Steve Crandall

With licenses to practice law in Kentucky, Ohio, and various Federal Courts, Steve Crandall has been a top trial lawyer for nearly 30 years. Steve’s goals are to investigate your case to get you answers and then focus on holding those responsible for the mistakes that changed your life. Steve’s clients can attest to the fact that Steve is responsive, keeps them constantly updated and aggressively pursues their case. Steve also remains their lawyer for life.
Steve Crandall is a force to be reckoned with in the legal world. His experience, trial skills and connections in the legal industry allow him to provide his clients with unparalleled representation.  Throughout his career, Steve built strong relationships with expert witnesses, opposing counsel, in-house lawyers, insurance representatives and courthouse personnel. This network of contacts allows him to uncover the truth about a case, as well as maximize the recovery and compensation for his clients. As a result, Steve has a reputation as a knowledgeable, tough and fair trial lawyer, with proven experience and results.
Accolades

Steve was the 2021-2023 Super Lawyers Magazine #2 rated lawyer in all of Ohio and a 2024 Top 10, Top 5 in Cleveland and Top 100 award winner.   Steve has also been a Top 100 Super Lawyer in Ohio for over 16 years, a Top 10 Super Lawyer multiple times and a Top 5 Lawyer in Cleveland. Steve has also been awarded the Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America, been named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer Nationally and is a US News and World Report Top Lawyer.  Steve also enjoys the highest rating possible by various objective attorney websites, including AVVO.com and Martindale-Hubbell. 
Results

Steve has had tremendous success for his clients, across Ohio and Kentucky, in many complex cases involving medical negligence, personal injury, birth injury and products liability.  These include a $20.5M settlement for an Ohio State University student catastrophically injured in a trucking/construction crash, a $15M settlement in a medical negligence matter for a young boy who lost his arms and legs due to a misdiagnosed infection, an $8.5M settlement for medical negligence involving a misdiagnosed appendix rupture, a $5.5M settlement for a commercial trucking crash and a $4.6M birth injury settlement for a young girl whose life was forever altered by labor and delivery negligence.  Steve has also won a number of high profile and complicated trials, many among the largest verdicts in the county they were tried in.  These include a $10.1M surgical negligence verdict, a $9.88M birth injury matter and a $7.7M verdict on behalf of client against The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.  Steve’s courtroom presence and his experience and knowledge over complex litigation, allows him to advise you on how your case will likely be defended by the other side, as well as how to best navigate a successful outcome for you.   

How is Steve different than most Plaintiff’s trial lawyers? 
Steve began his career as a defense lawyer defending medical malpractice, cerebral palsy, insurance defense, and product liability claims. When Steve was a defense lawyer, he was hired  by many of the insurance companies and hospitals he now goes up against.  Consequently, now having switched to the Plaintiff’s side, Steve is adept at evaluating both sides of a case and he knows how the other side will try to defeat your case. This experience on the defense side, combined with the knowledge of how the insurance industry evaluates claims, makes Steve the best trial lawyer to hire for your case.

Client testimonial:

"I met Steve through my sister in law back in 2020 when my husband got into a very bad motorcycle accident. It was a very a traumatic time for our family as not only that the accident caused my husband to almost lose his life, sustain multiple injuries that are lifelong, hospital and medical bills but also had challenged his mental health that put our happy marriage to test. It was the most challenging time as a young couple raising our few months old son at that time. During this very stressful and difficult period, Steve was there to give us piece of mind and confidence that there is light at the end of the tunnel. He was very communicative, represented us well and really prepared us for depositions. He is seriously the best and his knowledge and service are exceptional! He is very genuine, really cared and wanted the best for us. Even after the case was settled, he was there to check in on us and guide us in every way he can. We feel very happy that Steve handled our case. We are forever grateful for Steve and we highly recommend him!"
— Sheevah Eastman

Steve Crandall is a trial lawyer with a unique background that sets him apart from other attorneys. Born and raised in a tight-knit, lower middle-class family in rural New York, Steve moved frequently throughout his childhood, living in 12 different cities before graduating from Dayton Law School in 1994.

Steve's upbringing instilled in him a knack for adapting quickly to new environments and engaging with people from all walks of life. He understands the importance of building strong relationships with his clients and has a talent for connecting with them on a personal level. Part of Steve’s outgoing personality is derived from having to constantly cut a path as the “new kid in class.”

While his mom and dad were always supportive, Steve put himself through law school by combining money earned as a waiter, with loans taken out for classes and living expenses. At the conclusion of law school, Steve owed well over $100,000 in loans, with a very minimal starting salary to repay these loans and to live on.  It is not an exaggeration to say Steve’s early years were spent learning to be a trial lawyer (in a really cheap suit), while trying to figure out how to buy food and pay rent. These struggles were formative, but now motivate Steve to help his clients out of the financial crises that they often face after a wrongful catastrophic tragedy has befallen them by the negligence of a defendant.
  
Having been raised in a large Italian family (his mother is Sicilian) a big part of Steve is his family. Steve is married to his wife Rachel and is the proud father of five children: Jackson, Julia, Sam, Maximus, and Brooklyn. Throw in the two French Bulldogs and the house is a ball of energy and chaos.  As someone who has experienced firsthand the challenges of raising a large family, Steve has a deep understanding of the disruptions that injuries and tragedies can cause the family unit. He believes that his experiences raising his children, especially his daughter Brooklyn who has T1D, have given him valuable insight into the damages that children can suffer and the effects it can have on the entire family.  This is particularly true in birth injury cases, where Steve’s experiences as a father and advocate for his daughter have helped him better understand the damages and struggles that families can face. Despite his rigorous schedule as a trial lawyer, Steve makes school events, sporting events, and vacations with his family a priority. He believes that putting his family first, while juggling the demands of his job, gives him a unique perspective that he can apply to his legal practice and client relationships.

With his unique background and experiences, Steve Crandall is a compassionate and effective trial lawyer who understands his clients' needs and is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for them.

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As a seasoned trial lawyer, Steve has had the privilege of speaking at numerous conferences and seminars throughout my career. He has been a speaker at conferences such as the Annual Winter Conference on Obstetrics/Gynecology, How to Win a Civil Trial, and the Annual Winter Conference on Clinical Issues. 

Additionally, he has had the opportunity to present at educational institutions such as Cleveland Marshall School of Law, where he spoke on Medical Malpractice Trial Tactics. Furthermore, he was a featured speaker on Expert Witness Presentation at Trial for the Ohio State Bar Association, and spoke on Focus Groups in Ohio, as well as The Young Lawyers Section at the Ohio Association of Justice Spring Convention. 

At the Ohio Association of Justice Annual Convention, Steve presented on the effects of social media on Jury Selection and Jury Verdicts, and also gave a talk on Social Media and Jury Selection at the Ohio Trial Lawyers Spring Convention. Steve has been asked to return as speaker many times, for example serving as a speaker at the Conference on Fetal Monitoring for several years in Las Vegas, Nevada. He conducted a statewide research project on various issues facing trial lawyers in Ohio, which he presented to the Spring Annual Convention for the Ohio Association of Justice. Finally, Steve co-created and served as the senior editor for the informational website, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” designed to help guide expectant mothers through pregnancy and birth. 

These speaking engagements have given Steve the opportunity to share his unparalleled expertise with other legal professionals, healthcare providers, and the public, and he has thoroughly enjoyed contributing to these important discussions.

•    $20.5M settlement for a personal injury claim
•    $15M outcome for failure to diagnose strep throat leading to septic shock, brain damage and multiple amputations
•    $10M verdict for paralyzed man after surgery
•    $8.5M settlement for girl brain damaged by negligence in Hospital
•    $7.7M verdict in Cuyahoga County for a man who lost sight in his left eye after surgery
•    $5.5M, Collision causing traumatic brain injury, intubation, ventilation, fractured shoulder, ribs and pelvis
•    $5.3M, Confidential result for a neurologically impaired twin
•    $4.9M outcome for driver left of center causing paralysis and inability to work.
•    $4.65M, Brain damaged infant at delivery
•    $4.6M, Death of woman after delivery of infant
•    $4.5M, surgical error leading to partial paralysis and inability to work and independently care, 2016
•    $4.5M, Medical malpractice brain injury
•    $4.5M, Brain damage of child after procedure
•    $4.25M Surgical error leading to partial paralysis, inability to work and future medical damages
•    $4M, Failure to diagnose sepsis leading to significant injuries and inability to work
•    $4M Medical Malpractice, failure to diagnose respiratory arrest after surgery
•    $4M outcome for negligent surgery choice by neurosurgeon resulting in brain stem damage
•    $3.9M, Confidential resolution on behalf of a child with Cerebral Palsy from the birth process
•    $3.5M, Death of woman after infection
•    $3M, Failure to appropriately diagnose and perform surgery
•    $3M, Verdict for man injured after Gastric Bypass surgery
•    $3M settlement for a man injured after a commercial truck pulled in front of him while he was riding his motorcycle
•    $2.9M, Birth injury resolution after litigation
•    $2.5M, Neurologic injuries after surgery, Resolution after substantial litigation and just before trial
•    $2.5M outcome for failure to operate on herniated disc leading to paraplegia.
•    $2.45M, Injuries to a young girl by hospital
•    $2.25M settlement for a woman who bled to death after a cardiac procedure
•    $2.2M, Death of a woman after child birth
•    $2.150M medical malpractice, failure to diagnose condition leading to partial paralysis
•    $2.0M, Brain injury post cardiac surgery to a foreign national visiting US for medical care
•    $2M outcome for failure to operate on infection leading to lower extremity paralysis.
•    $2M, Brain injury after respiratory arrest
•    $2M, Medical Negligence, failure to prevent respiratory arrest leading to anoxic brain damage
•    $1.9M, Medical malpractice resulting in HIE (hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy)
•    $1.85M for wrongful death, Medical Malpractice after orthopedic surgery
•    $1.25M, Wrongful death caused by saddle pulmonary embolism due to medical malpractice
•    $1.2M, medical malpractice, failure to diagnose an infection
•    $1.2M, Wrongful Death After Stress Test
•    $1.1M, Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Tongue Cancer Case
•    $1M, Death after Bariatric Surgery
•    $960,000 auto accident resulting in death of a 76 year old woman
•    $950K, Wrongful death resulting from medical malpractice misdiagnosis
•    $875K, medical malpractice, stroke after medication change
•    $750K, Stillborn death after litigation
•    $750,000, Verdict for the Death of a young man
•    $750,000, Injuries to a young boy by hospital
•    $750K, Death after cardiac surgery after litigation
•    $750K, Death from clots traveling to lungs after litigation
•    $650K, Death after automobile crash, after litigation
•    $650K, Bariatric surgery medical malpractice resulting in punctured bowel, sepsis and wrongful death
•    $650,000, Heart damage after arrest
•    $625K, Medical malpractice leading to kidney failure, heart attack, wrongful death
•    $525K, Medical malpractice leading to stage 4 cancer metastasis in brain, back, liver, bowels
•    $465K, Medical malpractice resulting in a still birth
•    $450K, Death from post surgical care after litigation
•    $450K, Death after surgery, after litigation
•    $425K, Cleft palate repair-related medical malpractice
•    $400K, Missed Diagnosis of Blood Clot in Leg Case