Atty. Carol A. VanderWoude
Carol is a member of the Appellate Advocacy and Post-Trial Practice Group in the Professional Liability Department. She focuses her practice on drafting concise, forceful briefs and delivering persuasive oral arguments in state and federal trial and appellate courts.
Profile Summary
About Carol A. VanderWoude at a glance
Carol A. VanderWoude is a Shareholder based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, practicing at Marshall Dennehey. They have 24+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 2002. Their practice focuses on personal injury, product liability, litigation, and appellate. Admitted to practice in New Jersey (2002), Pennsylvania (2005), and U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania (2005). Educated at Washington College of Law American University (J.D., 2001) and California State University, San Marcos (B.A., 1997). Active member of Associations & memberships Pennsylvania Bar Association Philadelphia Bar Association Loyola University, Philadelphia Alumni Chapter, Board of Directors. Serands clients in Philadelphia, PA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Carol is a member of the Appellate Advocacy and Post-Trial Practice Group in the Professional Liability Department
- She focuses her practice on drafting concise, forceful briefs and delivering persuasive oral arguments in state and federal trial and appellate courts
- Carol handles appeals across a wide range of subject areas which include, among others, products liability, toxic torts, medical malpractice, insurance coverage, civil rights, professional liability and premises liability
- As part of her practice, Carol regularly handles emergency matters which arise throughout the course of litigation and assists trial counsel with development of legal strategies, preparation of pre-trial motions, trial briefs, and post-trial motions
- She also performs appellate monitoring of high-exposure trials to assist trial counsel in preserving issues for appeal
- This assistance includes handling and arguing legal issues before the trial court so trial counsel can focus on witnesses and the presentation of evidence
- In addition to her practice, Carol is actively involved in Pennsylvania defense organizations and informing members of the defense bar about notable legal developments
- Currently, Carol serves as co-editor of Counterpoint, the well-regarded magazine of the Pennsylvania Defense Institute
- She has also hosted statewide teleconferences of defense counsel regarding new legal developments
- Prior to joining Marshall Dennehey in 2005, Carol worked for five years as a staff attorney for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit where she drafted memoranda of law and opinions on a variety of subjects including civil rights, employment, bankruptcy, immigration, securities and tax law
- Carol graduated from California State University, San Marcos, magna cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science
- She subsequently attended American University, Washington College of Law, where she obtained her juris doctor, cum laude, in 2001
- While attending law school, Carol taught legal research and writing and served as a member of the American University Law Review
- Published Works •'Statute of Limitations Stands: Pennsylvania Court Affirms Dismissal of Breach of Contract Claim Against Insurance Broker,' PLUS Blog, March 4, 2025 •'Equipment Manufacturers Liable for Replacement Parts Under Maritime Law, SCOTUS Says,' Legal Updates for Toxic Torts Litigation, March 19, 2019 •“En Banc PA Superior Court Vacates $14.5 Million Asbestos Verdict and Remands for New Trial,” Legal Updates for Toxic Torts Litigation, January 2015 •'Addressing Malfunction Theory for First Time in 20 Years: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Clarifies Burden of Proof in Product Liability Case Based Upon Malfunction Theory,' Defense Digest, Vol. 16, No. 1, March 2010 Results Superior Court Reverses Trial Court Venue Objections Carol VanderWoude (Philadelphia) obtained reversal of a trial court’s order overruling preliminary objections as to venue
- The plaintiff filed suit in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas alleging negligence for injuries sustained in a car accident
- The accident occurred in Lebanon County between the plaintiff’s vehicle and a school bus driven by an employee of defendant transportation company
- The corporate defendant provided transportation services to school districts in Lebanon and Lancaster Counties, and had no clients in Philadelphia County
- The trial court overruled the preliminary objections to venue, reasoning the act of transporting students into Philadelphia for approximately two-dozen field trips during the pertinent school year satisfied the quality-quantity venue analysis
- The Superior Court disagreed
- It was persuaded by the arguments raised on appeal and reversed
- The court held that the field trips simply aided in the corporate defendant’s main purpose of providing transportation services as directed by its clients located outside Philadelphia County, and that those field trips were not conducted regularly enough to satisfy the quantity portion of the venue analysis
- The venue ruling was interlocutory and not appealable, but the Superior Court granted permission to immediately appeal the ruling so the venue issue could be resolved at the outset of the case
- Summary Judgment Secured in a Case Involving a Trampoline Park Injury We obtained summary judgment in a lawsuit arising from an injury suffered at an indoor trampoline park
- During the deposition, the plaintiff admitted that there are inherent risks of engaging in trampoline activities, including the risk of being injured
- Under the no-duty rule, a defendant owes no duty of care to warn, protect, or insure against risks which are common, frequent, expected and inherent in an activity
- In the motion for summary judgment, it was argued that a trampoline park has no duty to protect patrons from the inherent risks of injury when jumping from a trampoline
- The court opined that the no-duty rule was implicated and granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants
- Thought Leadership Statute of Limitations Stands: Pennsylvania Court Affirms Dismissal of Breach of Contract Claim Against Insurance Broker March 4, 2025 In a decision that is meaningful for both insurance brokers and the attorneys who defend them, the Pennsylvania Superior Court recently affirmed the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas’ dismissal of breach of contract claims asserted against an insurance broker in Thuong Erin Wasielewski, Individually and as Administratrix of the Estate of Thuong D. Nguyen, Deceased v
- Goebel Insurance Agency, Inc. and Christopher Goebel, 2025 WL 66728.* The case arose from an underlying wrongful death lawsuit, and a related declaratory judgment lawsuit brought by the insurer against the policyholder
- News Marshall Dennehey Named 2024 Litigation Department of the Year for Appellate Law By ALM’s Pennsylvania Legal Awards March 15, 2024
Practice Areas Explained
Carol A. VanderWoude's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Carol A. VanderWoude handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Personal injury attorneys help accident victims recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain & suffering. Most work on contingency — no fee unless you win.
Carol A. VanderWoude is one of 264,852 personal injury attorneys indexed nationally. Browse personal injury attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Carol A. VanderWoude is one of 66,193 product liability attorneys indexed nationally. Browse product liability attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Civil litigation attorneys for breach of contract, business disputes, civil rights, and class action lawsuits.
Carol A. VanderWoude is one of 454,532 litigation attorneys indexed nationally. Browse litigation attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Appellate attorneys for civil and criminal appeals at state and federal court.
Carol A. VanderWoude is one of 86,319 appellate attorneys indexed nationally. Browse appellate attorneys in Pennsylvania →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in Pennsylvania
Practicing law in Pennsylvania. Legal matters in Pennsylvania are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Philadelphia are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Pennsylvania state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Pennsylvania brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Pennsylvania courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional Pennsylvania attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Philadelphia or all attorneys in Pennsylvania.
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