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Rick is an attorney in the firm’s litigation division. He prides himself on providing excellent client service, communication, and protecting the rights of injured auto crash victims. Rick and Brandon Hewitt partnered to achieve the largest pain and suffering jury verdict for a car accident in Ottawa County history – a trial verdict that was over 10 times the defendant’s final offer. Rick practices in Michigan Auto Law’s West Michigan office, located in downtown Grand Rapids.
University of Minnesota School of Law, Juris Doctor
Willamette University College of Law
Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi – Milan, Italy
Michigan Technological University, Bachelor of Science – Marketing and Management
As an avid rider, Rick also works with many injured motorcyclists. Recently, Rick won a $400,000 settlement for an injured motorcyclist who was hit by a negligent driver, where the insurance company was refusing to take responsibility, disputing both how the crash occurred and the extent of his client’s injuries.
Negligent Entrustment After Bennett, The Grand Rapids Lawyer – March/April 2018
Mitigating Property Damage: The Duty v. The Ability, Minnesota Trial – Fall 2014
uture Medical Expenses to a Reasonable Degree of Certainty? Is that the Standard?, Minnesota Trial – Spring 2013
Rick has been named to Grand Rapids Magazine’s list of Top Lawyers in 2021 – 2023. He has also been selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list annually since 2014. Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding attorneys who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The honor is limited to the top 2.5 percent of lawyers in each state.
Grand Rapids Bar Association
Michigan Association for Justice
State Bar of Michigan
State Bar of Minnesota
Federal: Western District of Michigan
Federal: District of Minnesota
Rick has considerable experience as a personal injury attorney. Before joining Michigan Auto Law as a trial and litigation attorney, he practiced in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a premier personal injury firm where he obtained millions in total settlements for the people he was helping.
Extensive Pro Bono Work
Rick began his legal career as a volunteer attorney at Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, in St. Paul, Minnesota, helping low income clients with housing matters. Rick tried multiple eviction and rental repair cases on behalf of his clients, at no cost to them.
Speaker, “Leveraging Demand Letters to Obtain High Settlements in Auto Accident Cases,” Strafford Webinars; National; May 15, 2024
Speaker, “Winning the Minimal Impact Soft Tissue Car Crash Case”; 360 Advocacy’s Auto, Truck, Damages Extravaganza; Las Vegas, NV; June 6, 2023
$1.9 Million Motorcycle-Motor Vehicle Accident – Confidential
$1.225 Million Car Accident Wrongful Death Settlement – Confidential
$1.25 Million Motorcycle-Auto Wrongful Death Settlement
$1 Million Wrongful Death Settlement – Confidential