ABOUT CHRISTOPHER J. MARZZACCO
At Marzzacco Niven & Associates, Mr. Marzzacco concentrates his practice on complex, catastrophic injury and death cases resulting from automobile, motorcycle, and tractor-trailer case litigation. Mr. Marzzacco also represents persons seriously injured or killed in premises liability cases, workplace accidents, dangerous and defective products, and civil rights matters.
Mr. Marzzacco earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wilkes University in 1993. He went on to attend the Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor degree in 1996.
Mr. Marzzacco has been rated by his peers in “The Best Lawyers in America”, 10 Avvo Rating, and in “Super Lawyers” every year since 2017. Mr. Marzzacco has lectured and planned Continuing Legal Education seminars, presenting on various topics and has written on a variety of topics relating to personal injury law, automobile law and automobile insurance issues for the Legal Intelligencer and other publications.
Having nearly 30 years of legal experience, Mr. Marzzacco has secured exceptional recoveries for his clients in auto and tractor-trailer accident cases, construction site cases and premises liability including settlements of
- $2.15 million,
- $1.85 million,
- $1.625 million,
- $1.5 million,
- $1.015 million,
- and $1 million.
Since 2021, Marzzacco produced results of $5,000,000.00 in a construction site fall; $1,600,000.00 in a tractor trailer collision; $1,600,000.00 in a motorcycle fatality; $1,533,000.00 in a pedestrian fatality; $1,400,000.00 in a tractor trailer/motorcycle crash; $1,300,000.00 in fatal car crash; $1,100,000.00 in a sexual abuse incident; $800,000.00 for a CDL driver in a negligent commercial trailer loading case; $1,100,000.00 for a teenager hurt in a school-related vehicle crash; $750,000.00 for a minor in a sexual abuse case; $950,000.00 for a child injured in a cemetery liability incident; and $825,000.00 for the family of a man killed by a drunk driver in a motorcycle crash. Marzzacco was also co-lead counsel for a Philadelphia man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and incarcerated for over 24 years that resulted in a settlement of $5,650,000.00. In his career, Marzzacco has also obtained multiple other confidential, multimillion-dollar mediation settlements in cases involving dangerous and defective products.
Marzzacco was also co-lead counsel of the legal team responsible for representing a Philadelphia man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and incarcerated for over 24 years. After years of litigation, the case resulted in a settlement in 2021 with the City of Philadelphia, of $5,650,000.00. In his career, Marzzacco has also obtained multiple other confidential, multimillion-dollar mediation settlements in cases involving dangerous and defective products.
Mr. Marzzacco also served on York County’s panel of Arbitrators from 2011-2012 and in 2017-2018, was appointed Chairman of an Arbitration Panel in Dauphin County. Marzzacco is a member of several Trial Lawyers’ groups, including the Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), where he currently serves on the Middle District Board of Governors; the American Association for Justice (AAJ), as a member of the Trucking Litigation Group; and the Dauphin and Cumberland County Bar Associations, having served on the Board of Directors in Dauphin County from 2019-2020 and as the CLE Board Chairperson from 2023 to 2025.
Mr. Marzzacco has taught trial advocacy at Widener University School of Law’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Program (ITAP) from 2001 to 2016 and 2022 and has coached trial teams for Widener University’s Mock Trial program as well. Marzzacco currently serves law school on the Dean’s Advisory Committee.
From 2011-2017, Mr. Marzzacco was involved with “EndDD.org,” traveling across Pennsylvania giving presentations to high school students and encouraging them to drive without distraction.
Originally from Carbondale, a small town in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Mr. Marzzacco earned his law degree in 1996 from Widener University School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from Wilkes University in 1993. Chris and his wife Jennifer have lived in the Harrisburg area since 1996.
AREAS OF PRACTICE
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Pennsylvania, 1996
- Federal, Middle District of Pennsylvania, 2004
- Federal, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 2015
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 2018
EDUCATION
- Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, J.D.
- Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, B.A.
PUBLISHED WORKS
- “7 Fatal Mistakes Victims of Accidents Make in PA and How to Avoid Making Them,” 2010
- “Highly Automated Vehicles in Pa.: Where Are We and Where Are We Headed?,” Legal Intelligencer, October 12, 2007
- “Hot-button Issues Affecting Distracted-Driving Motor Vehicle Litigation,” Legal Intelligencer, July 7, 2016
- “Ethical Pitfalls for Lawyers to Avoid in Personal Injury Cases,” Legal Intelligencer, January 9, 2015
- “Premises Liability Claims That Occur on Recreational Areas,” Legal Intelligencer, August 9, 2013
- “Keeping Clients Happy Under the Rules of Professional Responsibility and in the Real World,” Legal Intelligencer, March 8, 2013
- “Talking ‘Tort Reform’ to the Public as Trial Lawyers,” Legal Intelligencer, September 7, 2011
CLASSES/SEMINARS
- Personal Injury Law Conference, Course Planning Committee, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2018-present
- Ethics for General Practitioners When Handling Personal injury Cases, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2012
- Over the Top Settlements: How to Develop, Present and Settle for Maximum Value, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2013
- Distracted Driving: Representing the Plaintiff in a Civil Case, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2016
- The Changing Landscape of Distracted Driving: The Science and the Law, Pennsylvania Association for Justice (PAJ), Summer 2016
- Liability and Insurance Coverage for Highly-automated Vehicular Crashes, PennDot/Department of Community and Economic Development, 2017
- Ethical Pitfalls and How to Avoid them in Personal Injury Cases, Dauphin County Bar Association, 2012
- Representing Injured Workers in Motor Vehicle Cases, Dauphin County Bar Association, 2014
- Litigating Catastrophic Injury Cases, Pennsylvania Bar Institute 2015
- Case Selection, Evaluation and Investigation, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, 2014
- Handling Complex Personal Injury Cases, Anapol Weiss, Scranton, PA, 2014
- Student Awareness Initiative: End Distracted Driving, EndDD.org, 2013 to 2016
- Distracted Driving Prevention for Commercial Drivers, EndDD.org, 2016
- Negotiations in Personal Injury Cases, Guest Lecturer, Widener University School of Law, 2013
- Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, Instructor, Widener University School of Law, 2001 to 2016
- Professional Responsibility, Guest Lecturer, Widener University Commonwealth Law School, 2020
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Super Lawyers: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
- The Best Lawyers in America: 2017-2022
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS
- Pennsylvania Association for Justice, Member; Board of Governors, 2021-present
- Widener Commonwealth Law School, Dean’s Advisory Committee, 2019-present
- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Member
- Dauphin County Bar Association, Member; Board of Directors, 2019-2020
- Dauphin County Bar Association Arbitration Panel, Chair, 2011-2012; 2017-2018
- Cumberland County Bar Association, Social Member
- York County’s Panel of Arbitrators, Member 2001-2010
- American Association for Justice (AAJ), Member; Trucking Litigation Group, 2018-present
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS
- Anapol Weiss, Partner, 2011 – 2017
- Colgan Marzzacco, Co-owner, 2008 – 2010
- Wiley, Lenox, Colgan & Marzzacco, Partner, 1999 – 2008
- Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, Deputy D. A., 1997 – 1999
RESULTS
- $5,000,000 for a man paralyzed in a construction site fall.
- $2,150,000 for a young woman permanently injured in a car crash in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
- $1,850,000 for the family of a young man killed by a commercial truck in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
- $1,625,000 for the spouse of a man killed in a motorcycle/pickup truck crash in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
- $1,600,000 in a tractor trailer collision.
- $1,600,000 for the spouse of a man in a motorcycle fatality.
- $1,533,000 in a pedestrian fatality.
- $1,500,000 for the parents and children of a young woman killed by a distracted driver in Myrtle Beach, SC.
- $1,400,000 for the estate of a man killed in a tractor trailer/motorcycle crash.
- $1,300,000 for the spouse of a man in a fatal car crash.
- $1,265,000 for the parents of a woman killed in a car crash caused by a DUI driver. The crash took place on Route 81 in Lebanon County.
- $1,100,000 for a young man in a sexual abuse incident.
- $1,100,000 for a teenager hurt in a school-related vehicle crash.
- $1,015,000 for a man operating his motorcycle who was paralyzed from the chest down in a commercial vehicle collision.
- $1,000,000 for a CDL driver who was severely injured by another tractor trailer in York, Pennsylvania.
- $ 950,000 for a child injured in a cemetery liability incident.
- $ 825,000 for the family of a man killed by a drunk driver in a motorcycle crash.
- $ 825,000 for a CDL driver injured by the negligent loading of a commercial trailer.
- $ 750,000 for a minor in a sexual abuse case.
