Daniel J. Woodard
PARTNER
Dan is a Partner with Phillips & Paolicelli who specializes in litigating asbestos, mesothelioma, lung cancer, medical malpractice, wrongful death, infant lead paint poisoning, and other toxic tort and complex personal injury cases across the country. Dan has a diverse background and experience, successfully handling numerous types of complex and scientific tort cases, including representing individuals exposed to asbestos, asbestos contaminated talcum powder, benzene, lead based paint and other toxic substances and/or defective products. Dan also represents many children exposed in utero to reproductively toxic chemicals and substances causing profound birth defects.
Dan has attained numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. In March 2022, Dan attained an $18 million dollar verdict for a British widow whose husband died as a result of his exposure to asbestos while working on a British ship, where he was exposed to an American company's asbestos containing products.
Dan was instrumental attaining a ruling from the Appellate Division First Department in New York City the case of Pyle v. Pfizer, 183 A.D.3d 411 (2020), a case of first impression, established the right of a British citizen to bring an action against a New York Manufacturer of asbestos containing cosmetic talcum powder products in New York City. Dan also obtained a similar ruling for a young British woman, who was permitted to maintain her suit against Johnson & Johnson, in Florida . Pritchard v. Johnson & Johnson, et al. Case No.: CACE18027833 Division 27, Broward County Florida, 17th Judicial District
In 2011, Dan teamed up with Founding Partner, Diane Paolicelli to obtain the highest jury verdict ($6,832,875.00) in the State of New York in a case involving a doctor or hospital failure to diagnose cancer in the case Luna v. Spadafora, et al., Supreme Court, Suffolk County, as determined by the New York Law Journal, published in New York Magazine. This entire verdict was affirmed on appeal in 2017
In 2008, Dan obtained a $8.5 million verdict on behalf of a young child, catastrophically injured from exposure to lead based paint due to his landlords’ negligence. This was one of the Top 10 highest jury verdicts in the State in 2008. Matias v. WDJ Realty 2008 Jury Verdicts LEXIS 36730.
Dan has been included in the list of Super Lawyers®, a Thompson Reuters publication from 2011-2017 and 2020-2022. Thompson Reuters uses a selection and criteria process focused on nominations, vetting those nominations which includes but are not limited to researching verdicts, settlements, honors and awards, and doing independent research of the nominees and then voting on the nominees to be selected. Only 5% of lawyers in each practice area are selected for inclusion.
Dan lives with his wife and 3 children in Mountainside, New Jersey, after being born and raised in Oceanside, New York.