Rick Shapiro Selected as a 2022 'Leader in the Law' by Virginia Lawyers Weekly

September 15, 2022

Firm News

Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp is proud to announce that Rick Shapiro has been selected for the 2022 Class of “Leaders in the Law” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. Thirty-three honorees, including judges and lawyers, are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to the practice of law in Virginia. This accolade is also a reflection of an honoree’s impressive leadership and accomplishments within the Virginia legal community, including setting an example for other attorneys in and around Virginia.

For more than two decades, Rick has focused his practice on personal injury and wrongful death law, fighting for accident victims and their families, and getting them the financial compensation they deserve.

He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States for over 20 years. As a trial attorney, he has successfully won appeals before the West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina Supreme Courts, as well as before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In addition, Rick is a writer and lecturer. He has lectured to attorneys on various legal issues before the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, American Association for Justice, and other national and state attorney organizations. He has co-authored a treatise on railroad health and safety, published in American Jurisprudence Trials, and has written two fiction thrillers.

Along with being an accomplished attorney and author, Rick is also an inventor, holding an impressive 18 U.S. patents, as well as several international patents, on compact, folding wheel technology for wagons, carts, and baby strollers.

The following are results from just a few of the hundreds of personal injury cases Rick has successfully negotiated:

  • A $1 million wrongful death settlement for the family of a woman who was riding her bike home when she was hit by a commercial van. The van driver, who was turning left out of a parking lot, failed to check to his right and did not see the woman, who had the right of way. She died at the scene.
  • A $225,000 truck accident settlement for a client who suffered left shoulder injuries, lacerations to her left hand from broken glass, and a closed head concussion injury when her vehicle was hit twice by a tractor-trailer. The permanent damage caused by the injuries resulted in a necessary career change with reduced potential earnings.
  • A $1.5 million medical malpractice settlement for the family of a man who died following an intubation error during hip replacement repair surgery. During the surgery, several attempts to insert a breathing tube failed, and the man stopped taking in air altogether. By the time an emergency tracheotomy was performed, the man had suffered an irreversible hypoxic brain injury. He lingered on life support for two weeks before dying in hospice.
  • A $1 million FELA settlement for a railroad engineer who suffered a traumatic brain injury when another train collided with his locomotive, causing him to fall out of his seat and slam his head against a wall of the crew cab. Shortly after the accident, the man began experiencing serious cognitive and memory issues. A neuropsychiatrist confirmed that the man suffered brain damage when his head slammed into the wall and would likely never fully recover his mental acuity.
  • An $8.6 million FELA wrongful death verdict for a railroad conductor who died after a long struggle with lung cancer, the worker attributed his cancer to radioactive materials and asbestos he was exposed to at work. After the verdict, the Court granted a new trial, and then the case was dismissed entirely before Mr. Shapiro appealed the case at two levels and the Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated the jury’s finding of negligence and ordered a retrial limited to damages issues only. Then, the case was settled confidentially.

Call Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp Today

Rick is dedicated to making sure accident victims and their families receive the financial justice they deserve. Whether a client has been injured in a car, truck, pedestrian, or any other type of accident, he works diligently, negotiating a settlement that is in the best interest of the client but will not hesitate to bring a personal injury claim to trial if the insurance company fails to negotiate in good faith.

If you or a loved one has been injured, call Rick today at 833) 997-1774 to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation and find out how he can help with your Virginia or North Carolina personal injury case.

 

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