I hired Ryan after being dropped from a personnel basket during an offshore crew transfer. From the beginning, he promised he'd take care of me, and he did. He and his staff were there for me all the way. They helped me when I couldn't pay the bills, made sure I saw the best doctors, and were al...ways there when I needed them. When my company kept fighting AGAINST me, Ryan and his team moved to New Orleans and spent 1 month in trial fighting FOR me. The jury came back with $3.4 million! Zehl & Associates is the best in the business, period.

I worked as a roustabout for the largest offshore driller in the US. In October 2013, my crew and I were changing out a 500 pound disel hose. The crane operator was lifting the hose off the deck to move it to the aft side of the rig when the coupling broke. The hose was 80 feet in the air and it... ended up landing on my head. I was knocked unconscious for at least 3 or 4 hours. The crane operator and the rest of my crew didn't think I survived. I woke up on the medi-vac helicopter with pounding headaches, blurry vision and a bloody nose. My neck and back were throbbing and in pain all over. But the company was more concerned with writing off the accident as a minor injury so they wouldn't have to tell the coast guard and mess up the company' safety record. The company hired a claims rep to take my statement even though I couldn't remember anything, then sent me to a company doctor who just looked at me for less than 2 minutes and told me I was clear to work I found Ryan because I knew, at that point, the company was going to focus on protecting themselves and not on me and my family. When I would call the company, they would give me the run around and never call back. Ryan and his staff got me to the best neurologists, neurosurgeons, orthopedics and neuropsychologists who ended up performing a fusion surgery on my neck and lower back. I was only 42 but I knew that with these injuries, my career offshore was over. Ryan got the case ready for trial from the beginning and made the company turn over all the documents that confirmed they weren't following company safety rules and that the company hadn't inspected or changed out the coupling that caused hose to fall in over a year. The company eventually agreed to go to mediation. I was ready to settle, but Ryan convinced me to turn it down because it wasn't enough to take care of me and my two little girls in the future. I took Ryan's advice and less than a month later we settled the case with both defendants for 4 times more than the companies offered a month earlier at mediation! The settlement allowed me to set up trusts for my two daughters, put money aside for my mom and fix up my mom's house All my medical expenses in the past and future are covered and my family and I never have to worry about how we're going to pay for the future and all the medical bills again. Ryan and his team were always there for me whenever I had questions, was having a bad day, or just needed advice on how to try and get my life back. Ryan became like family, not just my lawyer. he made sure I got to all my doctors, that I had money to pay bills and get presents for my girls at Christmas and on their birthdays, and was always there when we needed him. Don't look anywhere else. If you were hurt offshore or in any other serious accident, Ryan and his team at Zehl & Associates are your people.

I was a roustabout for a big oil and gas company in Louisiana and had been with the company for over 9 years. In April, 2012, I was doing a crew change and was dropped over 20 feet from the transfer basket and crane. I shattered my left ankle and ruptured a disk in my lower back. The company ...sent me to one of their doctors who did surgery on my ankle. The doctor told me my back was just sprained and that I should take tylenol. Less than 2 months later, I was still in physical therapy and in severe pain, but the doctor cleared me back to work. I tried to tell the OIM and human resources that I wasn't ready to work but they didn't listen. A friend told me I needed a lawyer and referred me to Ryan's firm. I could tell they knew what they were doing when we first met. The first thing they did was get me to a REAL doctor, who said that I definitely wasn't ready to go back to work and that if I had gone back, I may not ever recover. I went through 5 more months of PT and started to get my strength back. The company had only been paying me $35 a day and said that that was all that I could recover. Ryan told me that what the company was paying was required and that I was able to recover much more, like all my medical expenses, lost wages, and for my pain and not being able to get around and do the things that I used to do. After Ryan filed my case in court, the company offered a lot more but Ryan turned it down, because he told me that my case was worth much more than that. I was nervous about turning it down but I trusted him. He was right. 2 months later he got the company to settle the case for 5 times what they were trying to pay me the first time! The settlement covered all my medical expenses, plus my lost wages and pain and suffering. I am now fully recovered, all my bills are paid, and I was able to put aside money in savings for my family. These are the guys you want on your side if you are ever hurt offshore or in any other type of accident. Thanks again!

In 2008 I was involved in a serious automobile accident which was not my fault. After consulting with several law firms I found one which truly cared about my situation. Ryan offered not only expert legal advice but also a compassionate understanding of what I was going through. Through their har...d work and diligence, the team at Fitts Zehl was able to recover a compensatory amount well above what I was expecting. It was a great comfort knowing they were on the job and had my best interests in mind. Fitts Zehl is a smart and ambitious group of lawyers who go the extra mile to recover maximum value for their clients. I continue to recommend them to friends and colleagues who are in need of representation. Thanks again!