Attorney Profile
Jonathon E. Cross
Areas of Practice
Contact Info
Overview
Jon focuses his practice on a wide range of casualty and professional liability matters, with particular emphasis on amusements, sports and recreation liability claims. As a former athlete, Division-I college baseball coach, and camp owner, Jon is uniquely qualified in representing and defending sports and recreation facility owners, coaches and instructors, youth athletic organizations, professional athletes, all type of educational institutions and college fraternities when claims are made against them. He is also experienced in defending trampoline parks, water parks, amusement parks, zip line adventure courses, rock climbing wall centers, golf courses, aquatic clubs, concert venues, sports stadiums, resorts, liquor establishments and more.
With the emergence of sports related concussion claims, Jon advises and represents school districts, colleges, youth leagues, trainers, referees and recreational parks in claims that arise from failure to recognize a concussion and the failure to follow return-to-play protocol. Further, Jon handles the catastrophic injury related sports and recreation claims sustained by concussions, the second impact syndrome, drownings, and other serious bodily injuries.
Jon also serves as Marshall Dennehey’s representative on the Insurance Law Global Sports and Recreation committee, where he presents and authors articles on emerging sports litigation topics.
On the professional liability side, Jon provides legal counsel and representation to contractors, architects and engineers, accountants, attorneys, insurance brokers, real estate brokers and financial advisors in a wide range of matters including legal malpractice, accounting malpractice, wrongful use of civil process, abuse of process, negligence and breach of contract claims.
Outside of his law practice, Jon serves on the Executive Board of the Richie Ashburn Foundation, which raises funds to provide over 19 free baseball camps and clinics yearly to children throughout the Philadelphia and suburban area. He works with the Foundation to raise funds to support blind and visually impaired children to play "beep" baseball.
Jon coached four seasons of Division-I baseball at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, he coached for nine years at Germantown Academy, where he also was a member of the Board of Trustees (eight years) and served as chair of the sports/athletic committee. Jon additionally was a head baseball coach at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, and he formerly operated his own winter and summer baseball camps.
Results
Success in defending trampoline parks in large loss lawsuits.
Success in defending indoor water parks.
Success in defending indoor athletic recreation facility.
Success in defending indoor rock-climbing facilities.
Success in defending trampoline parks.
Success in obtaining an defense verdict for major league baseball team and a former professional player.
Success in obtaining an order to dismiss a multi-million dollar gas station fire lawsuit.
Success in defending construction contractor for alleged OSHA violations.
Success in defending a multi-million dollar lawsuit relating to defective fireworks.
Success in obtaining a dismissal of a lawsuit against a security guard company.
Success in handling multi-million dollar claims and obtaining favorable outcomes.
Success in obtaining a dismissal of a legal malpractice case pursuant to plaintiff's failure to comply with the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure.
Success in defending a golf club at trial for premises liability.
Success in litigating numerous cases involving school districts and universities involving claims for negligence, discrimination and athletic field liability.
Success in obtaining a jury verdict in favor of a major check cashing company.
Success in obtaining defense verdict in a wrongful use of civil proceedings claim.
Thought Leadership
Concussion: Is the Long Ball Game Finally Finished? ILG 360º London Annual Conference 2023, March 15, 2023
Negligent Security Claims, Marshall Dennehey Client Presentation, January 25th, 2023
Concussion in Sport - Causation and Risk Management in the Spotlight, Insurance Law Global Webinar, October 6, 2022
Concussion Litigation - It's Heading Your Way, Insurance Law Global Virtual Conference, March 26, 2021
From the NFL to Friday Night Lights...Tackling Concussion Litigation, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, October 4, 2017
The Present and Future of Concussion Litigation, Philadelphia Insurance Companies' Continuing Education Program, May 2017
Sports Tort Liability and Risk Management, University of Delaware, Sports & Facility Management Department, November 2016
What Insurance Professionals Should Know About Emerging Sports Liability Issues, A.M. Best Webinar, October 13, 2016
From the NFL to Friday Night Lights...Emerging Youth Sports Concussion Claims and Risk Management, Insurance Casualty Actuaries of New England, April 7, 2016
Athletic Risk Management and Concussion Litigation, University of Delaware, Sports & Facility Management Department, October 2015
Youth Sports Risk Management, New Jersey Recreation & Park Association's 2015 Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ, March 2015
Tackling Concussion Litigation, New Jersey Recreation & Park Association's 2015 Annual Conference, Atlantic City, NJ, March 2015
Youth Sports Risk Management, University of Delaware, Sports & Facility Management Department, March 2015
Tackling Concussion Litigation, University of Delaware, Sports & Facility Management Department, March 2015
Emerging Claims -- Youth Sports Concussion Litigation, Casualty Actuarial Society's Centennial Conference, New York, NY, December 2014
"Parents Are Precluded From Waiving Child's Rights to Jury Trial in Pennsylvania," The Sports Bulletin, 2nd Edition, January 2024, Insurance Law Global
"Heads Up and Watch Out! Potential Liability for Traumatic Brain Injury Pursuant to the Safety in Youth Sports Act," Defense Digest, Vol. 23, No. 4, December 2017
"Boom! Lightning Liability at University Athletic Events," URMIA Journal, September 2015
“Fair Game? Legal Exposures Alter the Playing Field for Youth Sports,” Defense Digest, Vol. 21, No. 1, March 2015
"Cover All The Bases," Avoiding Youth Sports Injury Lawsuits, Camp Business Magazine, August 2014
"Fair Game? Legal Exposures Alter the Playing Field for Youth Sports," PropertyCasualty360.com, May 2014
"Court Recognizes Misconduct When Jurors Seek Out Their Own Expert Opinion," Defense Digest, Vol. 11, No. 2, June, 2005
"The Witness Immunity Doctrine Does Not Preclude Experts From Being Sued for Professional Malpractice," Professional Liability Underwriting Society, PLUS Journal, May 2000
"Obtaining Records With Fewer Headaches," (Co-Author), Defense Digest, Vol. 4, No. 6, 1998
"New Procedures Complicate Production of Documents By A Non-Party," Defense Digest, Vol. 3, No. 6, 1997
"Pennsylvania Superior Court Rules On Statute of Limitations For Defendants Who Leave The Commonwealth," Defense Digest, Vol. 3, No. 5, 1997
"Procedural Difficulties with New Discovery Rule", MDWCG Legal Malpractice Handbook, October 1998
"Effect of Fiorantino on Legal Malpractice Claims for Breach of Contract", MDWCG Legal Malpractice Handbook, October 1998
"Legal Malpractice Defense that a Claim is Premature", MDWCG Legal Malpractice Handbook, 1999
"Continuous Representation Rule Still Not the Law in Pennsylvania", MDWCG Legal Malpractice Handbook, 1999