Diane J. Ruccia Member New Jersey
Phone: 973.623.2700 Fax: 973.623.4496 druccia@lcbf.com
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Diane is a dedicated, creative and tenacious attorney, who assists her clients in all phases of litigation, from Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) through trial.  From the moment Diane assumes the defense of a case, her focus is on how to efficiently and successfully resolve the case, while simultaneously assessing trial strategy.

Diane has been asked by her clients to step in and try complex cases in challenging venues.  Her diverse experience allows her to offer clients a unique perspective for settlement options, defenses and trial strategy.

Diane has 28 years of experience and her practice focuses on transportation litigation, including the defense of school bus companies, paratransit transportation companies, commercial transportation companies and railroads (Federal Employers' Liability Act); professional liability litigation, including nursing homes, and assisted living/senior living facilities; defense of non-profit entities; general liability; and catastrophic personal injuries, including wrongful death and traumatic brain injuries, in the state and federal courts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.

Her unique experience also includes the successful defense of nursing homes and assisted/senior living facilities for over 15 years and providing such entities advice regarding risk management. She has also successfully defended transportation companies against allegations of physical and mental abuse of passengers and students.

Among Diane’s notable results are:

  • Favorable settlements in extensive multi-party mediations in multiple states, involving cases of wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, catastrophic injuries and nursing home liability, resulting in a cap of exposure and reducing her client’s litigation costs;
  • A defense verdict for a student transportation company and two of its employees, where plaintiff, a severely autistic minor, was allegedly physically and verbally abused by the client's bus driver and bus aide, resulting in severe PTSD and worsening of his autism;
  • A successful Frye hearing avoiding trial of multi-million dollar case by precluding plaintiff from proceeding to the jury with claims that he suffered a stroke as a result of an accident involving a bus company;
  • A defense verdict on liability for major commercial bus company, with bifurcated trial, avoiding a damages trial with over $8 million in boardable expenses, for a plaintiff who had three surgeries and had been out of work for 12 years;
  • Favorable jury verdict for a national student transportation company of $101,000 wherein plaintiff claimed a traumatic brain injury and orthopedic injuries with boardable damages of over $6 million;
  • A defense verdict in a stipulated liability case with disputed damages, where plaintiff had arthroscopic shoulder and cervical fusion surgeries;
  • Defense verdicts in transportation and general negligence cases.

Diane is a member of the firm's marketing committee.

She has presented to clients on numerous topics, including the impact of internet and social media on litigation and trial strategy; defending transportation companies against allegations of physical and verbal abuse of its passengers and students; deposition preparation of transportation employees/drivers/corporate representatives; catastrophic accident investigation; strategic use of accident reconstruction and biomechanical experts; and preservation of evidence.

Diane has been selected as a member of Lawyers of Distinction for 2021 and 2022.  Lawyers of Distinction is a legal fraternity of lawyers from all 50 United States as well as abroad.  A description of their selection methodology can be found here.  Membership is not meant to infer any endorsement of Lawyers of Distinction by any of the 50 Untied States Bar Associations or the District of Columbia Bar Association.

Diane has also previously taught as an Adjunct Professor - Legal Research and Writing at Seton Hall University School of Law.

After law school, she clerked for the Hon. G. Donald Haneke, U.S. District Court of New Jersey.

Representative Cases

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Representative Cases

  • Sadek v. Greyhound, No. 108589/07 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Co.) (defense verdict on liability on bifurcated trial avoiding damages trial with over $8 million in boardable damages for a plaintiff who suffered a stroke and orthopedic injuries, including arthroscopic right shoulder surgery and lumbar discectomy - case had been litigated for 11 years with a $10 million demand)

  • Nathan v. Pabon, No. UNN-L-4109-15 (N.J. Super Ct. Union Co.) (defense verdict on damages with stipulated liability for a student transportation company and its driver where the plaintiff had undergone a cervical discectomy and fusion and right shoulder arthroscopic surgery and rotator cuff repair)

  • Sadek v. Greyhound, No. 108589/07 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Co.) (as a result of a successful Frye hearing during trial, precluded plaintiff from proceeding to the jury with respect to claims he suffered a stroke as a result of bus accident; subsequently, plaintiff, who had demanded $10 million to settle case, dismissed his orthopedic claims, including claim that he required back surgery, to pursue appeal)

  • Vogel v. Laidlaw, No. BER-L-9126-06 (N.J. Super. Ct. Bergen Co.) (defense verdict for a student transportation company and two of its employees where plaintiff, a severely autistic minor, was allegedly physically and verbally abused by bus driver and bus aide, resulting in severe PTSD and worsening of his autism)

  • Diaz v. Amtrak, No. 002802/01 (Ct. of Common Pleas Philadelphia, PA) (defense verdict in FELA suit, where plaintiff had demanded $750,000 for injuries sustained while lifting a 16-foot timber, with allegedly improper equipment and insufficient manpower, requiring lumbar decompression and bilateral spinal fusion)

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Practice Areas

Admissions

New Jersey, 1995
Pennsylvania, 1995
New York, 2005
U.S. District Court District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania
U.S. Supreme Court

Published Works

Antitrust-Tying Agreements - A No Transshipment Policy Between Sports Apparel Manufacturer and Its Retailer Does Not Violate the Sherman Antitrust Act, 4 Seton Hall J. Sport L. No. 2, 1994

Associations and Professional Activities

National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel

Defense Research Institute
    - Medical Liability and Health Care Law Committee
    - Trucking Law Committee
    - Women In The Law Committee
       - Subcommittee of WITL - Networking

New Jersey Women Lawyers Association

The Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
    - Transportation Committee

Pennsylvania Bar Association

New Jersey Bar Association

New York Bar Association

Honors and Awards

2014 and 2016 Nominee for Excellence in Advocacy Award, Veteran Practitioner, Professional Women in Advocacy

Lawyers of Distinction, 2021 and 2022 [see text to the left]

Education

J.D., Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey, 1994
Alumni Council

B.A., Pennsylvania State University, 1991