Steven B. Garner

Steve Garner has been a shareholder and officer of Strong, Garner, Bauer, P.C. since 1990. Since joining the firm in 1986, Steve has prepared and tried personal injury, wrongful death and product liability suits on behalf of injured parties.

Steve received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in 1983, graduating with high honors. He graduated No. 1 in his class from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1986. Other law school honors include receipt of the Outstanding Oral Advocacy Award in 1986, selection to the Regional Appellate Advocacy Team, selection to the Regional Trial Team, and selection to Law Review.

Steve has served on the Board of Governors of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys (and elected to Executive Committee) and the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association Board of Directors and President-Elect from 1993 to 1996. In 1996, the Missouri Bar Association awarded Steve the Lon O. Hocker Award. It is an award that is given to three trial lawyers in Missouri under age 37 who have shown excellence in the courtroom. Steve is also a member of the International Academy of Trial Attorneys and the American Board of Trial Advocates. In October of 1999 Missouri Lawyers Weekly ran a feature story on Steve as one of the state’s best trial lawyers under 40 years of age. He has spoken and written on various aspects of trial advocacy and representing consumers.

Areas of Practice:

• Personal Injury
• Product Liability
• Commercial Litigation
• Insurance Bad Faith

Litigation Percentage:

• 90% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Certification/Specialties:

• Civil Trial Advocate, National Board of Trial Advocacy

• Missouri, 1986
• U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri, 1986
• U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 1987
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims

• University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Leflar Law Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 1986
  • J.D.
  • Honors: High Honors
  • Law Review: University of Arkansas Law Review, 1985 – 1986

• Baylor University, Waco, Texas, 1983
  • B.A.
  • Honors: With High Honors

• Best Lawyers:  Lawyer of the Year 2011
• Best Lawyers:  Lawyer of the Year 2012
• Best Lawyers:  Lawyer of the Year 2015
• Number One Graduate, University of Arkansas Law School, 1986
• Recipient, Oral Advocacy Award, 1986
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America
• Lon O. Hocker Award – Missouri Bar Foundation, 1996

Professional Associations and Memberships:

• Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
  • Board of Governors and elected to Executive Committee
• Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Board of Directors and Current President
• American Bar Association
• American Trial Lawyers Association
• International Academy of Trial Attorneys
• American Board of Trial Advocates

Fraternities/Sororities:

• Phi Delta Theta
• Delta Theta Phi
• Gamma Beta Phi
• Phi Kappa Phi

Some of the Firm’s Verdicts/Results

1. $6,7000,000 Settlement against Big Tobacco
2. $38,000,000 Verdict. Against Land’s End for business fraud
3. $24,476,904 Settlement. Vehicular design. Burn injuries. (Estimated future payments to clients $38,898,732.)
4. $$21,000,000 Verdict. Defective Ford seat back. Quadriplegia.
5. $20,000,000 Settlement. Commercial case.
6. $19,300,000 Verdict. Against American Suzuki for negligently allowing fraudulent advertising.
7. $15,000,000 Verdict. Defective halogen lamp. Child death.
8. $15,000,000 Verdict. Cyclist hit by motorist. Head injury.
9. $13,027,000 Settlement. truck wreck.
10. $12,600,000 Verdict. Negligence against American Family. Paraplegia.
11. $11,000,000 Verdict. Defective Ford seat back. Paraplegia.
12. $10,000,000 Verdict. Defective Ford seat back. Paraplegia.
13. $9,900,000 Verdict, plus interest. Gross negligence against Board of Chiropractors.
14. $8,050,000 Settlement. Death of volunteer emergency responded + related insurance bad faith claim. ($4,000,000 above available policy limit.)
15. $8,000,000 Settlement. Product defect class, including repair.
16. $8,000,000 Car wreck + related insurance bad faith claim. ($7,150,000 above the available policy.)
17. $7,200,000 Car wreck + related insurance bad gaith claim. ($7,200,000 above the available policy.)
18. $6,900,000 Car wreck. Paraplegia.
19. $6,500,000 Death. Electrocution.
20. $6,000,000 Judgement. Head injury to a minor.
21. $5,800,000 Settlement. Automotive product liability. Paraplegia.
22. $4,400,000 Settlement. Lung injury.
23. $4,237,336 Verdict against U-Haul for defective tow-dolly. Case settled prior to punitive damage phase.
24. $4,250,000 Settlement. Trucking case. Head injury.
25. $4,000,000 Settlement. Automotive product liability. Paraplegia.
26. $4,000,000 Settlement. Automotive product liability. Paraplegia.
27. $3,650,000 Settlement. Death. Trucking case.
28. $3,500,000 Settlement. Adverse reaction to ingested product.
29. $2,600,000 Settlement. Truck wreck.
30. $2,500,000 Verdict. Car wreck.
31. $2,500,000 Verdict. Medical malpractice. Back surgery.
32. $2,500,000 Settlement. Car wreck + related insurance bas faith claim. ($2,450,000 above the available policy.)
33. $2,500,000 Settlement. Automotive product liability. Head injury.
34. $2,400,000 Settlement. Automotive product liability. Head injury.
35. $2,000,000 Verdict. Defective seat belt. Personal injury.
36. $2,000,000 Verdict. Car wreck. Arm injury.

Some of the Firm’s  Recent Case Results

1. $16,250,000 Defective industrial equipment, negligently maintained/services. Paraplegia. (Estimated future payments to client $24,000,000.)
2. $14,500,000 Defective restraint system. Quadriplegia. (Estimated future payments to client $41,000,000.)
3. $6,000,000 Motorcycle wreck. Personal injuries to operator and passenger. (Policy limits.)
4. $5,000,000 Medical malpractice. (Estimated future payments to client $19,000,000.)
5. $4,850,000 Car Wreck. Personal Injuries.
6. $4,750,000 Insurance bad faith/legal malpractice.
7. $4,500,000 Propane explosions. Death.
8. $4,070,000 Defective exercise equipment. Paraplegia. (Estimated future payments to client $6,697,308.)
9. $4,000,000 Defective industrial manufacturing system and co-employee claim. Death.
10. $3,800,000 Defective vehicular fuel system against insolvent manufacturer.
11. $3,500,000 Truck wreck. Death.
12. $3,500,000 Injury by animal.
13. $3,000,000 Defective premises. head injury.
14. $2,600,000 Boat wreck. Head injury.
15. $2,500,000 Car wreck. RSD in arm.
16. $2,375,000 Defective heart product. Death.
17. $2,250,000 Defective vehicular design against insolvent manufacturer. Paraplegia.
18. $2,200,000 Insurance bad faith claim. ($2,100,000 above available policy.)
19. $2,000,000 Insurance bad faith. ($1,900,000 above available policy.)
20. $2,000,000 Medical malpractice. Missed diagnosis.
21. $2,000,000  Propane Explosion. Burns. (Combined policy limits.)
22. $2,000,000 Defective premises. head injury. (Policy limits.)
23. $2,000,000 Car wreck in Germany. Head injury.
24. $1,850,000 Failure to diagnose condition.
25. $1,800,000 Bad faith claim. ($1,700,000 above available policy.)
26. $1,750,000 Car wreck. head injury.
27. $1,500,000 Shot in shoulder at night club. ($500,000 above policy limits.)
28. $1,300,000 Inadequate supervision of a minor by a church. (Estimated future payments to client $2,495,912.79. Combined policy limits.)
29. $1,140,000 Fee dispute case.
30. $1,000,000 Contraindicated prescription. Kidney failure. (Policy limits.)
31. $1,000,000 Failure to provide safe work place. No workers compensation insurance. (Liability insurance policy limits.)
32. $1,000,000 Failure to diagnose fatal condition. Death.
33. $1,000,000 Defective farm implement. Limb injury. (Policy limits.)
34. $1,000,000 Operation of 4-wheeler by a monir due to negligent supervision. Brain injury. (Policy limits.)
35. $1,000,000 Defective battery installation. Fire. Death. (Policy limits.)
36. $1,000,000 Negligent supervision at camp. Death. (Policy limits.)
37. $1,000,000 Death. Negligent restraint.
38. $1,000,000 Death. Roof crush.

• Vanskike v. Union Pacific R. Co., 725 F.2d 1146 (C.A.8 (Mo.) 1984)
• Vaughn v. Michelin Tire Corp., 756 S.W.2d 548 (Mo.App. S.D. 1988)
• Johnson v. Pacific Intermountain Exp. Co., 662 S.W.2d 237 (Mo. 1983)
• Southern Missouri Bank v. Fogle, 738 S.W.2d 153 (Mo. App. S.D. 1987)
• Placzek v. Strong, 868 F.2d 1013 (8th Cir. 1989)
• Wells v. Bryant, 782 S.W.2d 721 (Mo. App. S.D. 1989)
• Georgescu v. K Mart Corp., 813 S.W.2d 298 ( 1991)
• Countryman v. Seymour R-11 School Dist., 823 S.W.2d 515 ( 1992)
• First National Bank of Fort Smith v. Kansas City Southern Rwy. Co., 865 S.W.2d 719 (Mo. App. W.D. 1993)
• Porter v. Erickson Transport Corp., 851 S.W.2d 725 (Mo. App. S.D. 1993)
• Robinson v. Empiregas Inc., of Hartville, 906 S.W.2d 829 (Mo. App. S.D. 1995)
• Welsh v. Burlington Northern, Inc., Employee Benefits Plan, 54 F.3d 1331 (8th Cir. 1995)
• Midland Risk Insurance Co. v. White, 959 F.Supp. 1092 (W.D. Ark. 1997)
• Rogers v. B.G. Transit Corp., 949 S.W.2d 151 (Mo. App. S.D. 1997)
• Benoit v. Missouri Hwy & Transportation Commission, 33 S.W.3d 663  (2000)
• State ex rel. Tracy v. Dandurand, 30 S.W.3d 831 (Mo. 2000)
• Bank of America v. Stevens, 83 S.W.3d 47 ( 2002)
• State ex rel. Ford Motor Co. v. Messina, 71 S.W.3d 602 (Mo. 2002)
• Auto-Owners Ins. Co. v. Tuggle, 289 F.Supp. 1061 (W.D. Ark. 2003)
• Daniel v. Indiana Mills & Mfg., Inc., 103 S.W.3d 302 (Mo. App. S.D. 2003)
• Schubert v. Trailmobile Trailer, L.L.C., 111 S.W.3d 897 (Mo. App. S.D. 2003)
• State of Missouri, ex. rel. Ford Motor Company v. Westbrooke, 151 S.W.3d 364 (Mo. banc 2004)

• Defamation Law in Arkansas Since Dodrill v. Arkansas Democrat, Ark. L. Rev., 38:4, 1986
• How to Strip Your Opponent Naked and Make Them Beg To Pay You Money, Missouri Trial Attorney, Vol. 20, No. 2, Summer 2002
• Bad Faith – Some Thoughts, Law, and Practical Considerations, Missouri Trial Attorney, Vol. 21, No. 4, Winter 2003