William J. Ronalter
Top rated Personal Injury attorney in Hartford, Connecticut
Shipman & Goodwin LLP
Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Products Liability, Medical Malpractice; view more
Licensed in Connecticut since: 1991
Education: Villanova University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2024 Call today:
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Details
A partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP, based in Hartford, Connecticut, William J. Ronalter has been licensed to practice law in the state since 1991. Serving as the chair of the firm’s catastrophic injury section, he has committed his practice to serving those injured, or who have lost their loved ones to an accident or as a result of the reckless actions of others. With more than 32 years of experience in the field of law, his practice covers all aspects of personal injury, including:
- Animal bites
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Slip-and-fall injuries
- Wrongful death
- Construction accidents
- Sexual abuse
- Defective medical devices
- Medical malpractice and more
Prioritizing the quality of his representation, Mr. Ronalter has been instrumental in getting settlements/verdicts. It includes arbitration awards and settlements worth $36.5 million and five million dollars for catastrophic burns due to defective products, a five-million-dollar settlement for an accident victim who had his leg amputated and another $4.8 million for a mild traumatic brain injury due to a motor vehicle crash. Other notable results include a $3.5 million settlement for a wrongful death caused by a regional SWAT team and a $4.5 million verdict for a dental malpractice case.
Mr. Ronalter represents uninsured and underinsured motorists, and handles a variety of matters related to premises liability, drowning, nursing home negligence, and more. As a reflection of his continued efforts at prioritizing the needs of his clients and securing high-value results on their behalf of then, he has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America, ranked among the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers, placed in the Connecticut Law Tribune’s Top Verdicts & Settlements Supplement, chosen as a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
In addition, Mr. Ronalter holds memberships in the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (board of governors), the American Bar Association and the American Association for Justice. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 1988 at the Skidmore College and his Juris Doctor cum laude in 1991 from the Villanova University School of Law.
Practice areas
Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff, Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: PlaintiffFocus areas
Animal Bites, Assault, Brain Injury, Construction Accident, Delayed or Incorrect Diagnosis, Dental Malpractice, Dram Shop Laws, Informed Consent, Medical Devices, Medical Malpractice, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motor Vehicle Defects, Personal Injury - Plaintiff, Pharmaceutical, Premises Liability - Plaintiff, Sexual Abuse - Plaintiff, Slip and Fall, Toxic Mold, Trucking Accidents, Wrongful Death
- 70% Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff
- 20% Personal Injury - Products: Plaintiff
- 10% Personal Injury - Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff
First Admitted: 1991, Connecticut
Professional Webpage: https://www.shipmangoodwin.com/people/william-j-ronalter.htm...
Bar/Professional Activity:
- American Association for Justice
- Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Governors for over a decade
- U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
- Connecticut
- The National Trial Lawyers Association
- American Bar Association
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
- $2,150,000 SETTLEMENT -- Passenger killed in one car crash Bill represented the estate of a 19 year old man, who was a passenger in a car when the vehicle traveled off the roadway striking a utility pole killing his client. He recovered all available insurance ($1,850,000) and an additional $300,000 contribution paid by the owner of the car for a total recovery of $2,150,000., 2024
- $1,150,000 SETTLEMENT – Truck Strikes Pedestrian – Multiple Fractures The plaintiff was an attorney who was a pedestrian walking his dog on the sidewalk. A pick-up truck traveled off the road and struck our client. The truck was owned by the driver’s father. The driver was found to be under the influence of a controlled substance, ketamine. The plaintiff suffered a pneumothorax, fractures to both shoulder blades, displaced coracoid fracture, fractured ribs, fractured nasal bone, and a fractured C-7 transverse process. While the initial injuries were severe, he made a very good recovery with the only long term problem being some minor problems with his shoulders. His wife came to the scene shortly after the collision and made a claim for loss of consortium and bystander emotional distress. The owner of the truck had a $2 million excess policy and that carrier took the position that there may be no coverage for our client’s injuries based on two policy exclusions under the policy: (1) that the injury was expected or intended because the driver was under the influence of ketamine, and (2) for a loss “arising out of” the use of a controlled substance. We explained why that excess carrier’s coverage position was wrong under these circumstances. We also worked with a medical illustrator to show the severity of the initial injuries and these illustration were used at mediation. The case settled for $1.15M shortly after the mediation. , 2022
- $1,000,000 settlement -- cyclist with severe orthopedic injuries caused by a crash when struck by a truck., 2024
- $1,650,000 products liability wrongful death settlement., 2024
- $4,875,000 SETTLEMENT -- Motor vehicle crash resulting in a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury with Significant Permanent Problems: Our client was a married, 46 year-old mother of three, and an award-winning emergency room nurse stopped for traffic on I-84. She was struck from behind by defendant traveling 45 mph in a company SUV and had a mild concussion, but it never resolved. Permanent post-concussive symptoms included headaches, depression, and visual deficits with sensitivity to light. She lost both of her ER nursing jobs at local Connecticut hospitals and cannot work in any capacity. Defendants admitted causing the crash but argued: (1) x-rays and 4 MRIs failed to show any objective evidence of a brain injury; (2) some symptoms pre-existed the crash; and (3) she might recover later. Our expert was Erin Bigler, PhD, a top international researcher in traumatic brain injuries from Brigham Young University in Utah. His testimony explained how this mild traumatic brain injury with “no objective findings” on radiological tests caused our client’s permanent significant problems: she sustained traumatic axonal injuries (microscopic stretching injuries at the cellular level, too small to be revealed by available imaging). An economist quantified the economic loss of her two jobs and benefits. A professional video company worked with us to create a video of our trial witnesses describing dramatic changes they observed of our client before and after the crash. The defendants’ insurance company and the experts saw the anticipated powerful trial testimony. After presenting at a mediation an hour-long PowerPoint bill-boarding much higher damage potential at trial, the case settled two weeks before trial for $4,875,000, with $4,500,00 for our brain-injured client and $375,000 for her husband’s loss of consortium claim. A portion of the money was placed in a structure and in trust to ensure our client’s well-being for her entire life. This settlement is Connecticut’s largest known settlement reported for a mild traumatic brain injury., 2014
- $1,465,000 SETTLEMENT - 91-Year-Old Wheel Chair Passenger Dies in Motor Vehicle Crash We represented the estate of a 91-year-old WWII combat veteran and POW survivor, who was a wheelchair passenger being transported in a wheelchair van. The first defendant caused a crash with a third vehicle that struck the wheelchair van head-on. We recovered all available insurance from the first defendant, which was $495,000. We then proceeded with a second claim against the owner and operator of the wheelchair van alleging that our client was not secured with a lap and shoulder belt at the time of the crash and the failure to secure our client led to his death. These defendants claimed our client was belted at the time of the crash. We relied on testimony from a first responder and experts in accident reconstruction, wheelchair securement, biomechanics, and pathology, to show that based on our client’s injuries and the lack of forensic evidence to the lap and shoulder belts, our client was not secured. The case against the wheelchair van owner and operator settled for $970,000 at mediation for a total recovery of $1,465,000 for our client., 2019
- $685,000 SETTLEMENT - Dental Malpractice - Nerve Injury Caused By Bleach During Root Canal We represented a 67-year-old woman, who was injured during a root canal when her dentist over instrumented, which allowed an excessive amount of bleach into the periapical bone and tissue. This bleach caused an injury to her trigeminal and facial nerves. The defendant claimed that he did not breach of the standard of care in performing the root canal. The case settled as the lawsuit was about to be served on the defendant for $685,000., 2019
- $1,000,000 SETTLEMENT - Dental Malpractice - Nerve Injury Caused by Failure to Inform Patient of Broken Instrument From Root Canal Our client, a 57-year-old woman, underwent a root canal done by the defendant endodontist, who broke off a piece of his instrument during the procedure unbeknown to our client. While the breaking of the instrument was not a breach of the standard of care, not informing our client what happened was a breach. Since our client did not know the instrument remained inside of her, she did not get additional medical care until several months later when the pain would not go away. The subsequent treating endodontist found the broken piece and removed it, but the delay caused infection and inflammation, which permanently damaged our client’s trigeminal nerve. The defendant and his dental assistant claimed that he did tell our client, but his records did not contain any mention of the broken instrument or his conversation with our client. The case settled during litigation at mediation for $1,000,000., 2019
- $949,468 ARBITRATION AWARD -- Mild-TBI Resulting From Rear End Crash With No Visible Property Damage: We represented a man with a history of approximately 10 prior concussions. He was struck from behind and both cars had no visible property damage. However, the frame to our client’s car was bent. While our client had an extensive prior medical history with numerous complaints and symptoms from concussions, the evidence was that he was doing much better in the year prior to the crash. After attempts to settle failed at mediation with an offer of only $100,000 from the insurance company, we arbitrated the case in front of a 3 person panel. After seeing a professionally produced video of witnesses that described the observed differences in our client from before and after the crash from the people that knew him best coupled with compelling testimony from our client describing the differences in his life, the arbitration panel returned an award of $74,468 for our client’s medical bills and $875,000 for pain and suffering for his head injury., 2016
- $5,000,000 SETTLEMENT -- Truck Strikes Cyclist -- Leg Amputation: We represented the employee of a longstanding corporate client, who was sideswiped by a truck when he was riding his bicycle home from work. Initially, the truck driver told the cops our client was on his phone, no witnesses to the crash were identified, and we did not know if our comatose client would live and/or remember how the crash occurred. We got our client’s phone records (through his employer) and proved he wasn’t on his phone. Our accident reconstruction expert inspected the scene and the evidence, and we taught the detective the specific state statutes that protect cyclists. We requested the 911 dispatch tapes and learned that there were witnesses to the aftermath of the crash that called 911 reporting that the truck driver was attempting to leave the scene. We later learned that the truck driver lied to the cops and used another name at the scene of the crash because he was in the United States illegally. Unfortunately, due to the extent of the injury to his left leg, our client had his leg amputated above the knee approximately a month after the crash. We gave the insurance carrier an opportunity to settle the case as we drafted the Complaint to commence the lawsuit explaining that if they did not offer their $5,000,000 limits, we expected a verdict over the coverage when the case was tried. The carrier responded by offering its $5,000,000 policy limits available for this loss, which will give the client financial security as he starts the next chapter of his life., 2018
- (1) $3.5M settlement--biking accident with resulting traumatic brain injury after striking pothole. Case against state of CT included having to prove that the State was the sole proximate cause of the incident. (2) $1M settlement--medical malpractice case resulting in death of 27 year old woman due to failure of primary care physician to communicate significant and potentially life threatening results to patient; case against co-defendant physician was arbitrated with confidential results in 2012. (3) $850K arbitration award arising out of numerous orthopedic injuries when the plaintiff, while riding her bicycle, was struck by the tortfeasor., 2010
- $150K VERDICT- fall from horse resulting in fractured pelvis with no surgery, 2012
- $5,025,850 SETTLEMENT & ARBITRATION -- a 63 year old man suffered third degree burns to 40% of his body when a defective product exploded during a social event. Claims were brought claims against the product manufacturers, a large national retailer, and a third party consumer who used the product. After preparing a multi-media presentation, the claims against the various defendants were settled following an arbitration and mediation for a combined amount of $5,025,850., 2014
- $4,500,000 VERDICT - Dental Malpractice - Overfill of Sealer During Root Canal: Through a referral from an in-house attorney from one of our corporate clients, we represented an executive in a dental malpractice case. Our client was injured during a root canal where the dentist over instrumented leading to a large over fill of sealer some of which went into our client’s mandibular canal. The defendants disputed liability, causation, and damages. The defendants’ insurance company offered only $200,000 two weeks before trial. After three weeks of evidence, including the use of technology at trial, Robert Simpson and Bill Ronalter obtained a verdict of $4,500,000, which consisted of $165,000 for past and future medical bills and $4,335,000 for additional harms, including constant pain, fatigue from prescription medications, and the reduction of enjoyment in many aspects of her life. In addition, we filed an Offer of Compromise agreeing to settle for $750,000 the year before the trial. Since the verdict was in excess of $750,000, interest runs from when the litigation started in February 2013 bringing the total amount to up over $5,300,000. This verdict is the largest dental malpractice verdict in Connecticut history and is believed to be the largest dental malpractice verdict ever nationally. It was also the #2 verdict in the State of CT for 2015 as reported by the Connecticut Law Tribune., 2015
- $4,300,000 SETTLEMENT -- DRUNK DRIVER CAUSES HEAD ON CRASH KILLING 73 YEAR OLD MAN: We represented the estate of a 73 year old man for a wrongful death claim and his wife for a loss of consortium claim arising out of a head-on crash with a drunk driver. The drunk driver was operating her spouse’s company car. As a result of the impact, our client died instantly. Working with a professional video company, we created a video depicting the powerful testimony expected from trial witnesses, who explained the many enjoyments of life lost by our client. In addition to the video, we presented a power point presentation laying out the harms and losses attributable to the crash. While the insurance carriers initially disputed coverage and the amount that the harms and losses were worth, the case settled after a second day at mediation and days before eight depositions were going to be taken of the defendant driver, the owners of the business, and other essential witnesses., 2016
- (1) MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT--APPROXIMATELY $15k IN MEDICALS AND 5% PPD OF THE NECK AND BACK FOR FIBROMYALGIA, OFFER OF $15k, PLAINTIFF'S VERDICT OF $1,545,000; (2) MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT--$5K IN MEDICAL BILLS, NO TIME LOST FROM WORK, SPONDYLOLISTHESIS AND 10% PPD RATING OF LOWER BACK. OFFER OF $25k, PLAINTIFF'S VERDICT OF $105,000 WHERE TORTFEASOR'S POLICY LIMITS WERE $50k
- $1.25M Settlement (policy limits). 21 year old pedestrian struck by motor vehicle in shoulder of road at night., 2012
- $2,500,000 SETTLEMENT - Construction Accident Resulting in Traumatic Brain Injury: Our client, a steelworker, fell through an open hole in the floor at a construction site. There were no witnesses to the fall and our client's injury prevented his having any recall how the incident occurred. The defendant general contractor denied any responsibility claiming: (1) the hole was protected by a wire guardrail that was OSHA compliant; (2) no one could prove how our client fell into the hole; and (3) that our client was to blame. We hired former OSHA supervisor Tony Fuscillo to testify why the hole was dangerous and not OSHA compliant, as well as world renowned forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee to explain how the fall occurred. We developed a computer illustration to show the fall’s re-creation and resulting injuries. We located five witnesses who testified that they asked the defendant to plank the hole prior to the fall due to safety concerns. The defendant denied that any witnesses made this request. We also vigorously cross examined a heralded defense expert who had built a full scale model and hypothesized a theory of the fall that argued with either the evidence or the laws of physics. After three days of mediation, the personal injury case settled shortly before trial for $2,500,000, which was separate from the $875,000 paid to stipulate his worker’s compensation claim. The proceeds from the settlement were placed in a trust to ensure our client’s well-being for his entire life., 2013
- $3,125,000 SETTLEMENT - Bicyclist Hit by Truck - Death of a 72 Year Old Man: We represented the estate of a 72 year old bicyclist for a wrongful death case and his wife of 50 years for a loss of consortium claim. Our client was hit and killed instantly by a company pick-up truck making deliveries when the defendant veered onto the shoulder of the road. Our client preferred that litigation be avoided if possible. In order to demonstrate to the defendants’ insurance company the enormity of the damages at this early stage of the claim, we worked with a professional video company to create a video of our trial witnesses describing the unique qualities of our client. This video was sent to the decision makers at the insurance company prior to a mediation. In addition, at the mediation, we presented a PowerPoint with evidence establishing how our client had lived life as an adventure and his special bond with his soul mate and wife of 50 years. A portion of the settlement was donated by the client to charity in our client’s memory., 2015
- (1) Confidential settlement in sexual abuse case several weeks before a hearing where a $6M prejudgment remedy was sought; (2) $575K settlement in a motor vehicle crash with fractured patella; (3) $275K settlement -- motor vehicle accident with aggravation of pre-existing condition of TMJ; (4) $475K settlement --products liability case (defective lift) resulting in chronic lower back pain, 2011
- $36,500,000 -- ARBITRATION AWARD -- DEFECTIVE PRODUCT -- CATASTROPHIC BURNS TO 3 YEAR OLD BOY AND 33 YEAR OLD FATHER: Our clients, a 3 year old boy and his 33 year old father, suffered third degree burns to over 70% and 50% of their bodies respectively and we argued that a lithium ion battery exploded from an electronic device. We brought claims against the product assembler, distributor, and seller. After three unsuccessful mediations and more than 50 depositions, the claims were presented to an arbitration panel. The result of the arbitration was a gross recovery of $36,500,000 for our clients., 2018
- $1.3M settlement--a 2 year old boy drowned when he entered an in ground pool because the defendant did not have an appropriate gate in place. The insurance company agreed to our demand to pay the full amount of the insurance policy limits of $1.3M., 2012
- The client was involved in a head on crash with another vehicle. Neither driver remembered the crash nor were there any witnesses to the crash. There was a dispute between the experts regarding which lane the crash occurred in. As a result of the crash, the client sustained a fractured calcaneus (heel) that required surgery. After mediating the case, the claim settled for $750,000., 2013
Special Licenses/Certifications:
- National Board of Trial Advocacy-board certified as a civil trial advocate (2016 to present), 2016
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Former volunteer licensed EMT for the Town of Burlington
- Former semi-professional adventure racer (biking, running and paddling) sponsored by Timex
- Town of Farmington - Youth Football Coach (2012-2018)
Honors/Awards:
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®: Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs (2018-2025)
- Member, The National Trial Lawyers
- The Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Member
- The Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Member
- Benchmark Litigation, Local Litigation Star: Personal Injury and Product Liability (Plaintiff) (2012-2015)
- #2 verdict in State of Connecticut in 2015, as listed in the Connecticut Law Tribune’s Top Verdicts & Settlements Supplement
- Named "Lawyer of the Year": Best Lawyers Hartford Region Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs (2022)
- Shipman Ranked Among U.S. News & World Report's and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms for 2023 in Tier 1 for both Personal Injury Litigation–Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation–Plaintiffs
- Listed as one of the Top 50 Lawyers in Connecticut by Super Lawyers® (2022, 2024)
- Listed as a Connecticut Super Lawyer®: Personal Injury General: Plaintiff (2011-2024)
Educational Background:
- Skidmore College, B.A., 1988, phi beta kappa
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- Bill taught trial practice class at UConn Law School., Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Professor at UConn Law School in Trial Practice, 2023
- Adjunct Professor for trial practice class., Adjunct Professor at UConn Law School, Adjunct Professor at UConn Law School, 2020
- Faculty at CTLA's seminar on Ten Most Wanted: Keys to Admitting & Excluding Evidence, faculty, Connecticut Trial Lawyer's Association, 2015
- Faculty at Quinnipiac Law School's J-term., 2016
- Faculty at Connecticut Trial Lawyer Seminar -- Tales from the Dark Side, 2016
- Faculty for seminar sponsored by the Connecticut Trial Lawyer's Association (Trial Skills Tune-Up in a Day), faculty, CTLA, 2016
- 2016--The Ten Commandments of Direct and Cross Examination seminar presented for State of Connecticut's Attorney General's office annual meeting at UConn Law School., Faculty, 2016
- Faculty at Quinnipiac Law School's J-term., Faculty, 2016
- Faculty for 4 part webinar series on Trial Skills (Openings, Directs, Cross, and Closings), Faculty, 2018
Selections
14 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2024
