Steven B. Barrett

Personal-Injury Litigation

• Steve has successfully argued before the Pennsylvania Appellate courts, including most recently the case of Wise v. Huntingdon Housing Authority (No. 97 MAP 2019), decided April 28, 2021. In this decision, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced clear guidance and clarified the standard for the “Real Property Exception to Sovereign Immunity”.  The Court announced that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania cannot avoid liability where the Commonwealth’s negligent design and construction creates a defective and dangerous condition causing injury. This landmark decision will allow persons a clearer path to recover and the Commonwealth will now have to be more vigilant and careful in building and designing projects for public use and safety.

• During the pandemic, Steven settled — before having to file a lawsuit — a tragic case in which a young husband and father suffered a massive heart attack just hours after seeing a cardiologist who made the diagnosis of unstable angina, but did not perform the necessary testing or treatment after sending his patient home.  Steve was able to win a settlement of millions of dollars for the family.

• Also during the pandemic, Steven was able to settle no less than 10 cases exceeding on average no less than $250,000 for each case. Steven championed his clients by pushing the cases at every turn virtually to the point that his cases were trial ready, forcing the insurance companies to settle.

• In a high profile case, Steven represented the estate of David Sale, the young man who was killed during a Philadelphia Phillies game. Steven sued the Phillies, McFadden’s Restaurant, and the owners of the parking lot where Mr. Sale was killed. After extensive discovery and before the case was listed for trial, Steven secured a confidential, but substantial, settlement for Mr. Sale’s estate and his beneficiaries.

• Tried a medical malpractice case in Philadelphia against multiple defendants, securing nearly $3 million.

• Tried and won a medical malpractice verdict in Philadelphia for client who suffered eyelid droop after cosmetic surgery (one of the 50 highest verdicts in 2017).

• Tried and won a $7 million jury verdict in Montgomery County for the estates of a married couple killed in an auto accident.

• Obtained a $1.2 million settlement for two teenagers who were severely injured in an auto accident in Bucks County.

• Tried and won a medical malpractice case securing a $1.1 million award.

• Tried and won a medical malpractice case in which client was suffering from bone cancer but mis-diagnosed with bone contusion. Steve obtained an $800,000 settlement during trial in Monroe County.

• Tried and won a medical malpractice case in which client was discharged from emergency room of Wilkes-Barre Hospital while demonstrating signs of suffering imminent stroke. Steve obtained an award of $750,000.

• Tried and won a $1.7 million jury verdict in Philadelphia for the family of a deceased man who died from asbestos-related esophageal cancer.

• Tried and won a $1.5 million jury verdict in Philadelphia for the family of a deceased man who died from asbestos-related asbestosis.

• Tried and won a $5 million jury verdict in Philadelphia for a gentleman suffering from asbestosis.

• Won a settlement of $900,000.00 against a clothing manufacturer for a woman who suffered second and third degree burns when her garment caught fire. Steve claimed that the garment was defective and unsafe in not meeting flammability safety standards.

• In Federal Court, brought and successfully settled police misconduct and abuse cases alleging constitutional violations due to excessive force and lack of due process by law enforcement. These cases settled with confidentiality provisions required by the defendant police and municipal departments.

Commercial Litigation

• Represented a developer who had been paying off a 25-year construction loan for twenty years when the client realized that the bank was calculating the total pay-off with a higher interest rate, or $500,000 more than originally agreed. The bank wanted either payment of the $500,000 or additional payments of $5,000 per month for an additional 15 years. Steve brought suit against the bank and, after trial, the court ruled that the bank was wrong with Steve’s clients being relieved to pay any additional money.

• Successfully defended a corporate client that was sued by a company claiming that the client stole trade secrets and business away from the company, costing the company in excess of $2.5 Million in lost profits and the value of the company. After the company’s preliminary injunction was denied by the court, the case proceeded to be tried before a twelve person jury. The jury reached a verdict, finding completely in favor of Steve’s client.

Real Estate

• Represented a nationally recognized builder that sued a sewer authority for the reduction of fees under a Pennsylvania statute that had yet to be interpreted by the courts of PA. Steve brought the first case in PA with interpretation of the statute being of first impression. After trial and exhaustive briefing of the legal issues, the court found in the builder’s favor, saving the client hundreds of thousands of dollars. With the success and notoriety of the case, Steve has attracted many developers, challenging the fee schedule of sewer authorities under the same statute. Steve has not lost a single case, recovering millions of dollars on behalf of his clients.

• In Federal Court, Steve successfully defended against a lawsuit claiming ownership of property by reason of adverse possession, which is a doctrine of real estate rarely employed in declaring ownership of property in the absence of legal title. After a week-long trial, the federal judge found in favor of Steve’s client.

Admissions 

• Pennsylvania 

Education 

• Temple University School of Law (J.D. 1992) 

• University of Michigan (B.A. 1987) 

• University of Essex, Colchester England (1985-86) 

• Montgomery Bar Association, 1993-Present 

• Board of Directors, 2001-2003 

• President, Young Lawyers’ Division, 1998 

• District Coordinator, Statewide Mock Trial Competition, 1998 – 1999 

• Pennsylvania Association for Justice 

• Member, 1993-Present 

• Pennsylvania Bar Association, member, 1993-Present 

• Main Line Reform Temple – Beth Elohim 

• Past Trustee and Officer 

• Latino Leadership Alliance of Bucks County, Non-Profit 

• Past President,  2006-2010 

Through the Montgomery Bar Association, Steve was selected to team up with other lawyers and judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County to teach Norristown Middle School students civics in a year long program entitled “Liberty & Law.” 

• Quoted in “Montco Litigators Optimistic as Court’s Civil Case Inventory Hits Lowest Point in Over a Decade,” Legal Intelligencer, August 25, 2023

• For Child Advocacy Groups – Children are Committing Suicide While in Foster Care, HRMM&L Legal Alert, March 30, 2021

• 41% of Psychiatrists Have Been Sued: Do You Have a Case?, HRMM&L Legal Alert, January 13, 2021

• 2020 Was the Worst Year for Fatal Car  Accidents in Philadelphia in 23 Years, HRMM&L Legal Alert, December 9, 2020

• Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse May Get Longer Periods of Time to Sue Diocese, HRMM&L Sexual Abuse Website, October 26, 2020

• FDA Recalls Diabetes Drug Metformin due to High Levels of the Known Carcinogen NDMA, HRMM&L Legal Alert, October 16, 2020

• Steven Barrett Interviewed on WWDB AM Talk Radio 860, HRMM&L Firm News, July 30, 2020

• Interviewed on Potential Claims Due to Zantac Use and COVID Negligence in Nursing Homes, Legal Talk with Stacy Clark, May 11, 2020

• What impact will Covid-19 have on the value of personal injuries? HRMM&L Legal Alert, April 21, 2020

• Attention Zantac Users, HRMM&L Legal Alert, April 13, 2020

• Outpatient Care in the Era of COVID-19, HRMM&L Legal Alert, April 8, 2020

• FDA Recalls Zantac as Posing a Cancer Risk, HRMM&L Legal Alert, April 1, 2020

• If the Coronavirus has caused death or health issues, you may have recourse against those responsible, HRMM&L Legal Alert, March 25, 2020

• Abusers of Children Beware: Pennsylvania Will No Longer Keep You Hidden and Protected! HRMM&L Sexual Abuse Website, December 5, 2019

• Firm is To Help Boy Scouts Sexually Assaulted by Scout Leaders in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, HRMM&L Sexual Abuse Website, April 29, 2019

• Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Mansfield Garage Owner, HRMM&L Sexual Abuse Website, April 23, 2019

• Which Helps Victims of Sexual Abuse More – a Civil Lawsuit or Criminal Prosecution? HRMM&L Sexual Abuse Website, February 5, 2019

• How Businesses Can Be Liable for Victims of Crime, HRMM&L Sexual Abuse Website, January 30, 2019

• Some Catholic clergy abuse victims shut out of new compensation funds. HRMM&L Sexual Abuse Website, December 20, 2018

• Mandatory Reporting Of Teachers Who Assault And Sexually Abuse Students In Pennsylvania: We Have The Law, We Just Have To Use It, HRMM&L Sexual Abuse Website, December 12, 2018

• Victims of Sexual Assault Fight Back with Lawsuits, February 26, 2018

• Why Can’t We Tell the Jury How Much We Want for Our Injuries? HRMM&L Legal Spotlight, January 30, 2018

• All Slips, Trips and Falls Are Not the Same, January 11, 2018

• Having Surgery? Know Your Rights. It’s Your Doctor Who Must Obtain Informed Consent, HRMM&L Legal Spotlight, January 10, 2018

• Sovereign Immunity, HRMM&L Legal Spotlight, September 22, 2017

• So What Does it Mean to Have a Constitutional Claim for a Personal Injury? HRMM&L Legal Spotlight, February 17, 2017

• The A,B,C’s of Medical Malpractice, HRMM&L Legal Spotlight, November 22, 2016

• ACTOS – Buyer Beware, HRMM&L In Brief, May 2012

• Lecturer for Pennsylvania Association for Justice.  Topics include Closed Head Injuries, Pennsylvania’s Automobile Insurance Law and Ethical Considerations of Lawyers to Produce Expert Witness Reports.

• Past Lecturer, People’s Law School of the Montgomery County Bar Association on How to find an attorney and the attorney-client relationship.

• Presenter on Mandamus Actions at the Annual Dinner of First Class township Commissioners of Montgomery County (September, 2010)

• Lecturer for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute on litigating and enforcing easements in Pennsylvania (July, 2010)

Super Lawyers 

The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 

Named an “Awesome Attorney” for Personal Injury law, by Suburban Life Magazine

Proficient in Spanish, still plays pick up basketball at a not so young age, makes pancakes from scratch for his family almost every weekend, and has a penchant for singing and dancing in professionally directed musicals.