Joshua A. Filzer

Joshua is an associate in the firm’s General Liability Department. He focuses his practice on personal injury defense, automobile defense, as well as the representation of tractor trailer operators, commercial freight owners, freight forwarders, federal motor carriers and self-insured trucking companies, private fleet operators, and various other professionals and entities involved in transportation both on land and at sea.

Joshua is a member of the Middlesex County Bar Association, Trial Attorneys of New Jersey, Young Professionals in Transportation and the Maritime Law Association of the United States.

Joshua concentrates his practice on general liability and auto liability, with a focus on personal injury defense, automobile claims, trucking and transportation matters, and maritime-related litigation. He regularly represents tractor-trailer operators, commercial freight owners, freight forwarders, federal motor carriers, self-insured trucking companies, private fleet operators —advising clients across the transportation industry both on land and at sea. Josh recently secured trial victories in two personal injury cases, including one high-stakes matter, further building his track record as an effective advocate in the courtroom.

Before joining Hoagland Longo, Joshua served as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Andrea I. Marshall, J.S.C., in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Monmouth County. This experience gave him valuable exposure to civil litigation from the judicial perspective and honed the skills he now uses to navigate litigation throughout New Jersey and New York.

Joshua earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, where he deepened his interest in international transportation law through a semester of study at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing. He also interned with a large international law firm, gaining experience with cross-border legal issues. Prior to law school, Joshua spent four years living in China, studying Mandarin at Nankai University in Tianjin, after earning his B.A. from Kent State University.

He is an active member of the Middlesex County Bar Association, Trial Attorneys of New Jersey, and is an Investigator with the District VIII Office of Attorney Ethics. Originally from the Cleveland area, Joshua is a lifelong Cleveland sports fan. Outside the office, he enjoys time with his young daughter and son, often exploring aquariums and zoos with them on weekends.

Areas of Focus

Personal Injury

• Representation of individuals and businesses in bodily injury claims involving negligence and liability
• Representation of clients in litigation stemming from accidents in transportation and premises settings

Automobile Liability

• Representation of insured and self-insured clients in automobile-related claims.
• Experience with commercial vehicle litigation, including fleet operators and logistics entities
• Litigate automobile defense matters involving both insured and self-insured parties

General Liability

• Manage defense litigation on behalf of individuals and commercial clients
• Provided representation in premises and negligence-based claims

Trucking and Transportation Litigation

• Represent tractor-trailer operators, freight owners, freight forwarders, federal motor carriers, and commercial freight carriers in personal injury and liability actions
• Defend self-insured trucking companies and private fleets in personal injury and liability actions
• Represent federal motor carriers and private fleet operators in litigation throughout New Jersey and New York

Representative Litigation and Trial Experience

Personal Injury – Favorable Jury Verdict

• Represented the defendant in a two-week jury trial where liability was stipulated; the central issues were proximate cause and the nature and extent of the plaintiff’s injuries – plaintiff unexpectedly testified at trial to a range of new limitations in her daily activities
• Secured favorable jury verdict in high-stakes personal injury trial in which Josh directed the defense’s neuroradiologist whose testimony was critical to a favorable result
• Prior to trial, plaintiff demanded $750,000 while the defense offered $220,000 – following summations, the client instructed and the defense increased its offer to $250,000, which plaintiff and her counsel rejected without response
• The jury returned a verdict of $200,000—$550,000 less than plaintiff’s demand and $20,000 less than the defense’s pre-trial offer—resulting in a decisive and favorable outcome for the defense

Personal Injury – Favorable Jury Verdict

• Defended a client in a personal injury trial where liability was stipulated, but the nature and severity of the plaintiff's injuries were contested
• Highlighted that plaintiff had been skiing over seventy times since the accident and that plaintiff’s statements to his doctors were different than the testimony he and his wife had offered to the jury related to his claimed limitations
• Secured a jury verdict of $30,000—$420,000 less than the plaintiff's demand prior to trial and well below the pre-trial offer—demonstrating a very powerful and effective trial presentation

Personal Injury – Summary Judgment Granted

• Obtained a dismissal prior to trial in a personal injury case in which the plaintiff alleged that she had tripped and fallen on ice at a self-storage facility.
• Josh successfully argued that despite there being no precipitation at the time, there was a large storm in the area, which negated the property owner’s responsibility to conduct snow removal operations in the middle of the ongoing storm, an area of law Josh has previously written on: https://www.hoaglandlongo.com/blog/new-jersey-has-weathered-the-storm-supreme-court-adopts-the-ongoing-storm-doctrine

Personal Injury – Summary Judgment Granted

• Obtained a dismissal prior to trial in a personal injury case in which the plaintiffs were passengers in a vehicle
• Successfully argued that there was no evidence that his client had breached any duty in a run of the mill rear end auto accident
• The motion was originally denied; however, Josh was successful on a motion for reconsideration and ultimately, the case was dismissed

Personal Injury – Summary Judgment Granted

• Obtained the dismissal of a former Jersey City Police Officer’s claim that he had tripped and fallen over a raised sewer cap by demonstrating that the plaintiff was aware of the cap on his own property, and had actually been the one to dislodge the sewer cap.

 

Affiliations

• Middlesex County Bar Association
• New Jersey State Bar Association
• Trial Attorneys of New Jersey
• Young Professionals in Transportation
• Maritime Law Association of the United States

Awards

• New Jersey Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars" list (2023-Present)

• Joshua Filzer

  Rated by Super Lawyers
  
  
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