia, Robert maintains an office in Scranton to service northeastern Pennsylvania clients.

Robert has received a BV Distinguished TM rating by the Martindale Hubbell.

Thought Leadership

Classes/Seminars Taught

Good Faith Claims Handling in Pennsylvania, Marshall Dennehey Client Seminar, July 20, 2022

All things UM/UIM & Bad Faith in PA, Marshall Dennehey Virtual Client Presentation, February, 2021

Regular Use Exclusions in Pennsylvania -- Coverage Issues and Practical Applications, Marshall Dennehey Client Seminar, June 2015

Pennsylvania UM/UIM Law: 2014 Updates, Marshall Dennehey Client Seminar, December 2014

Publications

“Should the Underinsured Motorist Carrier Be Identified at the Time of Trial?”, Defense Digest, Vol. 22, No. 3, September 2016

'Insurer's Conduct when No Bad Faith Is Pleaded,' The Legal Intelligencer, Auto Law Supplement, June 17, 2014