Richard N.Shapiro (Rick) is an injury trial attorney and prolific personal injury law blogger/author of hundreds of injury law articles and his work has been published in Amer. Juriisprudence Law Enclyclepedia.
One of the best things about being an injury attorney is seeking justice and creating a level playing field for injured clients facing uncertainty. I help underdogs. I will take chances on tough cases.
But first, the formal part, followed by why I am proud of what I do for my clients.
Virginia Beach, VA personal injury attorney Richard N. Shapiro, named a Virginia "Super Lawyer" (2011 Ed.) and to the publication "The Best Lawyers In America" 2011 Edition (railroad injury law) practices injury law in the eastern USA. Rick also received an "A V" Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a prominent legal rating service.This rating means Rick has a reputation among other lawyers and judges as being highly ethical and of being very high, to pre-eminent, in his legal ability.
Rick served as staff assistant to U.S. Congressman Whitehurst during and after graduating college and then graduated from George Mason Law School with Distinction in 1984, where he served on the Law Review and had an article published.. He served as a law clerk to Federal District Court Judge Robert C. Doumar in Norfolk. He co-authored "Railroad Health & Safety; a Litigator's Guide" which appears in a leading law encyclopedia, "American Jurisprudence Trials" and serves as co editor of numerous law blogs, including a blog dedicated exclusively to railroad accident and FELA law. Board Certified in Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification of Massachusetts (ABA Accredited). He is a member of Primerus Society of Law Firms, a society of highly ethical and skilled lawyers who are screened by lawyers and judges before admission. Martindale Hubbell lawyer rating service rating "A V" the hightest rating available. Rick was elected chair of the Railroad Law section of the American Association for Justice, and also served as secretary/newsletter editor. Licensed: VA, NC, WV, DC. Admitted: U.S. Supreme Court. Prior Injury Litigation: throughout eastern U.S.A.
About my journey to where I am now in my career as a personal injury attorney:
I think any person looking for a personal injury lawyer has an amazing number of choices, so I will basically tell the story of how I became a trial attorney for injured people.
I'm a native of Norfolk, Virginia. I spent about eight years during my college and law school time in the Washington, DC area, first attending the Univ. of Maryland at College Park where I obtained a government and politics degree. I was lucky to get a job on Capitol Hill as an intern, and then was offered a full time job as a staff assistant for a US Congressman. Learning how legislation (regulations, laws) really get rolling, and also dealing with constituent interaction and their needs was great training for later becoming a lawyer. While I was working on Capitol Hill I decided to apply to law school and try to become a lawyer. Later, I was accepted to George Mason Law School located in Northern Virginia. Law school was it was quite a pressure cooker, but I stayed focused and graduated in the top 5% of my class, and also wrote a law review article which was published in the George Mason Law Review. And, I worked part time and piled up student loans, which took forever to repay. In other words, I worked my way to where I am today.
I also heard about how it was great experience to obtain a one year clerkship for a federal judge so I put out a bunch of applications and ended up getting hired as a law clerk to a federal judge in Norfolk Virginia, my hometown. I spent a year, with pay, as one of the Federal Judge Robert Doumar’s law clerks and saw great (and some bad) trial lawyers in court in personal injury and criminal cases. This was great training.
My first 10 years or so of my law practice were spent working traffic, criminal and civil cases but by 1993 I was exclusively doing personal injury law. I am now licensed to practice in North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington, DC, but actually handle personal injury cases in nearly every state across the eastern United States by associating with other local attorneys licensed in those states. I also applied for and am now honored to be admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court.
I've been involved in all kinds of personal injury and wrongful death trials, including car wreck cases, trucking cases, faulty product cases, railroad injury/disease and derailment cases, cancers caused by occupational toxins, chemical and toxic spill cases, etc. In many instances, my seriously injured client’s case settles at or just before a jury trial, because if I do a good job for my client, the defendant pushes hard to settle the case rather than face a jury.
Just keeping up with all the evidence rulings and recent legal decisions in personal injury law is a never ending commitment for a personal injury lawyer.. I have also been an officer of the Railroad Section of the American Association of Justice, the largest nationwide civil trial injury lawyer network, and remain involved in the motor vehicle, trucking and railroad sections. Since 2006, I have been writing and editing personal injury law blog articles on Injuryboard, which is about the largest and best injury law blog network in the U.S. Over the years I have lectured to other personal injury lawyers on a national basis, in Virginia, and in the state of Georgia. I have been asked by organizations to speak on topics of injury law as well as evidence law. I have handled personal injury cases in the courts of nearly every southeastern US state, with co counsel.
One of the things that really motivates me as an injury lawyer is helping people that are clearly being taken advantage of by a corporation or by a claims adjuster. Believe me, I have lots of examples. I have had cases where a claims adjuster strings along an injured person, and then springs the statute of limitations defense on them after it is too late. On several occasions I was able to figure out how to file the suit in a different state (with a longer statute) and “revive” my clients claim. On other occasions I have had potential clients call me and tell me that another lawyer turned their case down. I’ve taken many cases that other lawyers have refused, and later settled the cases for substantial sums of money for (grateful) clients. Doing a good job means thinking about your injury client's case not only when you're in the office, but when you're home on the weekend, surfing the Internet on some other topic, or even when taking a shower. My personal injury law job does not have any defined hours. When clients ask what are my hours I just smile. Are you kidding?
Also, I am a prolific inventor and I hold 15 United States patents (the patents cover “fold flat” wagons, carts, jogging strollers, etc.) and I hold patents in South Africa, Australia, and in China. I have signed license agreements with several companies, some are familiar names. I believe I am one of the only injury lawyers in the US that invent/design products, and actively practice injury law. It provides a unique perspective especially when there is a product or equipment failure at the heart of the case.
I am proud of being a lawyer, and especially proud of being a trial attorney. We have a framed poster in our law office reception area with the title: Where Would We Be Without Lawyers?” and it shows the nation’s “founding fathers” in an artist’s rendering with an empty silhouette for 35 of the famous faces--yes, 35 of the 55 framer’s of the Constitution were lawyers, and 25 of our nation’s presidents, including Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, were lawyers. Part of my duty as an attorney is to stand between corporations, insurance companies and government attempts to limit or wipe out the ultimate check and balance: the courthouse and our jury system. I am a strong believer in the US jury system as our system allows juries to decide important civil justice issues. Juries do not enter a courtroom favoring the injury victim or the party being sued either. Its a level playing field and I respect their decisions.
Why do I edit this blog? Because victims and consumers need to understand that personal injury lawyers are not all the same: there are many types and experience levels. This is my way of "giving back" some intangible benefit without charging for it, but also allows me to share knowledge and information which may benefit the public interest.
Rick talks about personal injury cases involving body parts with preexisting conditions.
Rick talks about paralyzed arm and leg injuries and how his Virginia Beach, VA injury law firm pursues damages for these serious injuries:Check out Richard N. Shapiro's Avvo, Best Lawyers in America, and Super Lawyers Profiles:
Richard N. Shapiro
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