Vail Justice Injury Attorney
Joseph D. Bloch
Joseph D. Bloch, Member. Admitted to the Colorado State Bar, U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and U.S. Supreme Court.
Mr. Bloch is the Founding Member of Bloch Ongert, which was founded more than 35 years ago in 1987. He maintains a diverse practice specializing in ski accidents, personal injury, recreational injuries, auto and motorcycle accidents, business law, and civil litigation. Mr. Bloch has over 35 years of litigation experience representing clients in trials and appeals in both state and federal court. He also maintains an active practice with offices in Denver, as well as in the Vail Valley and Summit Counties.
Mr. Bloch has represented thousands of injured clients, including people who have been seriously injured in car and motorcycle accidents, ski injuries, and dog bites. He has successfully received jury verdicts where punitive damages were awarded against large corporations for bad conduct including Vail Resorts and State Farm. In Lacerra vs. State Farm the jury found that State Farm committed outrageous conduct against his client. Mr. Bloch also obtained a punitive damages award against Vail, CO Resorts in a chair lift injury case, Aarons v. The Vail Corporation, Inc., which is the only time a jury has assessed punitive damages against Vail Resorts in Colorado to date.
In the past few years, Mr. Bloch has been actively proposing legislation that will hold ski areas more accountable for safety and for the reporting of injuries on the mountain, which will protect the rights of snow riders. His proposed legislation is aptly titled “The Fox Guarding the Henhouse.” Mr. Bloch has been interviewed extensively in the media regarding this issue because it is so important to all Coloradoans who enjoy skiing.
Mr. Bloch is an accomplished skier and snowboarder. He has previously ski raced in the U.S. and Europe, as well as being a professional mogul skier and competing in extreme skiing competitions. As a result, Mr. Bloch has a comprehensive and intuitive understanding of ski and snowboard injuries. He personally investigates all of his ski injury cases by going to the collision sites where his clients were injured. Mr. Bloch has collected millions of dollars for injured snow riders. He has been riding motorcycles for over 40 years. He has also been a professional guide for rafting companies and for his bike tour company, Mile High Bike Tours. Mr. Bloch is a recognized Sifu (teacher) of Wing Chun Kung Fu who has studied martial arts and healing arts for over 40 years.
Education
University of Colorado (B.S. Business/Finance 1983)
California Western School of Law (J.D. 1987)
Member
Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, American Trial Lawyers Association, MDICC, American Bar Association, and Family Law Section.
Honors
Million Dollar Advocates Forum
– Awarded only to attorneys who have won million-dollar verdicts and settlements The National Trial Lawyers Top 100
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Joseph D. Bloch, and what is his legal experience?
Joseph D. Bloch is the founding member of Bloch Ongert, which was founded in 1987. He has more than 35 years of litigation experience representing clients in trials and appeals in both state and federal court. He is admitted to the Colorado State Bar, the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
2. What awards and credentials does Joseph D. Bloch hold?
Mr. Bloch earned a B.S. in Business and Finance from the University of Colorado in 1983 and a J.D. from California Western School of Law in 1987. His honors include the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is awarded only to attorneys who have won million-dollar verdicts and settlements, and The National Trial Lawyers Top 100. He is also a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.
3. Has Joseph Bloch won jury verdicts against insurance companies and large corporations?
According to his profile, Mr. Bloch has obtained jury verdicts in which punitive damages were awarded against large corporations for bad conduct, including Vail Resorts and State Farm. In Lacerra v. State Farm, the jury found that State Farm committed outrageous conduct against his client. His profile also says he has represented thousands of injured clients and collected millions of dollars for injured snow riders.
4. What is the legislation Joseph Bloch calls The Fox Guarding the Henhouse?
Mr. Bloch has been proposing legislation titled The Fox Guarding the Henhouse, which is intended to hold ski areas more accountable for safety and for the reporting of injuries on the mountain. The proposal aims to protect the rights of snow riders. He has been interviewed extensively in the media about the issue because it is so important to all Coloradoans who enjoy skiing.
5. How does Joseph Bloch investigate ski and snowboard injury cases?
Mr. Bloch personally investigates all of his ski injury cases by going to the collision sites where his clients were injured. He is an accomplished skier and snowboarder who has ski raced in the U.S. and Europe, competed as a professional mogul skier, and entered extreme skiing competitions. That background gives him a comprehensive and intuitive understanding of ski and snowboard injuries.
