Richard Neal Shapiro takes great pride in his work as a trial attorney. He has dedicated his career to standing up for the "little guy" against big corporations, insurance companies, and government entities that attempt to use their vast resources and trove of defense lawyers to deny or fight legitimate claims. Rick is a strong believer in the U.S. jury system and believes it is a bedrock principle for a group of citizens to decide civil actions.
Rick's passion for the law has led him to tremendous success and a reputation for being a trailblazer in the field of tort law. For example, 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, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad and medical negligence claims.
In addition, Rick has been invited to speak and write scholarly articles on various legal issues at the request of the AAJ, VTLA, Georgia TLA, as well as to Virginia lawyers. Rick was elected chair of the Railroad Law section of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) twice (2013-2014 and 2005-2006) and was named President of the Railroad Accident Division of the National Trial Lawyers Association (NTLA 2013-14).
- George Mason University School of Law
- J.D. | Law
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- Honors: Graduated with Distinction
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- Shareholder
- Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp
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- Boutique law firm focused exclusively on plaintiff's personal injury law.
- Secretary and Newsletter Editor
- Railroad Law Section of the American Association of Justice
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- Do's & Don'ts When Injured at a Railroad - Your FELA Rights
- The Law Firm of Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis, & Appleton, P.C.
- Eyes on the Road: Common Factors Leading to Distracted Driving
- The Law Firm of Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis, & Appleton, P.C.
- Railroad Health & Safety; a Litigator’s Guide
- 72 Am. Jur. Trials, p.1 (West)
- Preserving Survival Damages - When Your Case Morphs Into a Wrongful Death Action,
- The Journal of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
- Using Medical Evidence to Maximize Personal Injury Case Damages
- The Journal of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
- One of the Best Lawyers in America for Railroad Worker Injury (FELA) Law
- Best Lawyers in America
- Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. The process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
- Virginia "Super Lawyer" for Personal Injury Law
- Law & Politics Magazine
- Prestigious accolade that less than five percent of practicing attorneys ever attain.
- 10.0 Superb Rating
- Avvo
- The Avvo rating is calculated using information collected from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals, along with peer reviews and client reviews.
- "AV" Preeminent Rating
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Lawyer of the Year
- U.S. News & World Report
- Rick was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law by U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area). This is a highly prestigious accolade that is based on independent, peer review ratings.
- Legal Examiner
- Contributor
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- Activities: Write and edit in-depth articles and blogs concerning legal issues related to personal injury and wrongful death law.
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- North Carolina Advocates for Justice
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- Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
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- American Association for Justice
- Member & Formar Chair of the Railroad Section
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- West Virginia State Bar
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- District of Columbia
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- North Carolina
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- Virginia
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- West Virginia
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- Free Consultation
- Contingent Fees
- Asbestos & Mesothelioma
- Products Liability
- Drugs & Medical Devices, Motor Vehicle Defects, Toxic Torts
- Personal Injury
- Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
- Medical Malpractice
- Birth Injury, Medical Misdiagnosis, Pharmacy Errors, Surgical Errors
- Railroad Worker Injuries and FELA Claims
- Car Accidents
- English: Spoken, Written