Personal Injury & Wrongful Death

Name: Personal Injury & Wrongful Death
Brand: O’Neill Friedman

We represent individuals and families whose lives were changed by preventable harm. Our work spans the full range of serious injury and wrongful death cases, but our focus is always the same: restoring dignity and creating change that protects others from similar loss. We approach every matter with empathy and resolve, seeking justice that honors both the people affected and the community as a whole.

Preventable Harm. Clear Accountability.

Serious injury and wrongful death are rarely “accidents.” They’re usually the foreseeable result of bad decisions, ignored warnings, or safety systems that failed. We focus on cases involving catastrophic harm, complex liability, and lasting consequences—matters where accountability is both warranted and necessary. From the outset, we work to identify what happened, why it happened, and who must answer for it.

Representative case types include:

Motor vehicle accidents
Commercial motor vehicle and tractor-trailer accidents
Pedestrian, bicycle, and motorcycle collisions
Boat and watercraft accidents
Premises liability incidents
Construction-site injuries
Defective and dangerous consumer and industrial products
Industrial, plant, and workplace accidents
Intentional misconduct, including sexual assault and human trafficking
Unsafe food and nutrition products

In these cases, the “accident” or incident is rarely the whole story. We trace the failure chain–what was known, what was ignored, and what decisions made the harm predictable. That means examining corporate policies and incentives, hiring and training, supervision, maintenance and inspection history, prior complaints, and risk assessments. This systems-level view identifies every responsible party and builds a record that supports full accountability, not partial blame.

Built for Trial. Ready for Resolution.

We prepare every case as if it will be tried. Evidence is secured early, key witnesses are pinned down, and defenses are pressure-tested before they calcify. Experts are engaged with purpose, and the record is developed with clean narrative discipline.

That same preparation creates leverage for resolution. Because liability, causation, and damages are built deliberately from day one, we can assess settlement opportunities with clarity and move decisively when the moment is right. If the other side will not offer a fair outcome, we are ready to prove the case at trial—and defend the result on appeal.

Case Leadership

Johnny Friedman

With 25+ years as a trial and appellate lawyer, Johnny is nationally recognized for his legal skills and thought leadership in tort litigation. He has tried numerous cases to verdict and served as lead appellate counsel in federal and state cases across the nation. Johnny has an uncommon knack for turning black-letter law, complex systems, and technical facts into clean proof and clear responsibility. He graduated from Georgetown Law, where he was an editor of The Georgetown Law Journal.

Shane O’Neill

Shane O’Neill is a client-centered, trial-ready lawyer who represents individuals and families in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience inside the insurance and defense systems, he brings rare insight into how serious cases are evaluated, valued, and resolved. Known for a direct, engaging style that builds trust with clients, juries, and decision-makers alike, Shane now uses that perspective exclusively to advocate for injured people and families.

If the stakes are significant, speak with lawyers who take the work personally.

(404) 369-1799 Contact Us

Let’s Talk

Whether you need counsel or want to partner, we’d like to hear from you. We welcome direct client inquiries, referrals, and co-counsel opportunities, especially in complex, high-stakes matters where early coordination and disciplined case-building make the difference. Contact O’Neill Friedman to discuss fit, strategy, and next steps.