Steven M. Goldberg

Bar / Professional Activity

• Supreme Court of Ohio, 1989
• Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, 2002
• Ohio Association for Justice, 1989
• American Association for Justice, 1989
• Ohio State Bar Association, 1989
• American Bar Association, 1989
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1990
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1990
• United States Supreme Court, 1992
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth District, 1993
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois, admitted pro hac vice, 2009
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 2015
• Federal Bar Association, Northern District of Ohio, Civil and Criminal Divisions, 2017
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, 2019
• State Bar of Georgia, admitted pro hac vice, 2020
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, admitted pro hac vice, 2021
• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, admitted pro hac vice, 2021

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• Confidential Settlement of a Traumatic Brain Injury Case. Plaintiff was a guest on a business trip at a hotel. While working at his desk, he was rendered unconscious through exposure to extremely high concentrations of carbon monoxide caused by the Defendants’ collective failure to properly maintain and operate a pool heater that had been condemned as unsafe days earlier. Plaintiff’s room was adjacent to the hotel’s indoor pool heater room, leaving just one thin wall to separate Plaintiff from the condemned pool heater spewing potentially lethal amounts of carbon monoxide. Hotel staff ignored a carbon monoxide alarm, and several hotel guests were impacted by carbon monoxide poisoning before the hotel was evacuated. It took hours before Plaintiff was finally found unconscious on the hotel room floor. Plaintiff, who was the most seriously injured, suffered a brain injury that has changed his and his family’s life forever. Throughout the litigation, Defendants engaged in ongoing efforts to undermine the fair judicial process by attempting to cover up their blatant liability by spoliating some of the most salient pieces of evidence. Defendants fought causation and liability for over two years requiring Plaintiffs to prove what the Fire Department, Fire Marshall, Building Inspector, and examining water heater experts established the very day of this tragic event: that the condemned pool heater was the source of the carbon monoxide, an assessment Defendants shared on the day of the carbon monoxide leak because all guests were allowed to reoccupy the hotel upon the pool heater being locked out of service. After going through the expense of having an expert prove the source of the leak and Defendants failing to proffer any counterevidence or liability expert, the ownership Defendants finally admitted one month before the case settled on March 25, 2022, that the source of the carbon monoxide leak was the pool heater which was turned on by the Chief Engineer. But, the property manager defendant, continued to deny that undisputed fact, or that the Chief Engineer was even their employee., 2022
• $3.8 Million Settlement. Resolution of wrongful death claims on behalf of parents grieving the loss of their 7-month-old daughter. The claims were settled for $3.8 million and were the result of medical negligence arising from open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. The little girl was born with a structural abnormality of the heart that affects normal blood flow. The defect is rare and must be repaired surgically during the early months of life. The surgery is complicated and involves the closure of a hole in the heart and the enlargement of a valve by cutting away obstructive muscle tissue. During the procedure, the surgeon must paralyze the child’s heart and maintain the child’s circulation with cardiac bypass technology. Mr. Goldberg, with the assistance of co-counsel Romney Cullers, determined that the child suffered a global ischemic heart injury as a direct result of the surgical team’s failure to properly infuse medications used to paralyze the heart. The child’s heart was rendered non-functional during the surgery, and she unfortunately died in the hospital. It is our hope that these parents will find solace and somehow move forward after this horrific tragedy, 2021
• $515,000 settlement for a husband and wife who suffered severe injuries in a catastrophic trucking accident.  Mr. and Mrs. Doe were traveling westbound on Interstate 90 in Girard Township, Pennsylvania, when their vehicle was struck by a jackknifing tractor-trailer. The collision resulted in life-altering injuries, including multiple spinal fractures, a fractured sacrum, rib fractures, a head injury, and ulnar neuropathy for Mrs. Doe, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and physical injuries for Mr. Doe. Mrs. Doe endured extensive medical treatment, physical therapy, and ongoing pain management, impacting her quality of life, ability to work, and her plans to conceive. Through meticulous investigation and advocacy, Goldberg Legal demonstrated that the trucking company had a history of safety violations and that the driver was operating at an unsafe speed for the snowy road conditions. The firm aggressively pursued justice, holding the responsible parties accountable and securing a substantial settlement to support the plaintiffs’ continued recovery., 2024
• $750,000 Settlement.  Plaintiff, an industrial plumber, worked on a project involving the decommissioning of the Tungsten Plant, an industrial facility owned by General Electric. While tracing gas lines to purge the lines of flammable gas, Plaintiff stepped onto unsecured grates covering a drainage pit that were meant to provide a solid walking surface.  Plaintiff fell into the three-foot deep pit as one of the grates flipped on its edge, puncturing Plaintiff's femoral artery near his groin/abdominal area (Plaintiff was ultimately life-flighted to a local trauma center for life-saving surgery). The grates over the pit in question were not structurally supported because a removable tank or some other supporting structure had been removed during the industrial cleaning process taking place at the facility and no remediation or warnings had been erected. Plaintiff returned to work after four months. The case was complicated by the layers of involvement of the host contractor GE and several subcontractors. Defendants vigorously contested liability and blamed Plaintiff for his injuries.  , 2021

Honors

• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, a highly esteemed organization that recognizes individuals who have been nominated by their peers and recommended by the Fellows Committee of the Bar Foundation. This prestigious honor is bestowed upon those who have demonstrated professional excellence, the highest standards of integrity, and a strong commitment to advancing justice in the greater Cleveland area. It is a true testament to the recipient's dedication and hard work in the legal profession. , Fellow, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, 2014
• Litigation Counsel of America, a highly esteemed and exclusive society of trial lawyers. Only the most exceptional and talented individuals in the American legal profession are carefully selected to join. With a limited membership of just 3,500 Fellows, comprising less than one-half of one percent of all American lawyers, being a member of the LCA is a true mark of distinction and a testament to one's exceptional legal skills and expertise. , Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, Litigation Counsel of America, 2017
• Top 25 Mass Tort Lawyers (2025), (2024), (2023), (2022), (2021), (2020), (2019), (2018), (2017), (2016), (2015), National Trial Lawyers Association - Top 25 Mass Tort Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Association, 2025
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), the most prestigious, invitation-only national trial bar association comprised of highly experienced trial lawyers and judges. Our mission is to safeguard the principles of democracy and justice, uphold the Seventh Amendment’s guarantee of the right to trial by jury in civil cases as well as promote the rule of law, civility in trial practice, and the independence of the judiciary. , Fellow, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), 2022
• Top 25 Brain Injury Lawyers (2025), (2024), (2023), (2022), (2021), (2020), (2019), The National Trial Lawyers Association - Top 25 Brain Injury Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers Association, 2025
• U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America® Goldberg Legal Co., LPA Recognized for high-caliber work in: Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Plaintiffs (2025), (2024), U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America® - Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions, U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America®, 2025
• U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America® Goldberg Legal Co., LPA Recognized for high-caliber work in: Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs (2025), (2024), U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America® - Personal Injury Litigation, U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America®, 2025
• U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America® Goldberg Legal Co., LPA Recognized for high-caliber work in: Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs (2025), (2024), (2023), (2022), (2021), (2020), (2019) , U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America® - Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America®, 2025
• U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America® Goldberg Legal Co., LPA Recognized for high-caliber work in: Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs (2025), (2024), (2023), (2022), (2021), (2020), (2019) , U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America® - Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs, U.S. News & World Report – The Best Law Firms in America®, 2025
• Featured in The Best Lawyers in America® the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession, for legal expertise, ethics and professionalism of the highest caliber in: Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Plaintiffs (2025), (2024), The Best Lawyers in America® - Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions - Plaintiffs, The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025
• Featured in The Best Lawyers in America® the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession, for legal expertise, ethics and professionalism of the highest caliber in: Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs (2025), (2024), The Best Lawyers in America® - Personal Injury Litigation, The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025
• Featured in The Best Lawyers in America® the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession, for legal expertise, ethics and professionalism of the highest caliber in: Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs (2025), (2024), (2023), (2022), (2021), (2020), (2019), (2018), The Best Lawyers in America® - Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025
• Featured in The Best Lawyers in America® the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal professioforlegal expertise, ethics and professionalism of the highest caliber in: Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs (2025), (2024), (2023), (2022), (2021), (2020), (2019), (2018), The Best Lawyers in America® - Medical Malpractice Law, The Best Lawyers in America®, 2025
• Cleveland's Top Rated Lawyers, Plain Dealer & Wall Street Journal, 2014
• Cleveland's Top Rated Lawyers, Plain Dealer & Wall Street Journal, 2013
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The Top Trial Lawyers in America, 2006
• AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• Top 100 Trial Lawyers - (2025), (2024), (2023), (2022), (2021), (2020), (2019), (2018), (2017), (2016), (2015), (2014), Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Association, 2025

Educational Background