For many years, the lawyers at Rawls, Dickinson & Scheer have represented people with serious injuries and who face what is, for some, one of the most difficult times of their lives. Our experience with every aspect of a personal injury case puts our lawyers in a unique position to help those who have been seriously injured or who have lost a loved one. We have prosecuted claims brought on behalf of our clients against every major insurance company. We have also gone up against numerous large corporations including:
Ford Motor Company
United Parcel Service, Inc.
Rubbermaid, Inc.
CSX Transportation, Inc.
General Motors Company
Lowes Home Centers, Inc.
All were concluded to the satisfaction of our clients. That being said, you will not find details of specific cases, clients, verdicts or settlements in these pages. This is due to our belief that such publicity and media exposure do not benefit past, current or future clients, that such information negatively impacts potential jurors and that it generalizes the complex issues that are specific to each client. Instead the attorneys at Rawls, Dickinson and Scheer handle media exposure, juror bias and complex evidence with the best interest of our clients in mind.
Media Exposure
A common challenge in prosecuting a high profile case is the media attention that is often generated. Our law firm philosophy regarding publicity in a civil matter can best be summed up in one word - privacy. Though civil lawsuits are a matter of public record, Rawls, Dickinson & Scheer knows that publicity in a civil case is rarely in the client's best interest. Some lawyers seek the limelight of a high profile case to advance their own reputation. Rather than capitalize on our client's suffering by accommodating the media, we most often seek to maintain our client's privacy and keep the case out of the spotlight. For this reason, this website contains no specific references to infamous cases, no links to news coverage of cases we have handled, and no client names. Even in the most highly publicized cases, media exposure can be minimized if there is a plan to do so. Rawls, Dickinson & Scheer's experience is that such publicity can often be avoided when we actively seek to protect and maintain our client's privacy. Every so often, however, a case comes along where it does serve our client's best interest and the public's as well, to expose the conduct on the part of the defendant. In those instances we use media exposure as a way of deterring future unlawful conduct by the defendant and preventing harm to others.
Juror Bias
Though no one would disagree that a jury should be fair and impartial, the reality is that jurors often bring bias to their decision-making. We utilize every tool at our disposal to pick a jury that will give our client a fair trial. We use focus groups to identify the most delicate issues present in a particular case. This group of ordinary people hears the basic facts of the case from both the plaintiff and defense perspectives and then plays the part of the jury, discussing the case and reaching a verdict. By listening to their deliberations and then questioning the participants in the focus group, the attorneys at Rawls, Dickinson & Scheer can best present the facts of the case, be it to an adjuster or mediator in negotiation or a to jury at trial.
We may also employ jury consultants. These are psychologists with particular expertise in the dynamics of juries. They digest the facts and consult with us to help us arrive at the best way to present our case so that the jurors will do their job - keep an open mind and fairly compensate our client. When properly applied, the information these experts provide helps us to choose good jurors and present the case in the most positive way for our client.
Of course, none of these tools we use to minimize jury bias is a cure-all. There is no substitute in this work for an experienced lawyer. All of the civil attorneys at Rawls, Dickinson & Scheer are seasoned trial lawyers with extensive jury trial experience. It is the combination of that depth of experience and the use of such tools as focus groups and jury consultants which enables this law firm to manage the predicable bias which comes with the territory in personal injury cases.
Complex Evidence
Sometimes, challenges lie in the sheer complexity of the evidence in a case. In depth understanding and skillful presentation of the facts and law are the pillars of any effective case - whether used to negotiate a favorable settlement or to win the case at trial. In such cases, Rawls, Dickinson & Scheer's lawyers and staff work together to master the facts and prepare the case. We conduct an investigation of the defendant, interview witnesses, shadow any criminal prosecution related to the accident, and preserve evidence from the accident scene. We work with accident reconstructionists in complex cases to ensure that the jury understands how the collision occurred. Finally we work closely with the medical professionals involved in the treatment of our clients to be sure we understand and can present our clients' serious injuries and their ramifications so that they are fairly valued by a jury. At Rawls, Dickinson & Scheer, you can expect that we will put your best interests first and that we will utilize our entire arsenal to give you the representation you deserve.
