Joe Andriola insurance defense attorney New Haven CT

Joseph J. Andriola

Principal

195 Church Street, 13th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510

Phone: 203.821.2000 | Fax: 203.821.2009

Practice Areas

Education

Pepperdine University School of Law, J.D.
Boston College, B.A., cum laude

Joseph J. Andriola is a member of the Professional Malpractice & Insurance Defense group at the firm. He leads a team of talented litigators handling a diverse caseload defending property and casualty claims, professional liability, insurance coverage issues, as well as automobile related litigation.

Joe has extensive arbitration and trial experience and a record of successful verdicts. His experience includes the defense of simple and complex litigation, involving monetary exposures ranging from thousands to multi-millions, pending before state and federal courts. Joe has led the defense of multi-party actions involving general tort litigation, automobile accidents (including UM/UIM), and construction defects. Additionally, defense matters include subrogation matters, products liability, and wrongful death Dram Shop suits.

In his insurance coverage practice, he counsels insurers regarding claims arising under a broad range of policies: CGL, professional liability, E&O, liquor liability, homeowners, D&O, and excess/umbrella policies. For that reason, he is often called upon to represent insurers in the prosecution and defense of coverage litigation. Matters that include, for instance, declaratory judgment actions, bad faith claims and unfair trade and insurance practice claims.

In his professional liability defense practice, Joe defends actions concerning management liability and employment practices liability against directors & officers of community associations and property management companies, non-profit organizations, and for-profit business entities.

Joe began his career in Manhattan. There he practiced for 15 years becoming a partner with a downtown defense firm. During that time, he selected more than 50 juries and tried cases to verdict in every county of New York City. He relocated to Connecticut with his family in 2005.

Joe is a member of the Connecticut, New London County and New York County Bar Associations; New York County Lawyers Association; The Association of Trial Lawyers of America; and Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association. Joe graduated cum laude from Boston College and received his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York as well as before the U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, and Connecticut.

American Association for Justice
Connecticut Bar Association
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
New London County Bar Association
New York County Bar Association
New York County Lawyers Association

Pro Bono Honor Roll, District of Connecticut

“Dram Shop Liability in Connecticut and Protecting your Business from Claims,” USLI and Devon Park Insurance Companies Conference, June 2021
“Cyber Insurance and the Defense of Data Breach Claims,” Keynote Speaker, New England Claim Executives Association Conference, March 2015

Reported decisions:

Amadasu v. Bronx Lebanon Hosp. Center, Inc., 10 A.D.3d 571 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept)
Banushi v. Lambrakos, 305 A.D.2d 524 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.) (defense verdict on civil assault action)
Blondin v. Syrus Meshack, 2008 Ct. Sup. 15904 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2008), CV-08-5018828S (leading case supporting participation defense in liquor liability case)
Bond v. York Hunter Const., Inc., 270 A.D.2d 112 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.)
Bond v. York Hunter Const., Inc., 95 N.Y.2d 833 (Court of Appeals) (Labor Law Sect. 240 scaffold case; successful defense on appeal to New York State’s highest court)
Convey v. City of Rye School Dist., 271 A.D.2d 154 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.) (defended suit against high school student sued for injuries arising from schoolyard horseplay; cited in New York Times)
Dejanin, Nadira, Conservatrix v. Straborny, Kyle Et Al, (Conn. Super. Ct.2020), CV20-6037560S (dram shop defense for tavern; motion to strike granted versus loss of consortium count in liquor liability action)
Domingos Gabriel, et al. v. Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company, 199 A.3d 79 (2018) 186 Conn. App. 163 (AC 40174) (insurance coverage counsel for insurer to catastrophic injury claim seeking coverage under excess umbrella policy)
Goldberg v. LoRusso, 288 A.D.2d 257 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.)
Huber v. East 149th Parking Corp., 266 A.D.2d 43 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.) (premises liability defense with dismissal affirmed by appellate court)
John v. Baharestani, 281 A.D.2d 114 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.)
Johnson v. Fox, 268 A.D.2d 782 (N.Y.A.D. 3 Dept.) Labor Law, Sect. 240 defense, scaffold law, homeowner sued for fall off roof by contractor)
Mercado v. St. Andrews Housing Development Fund Company, Inc., 289 A.D.2d 148 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.)
Mount Vernon Fire Ins. Co. v. Linarte, 2011 WL 2971238 (U.S.D.C. D.Conn.) (represented insurer in declaratory judgment action disclaiming coverage for series of losses pre-dating inception and continuing into policy period)
O’Brien v. Bolton, 185 Misc.2d 814 (N.Y.Supp.App.Term)
Philadelphia Indemn. Ins. Co. v. Peck, 2007 WL2815047 (USDC D.Conn. 2007)
Prudential Property and Cas. Ins. Co. v. Anderson, 283 Conn. 911 (Conn. July 17, 2007) (defended insurer dismissed upon summary judgment and affirmed on appeal; certificate of insurance not binding for coverage determination)
Royal Indem. Co. v. King, 532 F.Supp.2d 404 (D.Conn.) (defended insurer in declaratory judgement action involving catastrophic injury from quad accident)
Sandler v. Patel, 288 A.D.2d 459 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.)
Sanperi v. Junsch, 274 A.D.2d 462 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.) (trial to verdict in Kings County defending karate school sued by student for injury during sparring, dismissal upon appeal, assumption of risk grounds)
Smith v. Ford Foundation, 231 A.D.2d 456 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.) (Labor Law action, scaffold law, represented elevator contractor crushed by falling concrete slab improperly hoisted)
Ridgeway v. Mount Vernon Fire Ins. Co., 328 Conn. 60 (2018) (successfully defended insurer in subrogation action seeking coverage for liquor liability in policy with ambiguous language)
Welton v. Ferrara, 2009 Ct. Sup. 6682 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2009), CV-07-5014334S (dram shop defense)

Biography

Professional Memberships

American Association for Justice
Connecticut Bar Association
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association
New London County Bar Association
New York County Bar Association
New York County Lawyers Association

Honors & Awards

Pro Bono Honor Roll, District of Connecticut

Community

Speaking Engagements

“Dram Shop Liability in Connecticut and Protecting your Business from Claims,” USLI and Devon Park Insurance Companies Conference, June 2021
“Cyber Insurance and the Defense of Data Breach Claims,” Keynote Speaker, New England Claim Executives Association Conference, March 2015

Representative Cases

Reported decisions:

Amadasu v. Bronx Lebanon Hosp. Center, Inc., 10 A.D.3d 571 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept)
Banushi v. Lambrakos, 305 A.D.2d 524 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.) (defense verdict on civil assault action)
Blondin v. Syrus Meshack, 2008 Ct. Sup. 15904 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2008), CV-08-5018828S (leading case supporting participation defense in liquor liability case)
Bond v. York Hunter Const., Inc., 270 A.D.2d 112 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.)
Bond v. York Hunter Const., Inc., 95 N.Y.2d 833 (Court of Appeals) (Labor Law Sect. 240 scaffold case; successful defense on appeal to New York State’s highest court)
Convey v. City of Rye School Dist., 271 A.D.2d 154 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.) (defended suit against high school student sued for injuries arising from schoolyard horseplay; cited in New York Times)
Dejanin, Nadira, Conservatrix v. Straborny, Kyle Et Al, (Conn. Super. Ct.2020), CV20-6037560S (dram shop defense for tavern; motion to strike granted versus loss of consortium count in liquor liability action)
Domingos Gabriel, et al. v. Mount Vernon Fire Insurance Company, 199 A.3d 79 (2018) 186 Conn. App. 163 (AC 40174) (insurance coverage counsel for insurer to catastrophic injury claim seeking coverage under excess umbrella policy)
Goldberg v. LoRusso, 288 A.D.2d 257 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.)
Huber v. East 149th Parking Corp., 266 A.D.2d 43 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.) (premises liability defense with dismissal affirmed by appellate court)
John v. Baharestani, 281 A.D.2d 114 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.)
Johnson v. Fox, 268 A.D.2d 782 (N.Y.A.D. 3 Dept.) Labor Law, Sect. 240 defense, scaffold law, homeowner sued for fall off roof by contractor)
Mercado v. St. Andrews Housing Development Fund Company, Inc., 289 A.D.2d 148 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.)
Mount Vernon Fire Ins. Co. v. Linarte, 2011 WL 2971238 (U.S.D.C. D.Conn.) (represented insurer in declaratory judgment action disclaiming coverage for series of losses pre-dating inception and continuing into policy period)
O’Brien v. Bolton, 185 Misc.2d 814 (N.Y.Supp.App.Term)
Philadelphia Indemn. Ins. Co. v. Peck, 2007 WL2815047 (USDC D.Conn. 2007)
Prudential Property and Cas. Ins. Co. v. Anderson, 283 Conn. 911 (Conn. July 17, 2007) (defended insurer dismissed upon summary judgment and affirmed on appeal; certificate of insurance not binding for coverage determination)
Royal Indem. Co. v. King, 532 F.Supp.2d 404 (D.Conn.) (defended insurer in declaratory judgement action involving catastrophic injury from quad accident)
Sandler v. Patel, 288 A.D.2d 459 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.)
Sanperi v. Junsch, 274 A.D.2d 462 (N.Y.A.D. 2 Dept.) (trial to verdict in Kings County defending karate school sued by student for injury during sparring, dismissal upon appeal, assumption of risk grounds)
Smith v. Ford Foundation, 231 A.D.2d 456 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept.) (Labor Law action, scaffold law, represented elevator contractor crushed by falling concrete slab improperly hoisted)
Ridgeway v. Mount Vernon Fire Ins. Co., 328 Conn. 60 (2018) (successfully defended insurer in subrogation action seeking coverage for liquor liability in policy with ambiguous language)
Welton v. Ferrara, 2009 Ct. Sup. 6682 (Conn. Super. Ct. 2009), CV-07-5014334S (dram shop defense)

Bar Admissions

Connecticut
New York
U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York