Robert O. Hickey
Robert O. Hickey is the managing partner of Ryan Ryan Deluca. Bob began his career at RRD in 1998. Since joining the firm, his practice has been almost exclusively dedicated to civil litigation matters, trying numerous cases to verdict in both state and federal court. The cases have ranged from lower-exposure motor vehicle accidents to high-exposure, complicated matters including claims of wrongful death and catastrophic injuries. He has defended appeals to the Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts as well as the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Bob’s long-standing reputation in the bar has led to other parties requesting him to serve as a mediator or arbitrator in state and federal court civil matters. His ADR practice focuses on personal injury matters, but he has also helped resolve numerous other types of cases through successful mediation.
Professional Affiliations
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, member State Committee
- Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates
- Chosen in The Stamford Area’s Best Lawyers as Personal Injury Litigation – Defense Lawyer of the Year, 2015
- Listed in Connecticut Super Lawyers® (2015-2024), Top Fifty 2023
- Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association
- National Association of Railroad Trial Lawyers
- Defense Research Institute
- Selected to appear in The Best Lawyers in America®, (2011-2025)
- Lawyer of the Year® (2015)
- International Academy of Trial Lawyers Fellowship (2024)
Representative Experience
- Obtained a favorable verdict in the US District Court of Connecticut in what is believed to be the first jury trial of a spray foam insulation product liability case in the country.
- Obtained a defense verdict for a local commuter railroad in a case involving a trespasser who sustained catastrophic injuries while on the defendant’s property.
- Obtained a defense verdict in a claim for trespass and nuisance as the result of improper water run-off from one property to another; verdict was successfully defended on appeal.
- Obtained a defense verdict for a railroad in a FELA case brought by a train engineer and tried in the US District Court for the District of Connecticut; verdict was successfully defended on appeal.
- Obtained multiple directed verdicts for a local university on claims of slander and slander per se after a five-day trial.
- Obtained summary judgment for a Maine law firm sued in Connecticut as the result of actions taken in a Maine probate trial. Claims included slander and intentional/negligent infliction of emotional distress.
- Obtained a defense verdict which was subsequently affirmed on appeal on claims for contractual and common law indemnity against a client arising out of a motor vehicle accident.
Representative Mediation Experience:
- Mediated to conclusion a claim arising from a road improvement project involving an off-duty police officer injured by a piece of large construction equipment.
- Mediated a case involving elder care negligence resulting in the patient sustaining multiple broken legs and hospitalization.
- Mediated a claim of PTSD resulting from a tractor-trailer accident.
- Mediated/arbitrated numerous motor vehicle accidents to successful conclusion.
Reported Decisions
Murphy v. Town of Darien, et al., ____ Conn. ____ (S.C. 19983, July 9, 2019)
Pronovost v. Tierney, 174 Conn.App. 368 (2017)
Benedetto v. Zaku, et al., 112 Conn.App. 467 (2009)
Wasko v. Farley, 108 Conn.App. 156 (2008)
U.B. Vehicle Leasing, Inc. v. Scott Davis et al., 90 Conn.App. 206 (2005)
Chen v. Gesner, 101 Conn.App. 658 (2007)
Colon v. Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, (2nd Circuit, No. 18-1858, summary order 6/19/19)
Piroscafo v. Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, (2nd Circuit, No. 12-3814-cv, summary order, 1/13/14)
