In recent years, we were able to attain several millions of dollars either by verdict or negotiated settlement for the benefit of our injured clients. It is our policy not to settle a case too soon or for too little, but we never forget that the client is “the captain of the ship” and his or her decision is the final one as to whether to take an offer or go to a jury verdict. The overwhelming majority of cases ultimately settle prior to a jury verdict. While we are committed to obtaining a verdict if the settlement offer from the insurance company is inadequate, the statistics provided directly from the New York State Office of Court Administration show that in our four county area less than one percent of cases started with the filing of an index number actually result in a verdict.
Past results do not constitute assurances as to the outcome of future cases.
In the past, an associate of the firm obtained a jury verdict in Supreme Court (Albany County) in the amount of $1,632,000.00 for a child who fell into an unguarded stairwell, a $2,400,000.00 mediated settlement for a woman burned when her shower curtain caught fire from a defective heater and a $750,000.00 settlement for a construction worker injured by an unsecured scaffold.
Ed Ryan, likewise, has obtained several verdicts and negotiated settlements, each in excess of a million dollars.
In addition to the larger verdicts, many other cases are resolved based upon lesser amounts taking into account the facts of the specific case.
In short, Ed and our associates work diligently to achieve an adequate recovery for each and every client. They know that to the individual client, their case is the most important one.
The firm continues its long-standing commitment to charitable efforts on behalf of education in general and training for the law in particular. In addition to efforts on behalf of La Salle Institute, Ed has enthusiastically supported programs at both Fordham Law and Siena College. At Fordham Law, Ed was one of the founding contributors to the Francis J. Mulderig National Scholars program which is dedicated to bringing talented and deserving law students to Fordham from throughout the United States who otherwise would be unable to attend, thereby enriching the student body as a whole. At Siena, Ed helped endow the “Jurist in Residence Program” by which an esteemed Jurist provides guidance to students as they decide on legal careers and navigate through the law school selection process.
Another charitable endeavor includes a joint attorney/insurance adjuster Habitat for Humanity Project. Ed and other personal injury lawyers have joined with local insurance adjusters to provide and construct a home for a needy family. Besides the charitable nature of the effort, it “breaks the ice” with those who have much to do with the evaluation and settlement of cases.
Ed and his wife have established a $100,000.00 scholarship at Fordham Law School and another $100,000.00 gift to Siena College specifically dedicated to help graduates of Siena College attend the school. During a recent academic year ten Siena students applied to Fordham Law, several were admitted and one recently graduated having had the benefit of scholarship all three years. Additionally, two Siena students attend the Summer Fellows program at Fordham Law School each year.
