Wrongful Death

Charles Boyk is a practicing lawyer in the state of Ohio, who focuses on personal injury law. He has tried cases in the areas of brain injury, car accident, catastrophic injury, mass torts, dog bite, insurance claims, medical malpractice, motorcycle accident, and wrongful death.

Marv Robon graduated in less than four years from Bowling Green State University with a business degree and went right into law school with a partial scholarship. His class at the University of Toledo Law School had four members, including himself, in the top twelve of the Ohio State Bar Exam. During his earlier years, Mr. Robon did a substantial amount of litigation and tried a number of jury cases to conclusion. He then became more interested in real estate law and business matters and did everything from limited partnership syndications to industrial development revenue bonds. However, the challenge of trial work was missing; so by the mid-1980's, he decided to do both litigation and business matters. He has handled a number of high-profile cases, including the sale of the Commodore Island Condominiums where Owens-Corning’s World Headquarters is located today; a substantial wrongful death electrocution case that was successfully concluded during the jury trial; a very successful result in a medical helicopter crash that severely injured the nurse and went all the way to the U.S. Court of Appeals, an insurance embezzlement case where more than $2,300,000.00 was collected. He negotiated for the sale of a business to the City of Toledo who wanted to eminent domain the property for the new Jeep plant location in Toledo involving several million dollars. He also obtained an award for a bank of almost $3,000,000.00 by the U.S. Court of Appeals against the United States Government. In the past several years he’s tried twenty one jury trials with a 18-3 record. One of the jury cases set a record for a verdict of over $2,500,000.00 in the small town of Wauseon, Ohio. He now is a member of the Multi-million Dollar Club of plaintiff attorneys. Recently, he was named an Ohio Super Lawyer by the Cincinnati Magazine. The Toledo City Paper named him the Best Attorney in Toledo for 2011 & 2012. Martindale-Hubbell named him a preeminent attorney for 2016. He just was named in the Top 10% of attorneys in the United States. This past year he handled a case for a rancher in Cheyenne, Wyoming, against the US Government for causing a forest fire. The result was one of a very few times the government LOST because they have immunity. The result was in 7 figures! He also had a $1,000,000.00 jury verdict in Wood County against Toledo Edison. In 2007 the Ohio Legislature modified the eminent domain law to provide that if the jury verdict is more than 1.5 times the state’s offer, attorney fees can be awarded. Marvin received an award of attorney fees in excess of $250,000.00 recently as a result of that statute and it is believed that that is the first award in Ohio under that new statute. Since then he has collected more than $400,000.00 in legal fees from government or quick-government entities. In addition to his business practice, he currently is working on matters involving financial problems for commercial real estate owners, eminent domain matters against the Ohio Department of Transportation as well as other governmental entities and pipeline companies, and several shareholder and construction disputes, bad faith insurance claims along with some substantial injury and wrongful death cases. In 2014, he successfully argued before the Ohio Supreme Court on an issue of a constitutional taking of property by a governmental entity. He is currently handling injunctions, appeals, partnership disputes, eminent domain pipeline cases and shareholder disputes. Mr. Robon is a member of the Ohio State, American, and Toledo Bar Associations, as well as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. He attended the 1990 Moscow Conference on Trade and Economic Law in the Soviet Union which involved teaching Russian attorneys about America’s property system, the 1988 Trade and Economic Law Conference in Japan, and the China Conference in 1987. Marv’s motto is “If it can’t be done, give us a try.” He works out regularly, jogs, takes pilates, is an avid golfer and enjoys both tennis and gardening. Marv and his wife Nancy have three grown children, all with advanced degrees.

Ralph C. Jones proudly serves Dallas, TX and the neighboring communities in the areas of Litigation, Personal Injury, Legal Malpractice, Business Organization, and Wrongful Death law.

Attorney Keith Belt is an experienced trial lawyer who prides himself on quality client representation and maximizing his client’s financial recovery. Mr. Belt has more than 57 verdicts and settlements of $1 million or more to his credit. Mr. Belt has won jury verdicts in almost every conceivable kind of case including personal injury, products liability, outrageous conduct, environmental contamination, uninsured motorist, workplace accident, medical malpractice, business fraud, and breach of contract.

Mr. Boyd completed his undergraduate studies at Mississippi College in 1981. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Mr. Boyd completed his legal education at Mississippi College School of Law in 1984. During law school, Mr. Boyd was selected to serve as a member of the Editorial Board of the Mississippi College Law Review, and he had a casenote selected for publication in the Fall1983 Law Review. Mr. Boyd is also a “graduate” of the 1996 MiniMed School seminar sponsored by the University Of Mississippi Medical Center. Mr. Boyd devotes most of his legal practice to personal injury and wrongful death claims including car wrecks, 18-wheeler/big truck wrecks, motorcycle wrecks, slip and fall injuries, and UM insurance claims (underinsured and uninsured auto insurance issues).

Kevin Fitzgerald was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and is proud of his Midwestern roots and work ethic. Although neither of his parents are attorneys, Kevin jokes that he was “raised” by plaintiffs’ lawyers. He first began working at a plaintiff’s injury law firm when he was fifteen years old and a sophomore in high school. For the ten years prior to attending law school, Kevin served as a litigation assistant at a national law practice where he worked closely with the firm’s trial team representing clients injured by asbestos-containing products. Kevin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Minors in Geology and Geography from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Kevin attended the University of Maine School of Law where he graduated with honors. During law school, he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Ocean & Coastal Law Journal. Kevin was the recipient of the American Bar Association’s Award for Excellence in Land Use and Local Government Law, an outstanding scholastic achievement award in Environmental Law, and the Horace S. Libby Memorial Scholarship. In 2015, Kevin founded the Fitzgerald Law Group, LLC where he continues to concentrate his practice in representing men, women and children injured by medical devices, prescription drugs, over-the-counter products, asbestos, and in wrongful death and serious personal injury cases. Prior to founding the Fitzgerald Law Group, LLC, Kevin worked for another national mass tort law firm for fourteen years, serving as its managing attorney from 2008 to 2015. During his career, Kevin has played an integral role in developing, commencing and litigating significant injury cases from the initial case investigation stage through trial. He has taken or defended hundreds of depositions of plaintiffs, corporate employees, liability and causation experts, sales representatives and other key witnesses. He has helped identify experts in numerous disciplines and assisted in preparing their testimony for deposition and trial. He has also served as a member of the plaintiffs’ trial team in four national pharmaceutical drug cases, including Schedin v. Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals, Inc., et al. in which the jury returned a $1.6 million verdict in favor of the plaintiff. Over the last fifteen years, Kevin has represented thousands of clients in a wide array of medical device and prescription drug cases as well as other consumer protection matters including Actos, Arava, Avelox, Baycol, Bextra, Biomet Hip Implants, Byetta, Celebrex, Depuy ASR & Pinnacle Hip Implants, Effexor, Ephedra, Fen Phen, Fleet Phospho-Soda, Fosamax, Gadolinium, Levaquin, Lipitor, Mesothelioma, Mirena IUD, Nuvaring, Ortho Evra, Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), Pradaxa, Pravachol, Rezulin, Risperdal, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), Stadol, Stryker Rejuvenate & ABGII Hip Implants, Talcum Powder, Testosterone Replacement Therapy (“Low-T”), Transvaginal Mesh, Trovan, Viagra, Vioxx, Xarelto, Yaz, Zicam, Zimmer Hip Implants, Zithromax, Zofran, Zoloft, Zometa and Zyprexa. In addition to pharmaceutical and medical device cases, Kevin has experience handling wrongful death, personal injury, data breach, Fair Debt Collection Practice Act (FDCPA), and consumer protection cases. Kevin lives in Portland, Maine with his wife, who is also a lawyer, and their three children. The family are members of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Portland. When he is not working late, he enjoys cooking, hiking and fishing throughout the State of Maine, coaching youth athletics, and cheering on his favorite Cleveland sports’ teams.

Shawn Oliphant is a founding partner of Viloria, Oliphant, Oster & Aman, L.L.P. who has been practicing law for 25 years. Mr. Oliphant handles serious personal injury and wrongful death claims and is the head of the firm’s civil litigation group. Mr. Oliphant represents those injured or killed by the fault of others. His litigation background is invaluable if insurance companies refuse to offer his personal injury clients a fair settlement and litigation becomes necessary. Mr. Oliphant’s goal is to take over the burden of personal injury victims and allow them to relax knowing that he will do everything possible to achieve the best result possible. Mr. Oliphant is a member of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys and has represented victims of commercial truck accidents. If you have been seriously injured due to the fault of others, please call Mr. Oliphant and schedule a free and confidential consultation today.

A native of Columbia, Charnell has spent his life around the Pontiac area of South Carolina. He earned both his Bachelor’s degree and his Juris Doctor law degree from the University of South Carolina. For over 30 years, Charnell has been representing personal injury victims in Columbia and surrounding communities. Charnell is admitted to practice in all South Carolina state courts as well as the United States District Court for South Carolina and the United States Supreme Court. His personal injury practice includes representation of others in car and truck accidents, nursing home abuse, wrongful death, train accidents, and more. Born in Columbia in 1955, Charnell is the son of Octavia Jacobs Peake and the late Collie Peake, Jr. He has been married to Cindy Davis Peake since 1979, and they have two children, Josh and Amanda. Josh Peake is married to Jennifer Bessinger Peake, and they have two children, Cameran Nicole and Caley Anne. Amanda Peake Glover is married to Benji Walker Glover, and they have three children, Hope Micah, Reagan Faith, and Caroline Brooke. Charnell attended Richland School District 2 schools, as did his wife and children, all of whom are graduates of Spring Valley High School. Charnell and Cindy continue to be active in the community while also staying involved in various mission projects with local to global outreach. He enjoys playing golf in his spare time and is an avid Gamecock football fan.

Jill A. Kolodner received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1987, and her Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1990. She is admitted to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, the U.S. District Court of Maryland, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit. She is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Maryland Association of Justice and has been a speaker at a bankruptcy bar seminar. Ms. Kolodner is an Elected Director on the Sinai Hospital Board. With more than 30 years of law experience at WGK Personal Injury Lawyers, she brings a wealth of knowledge representing clients in matters of workers’ compensation, personal injury, and personal bankruptcy. Ms. Kolodner was drawn to the practice of law not only because it is a family business, but because of a commitment to help protect people instilled at a young age. Ms. Kolodner combines zealous advocacy with compassion for her clients. She understands the concerns faced by her clients and works to enforce their rights and protect their interests through communication and personalized service.

Kirby Farris, the managing partner of the law firm Farris, Riley & Pitt, LLP, has long been an avid believer in pursing justice for those injured and killed as the result of a personal injury. After first distinguishing himself as a long-term employee of the Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation, Mr. Farris saw first hand the devastating and life-altering impact of work place injuries to railroad workers during the eleven years he worked as a laborer in the Maintenance of Way department. For almost two decades, Mr. Farris has dedicated his practice to representing victims of personal injury and Federal Employers Liability Act, commonly known as FELA. FELA is a federal law that protects and compensates railroad workers injured on the railroad. Mr. Farris is recognized as Designated FELA Counsel for the Transportation Communications Union (TCU). This designation is not only an honor for him but the realization of a longtime goal. After working for Norfolk Southern and representing injured workers on the railroad, he has also seen how properly handled claims for injured railroad workers can help them overcome the life altering impact of a workplace injury. During his years in the railroad industry, Mr. Farris witnessed many times the fact that quality legal representation could seriously impact a fellow employee’s legal claim. He also saw, first-hand, how greatly an injured person’s quality of life could be affected by whether or not he or she was able to find justice through our legal system. Mr. Farris’ empathy for clients and their families continues to reinforce his determination to be ever diligent in representing their legal interests. Mr. Farris received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Alabama and his law degree from Birmingham School of Law. After graduation from law school in 1994, he went on to serve at Birmingham School of Law as an associate professor of torts, civil procedure, and agency & partnership law, while also working to establish his legal practice. He was quickly rewarded with the trust and respect of his legal colleagues which allowed him to establish the law firm of Farris, Riley & Pitt in 1996, based largely on the referral of plaintiff cases from his legal peers throughout Alabama. Mr. Farris focuses his practice on railroad litigation (FELA), FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act), Personal Injury and wrongful death. He has been awarded numerous multi-million dollar settlements, and handles FLSA class actions all over the U.S. Mr. Farris is a member of the American, Alabama and Birmingham Bar Associations. He is also active in the Alabama Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice. Mr. Farris is a native of Lynn, Alabama and presently resides in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife Tammy and their three children. In addition to practicing law, Mr. Farris along with his law partner, Ken Riley, underwrite a legal call in show, LawCall, which airs live every Sunday night on Fox 6 WBRC. LawCall features guest attorneys from all over the State and allows viewers across Birmingham the opportunity to have their legal questions answered live.