Mr. Ralph's office provides the full spectrum of attorney services in personal injury matters.  From the initial investigation and gathering of evidence to the presentation of the case to a judge, arbitrator or jury.  While the vast majority of civil matters are resolved prior to arbitration or trial, it is important for an injury attorney to understand the full litigation process and prepare each case accordingly. 

In the civil justice system at present, there are a number of ways in which contested matters are resolved.  Some claims, in fact the majority, are settled via direct communication with the insurance company or self-insured, adverse party.  Informal negotiation often is the vehicle by which relatively straightforward caes involving automobile accidents and slip and falls are resolved.  It is important, however, to understand the applicable law and medicine so that a fair result can be reached.  It is not the duty of the insurance comany or the self-insured defendant to make sure the injured party is fully compensated.  To the contrary, the obligation of the adverse party in a personal injury matter is to ensure the minimum amount of money is paid in order to resolve the case.

In the event informal negotiations are unsuccessful, the parties may nonetheless elect to attempt to resolve the matter through a more formal process, mediation.  The mediation process generally involves the parties and their representatives presenting the case to a neutral, third party with experience in similar matters.  Usually, the mediator is selected by mutual agreement of the parties and is either an experienced/retired attorney or a judge who is willing to provide their services privately, after their public service ahs ended.  These retired judges and attorneys are paid for their time so the tendency of the involved parties is to make every reasonable effort to settle the case at mediation.

If the informal negotiations prove unsuccesful and mediation is eather fruitless or the parties cannot agree on the use of that process, the next step in the process is to present the case to either an arbitrator, judge or jury.  Arbitration is a process through which the parties present their case (outside the courtroom) to a neutral third party, usually selected by those involved in the case.  Sometimes, however, the parties must present the case to a panel of arbitrators (usually three)  or one selected by the court, depending on how the matter is referred to arbitration.  In either event, an arbitration is essentially a court trial that takes place in a relatively informal setting, such as the conference room of a building.  A court or "bench" trial is the next process sometimes used by the parties to resolve a personal injury matter.  A court trial is essentially an abbreviated version of a jury trial, and the judge is called upon to make the ultimate decision as to liability and damages.  When the parties simply cannot resolve the case and the option of arbitration or court trial is not acceptable to either side, then a jury of twelve is called upon to decide the case.  In order to prevail, the injured party must generally receive at least nine favorable votes from the jury members.

Finally, if the case has been resolved by the court and one side is unwilling to accept the outcome, an appeal may be filed.  This process is one that often takes more than a year to complete, and the prevailing party may recover certain costs from the opposition.  Consequently, appeals are rare, and the success of the appealing party, at least statistically, is not often seen.

Mr. Ralph has nearly 20 years of experience handling personal injury matters on behalf of the victims of negligence.  From the investigation to the presentation of cases to the appellate courts, Mr. Ralph is a seasoned attorney with a dedication to bringing his clients the best economic recovery available. 

Practice Areas

• Automobile Accidents
• Truck Accidents
• Bus Accidents
• Wrongful Death
• Medical Malpractice
• Slip and Falls
• False Arrest/Imprisonment
• Wrongful Termination
• Sexual Harassment
• Workplace Discrimination