Richard A. Mueller

Rick Mueller wins defense verdicts for products manufacturers in courts across the country.  He has taken more than 100 jury trials to verdict. His considerable experience, determination and straight-forward approach are recognized by clients and opposing attorneys, alike.

Serving as national litigation counsel for major international manufacturers, Rick’s 40 years of litigation practice focuses on product liability matters (including, inter alia, personal injury claims involving off-road vehicles, personal watercraft, motor cycles and automotive products), but he has also represented clients facing fraud claims, patent claims, class action matters and commercial contract disputes, as well.

Rick has cross examined experts in a variety of fields including engineering, epidemiology, human factors, warnings, naval architecture, computer simulations, management policies, a variety of fields of medicine, aerodynamics, and patent law, to name a few.

Rick is experienced in front of a jury, but he also achieves defense verdicts before the case goes to a jury. Recently, he has obtained summary judgments on design defect and warnings issues in federal district courts in Utah (Wells v. Kawasaki Motors Corporation, U.S.A.) South Carolina (Hickerson v. Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A), and Missouri (Hartley v. Kawasaki Motors Corporation, U.S.A.) and obtained directed verdicts in federal district courts in New Jersey (Ruggerio v. Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.) and Miami (Mizrahi v. Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A.). 

Rick represents clients in dealings with the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  In the CPSC context, he has guided clients through product recalls and obtained successful results in investigations.

Rick’s experience extends to appellate briefing and argument. Rick has successfully argued appeals before the United States Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh, Eighth, and Eleventh Circuits, as well as state appellate courts in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas, Alabama and Arizona.

Rick is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and a sustaining member of the Products Liability Advisory Council (PLAC). At his previous firm, Mr. Mueller served for many years on the management committee and as chair of the Products Liability Department.