Stephen R. Schultz
FOUNDING PARTNER
Stephen Schultz is a proud St. Louis native. He attended Christian Brothers (CBC) High School and Missouri State University. Shortly after college, Stephen was severely injured in a car accident. He went on to attend top-ranked Washington University School of Law, knowing that upon graduation he would dedicate his career to the representation of injury victims and their families.
Stephen excelled in law school, particularly in Civil Justice Clinics, Trial Advocacy, and Negotiation. Shortly after graduation, Schultz Myers was formed – and for the past 15 years, Stephen has been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with injured clients and their families, securing some of the largest verdicts and settlements in the state. He is a skilled negotiator and respected in the legal community by both plaintiff and defense lawyers.
“I made the decision to dedicate my life to serving victims of personal injury in my early twenties after being seriously injured in a car accident. My life was literally turned upside down. I was hospitalized for days and unable to walk for months. To make matters worse, the insurance company for the reckless driver tried to take advantage of me. I didn’t know who to trust with my claim. On top of all this financial stress, I was trying to heal physically.
I reflect upon this experience daily in my law practice. I remember what it was like to not know what to do or where to turn. I can empathize with my clients on a personal level that other lawyers simply cannot relate to.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, I can truly say I understand, I’ve been there, and I will advocate for you in the pursuit of justice. At the end of the day, one of the most rewarding compliments I receive from my clients is that they trust and value me both as their lawyer and their friend.”
Outside Of The Courtroom
Stephen loves protecting his injured clients every day and thrives on pressure. However, he also enjoys a personal life away from his multi-state law practice. Stephen resides in Chesterfield with his family and is a member of Ascension Parish. He enjoys time relaxing at Lake of the Ozarks with family or having a blast at DisneyWorld with his wife Tara, and their three young children.
Stephen and his wife contribute time and resources to several charitable organizations, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Sunshine Ministries, and the Foundation for Children with Cancer. Most recently, Stephen and Tara joined the rest of the Schultz & Myers Personal Injury Lawyers team at the PanCAN Purple stride 5k which benefits pancreatic cancer research. Stephen’s wife Tara lost her grandmother to pancreatic cancer, and the Firm’s sponsorship was in her honor this year.
Stephen also spends considerable time providing complementary legal advice to interested callers who listen to his commentary on the radio or catch him on television.
“As lawyers, we are in a position of great privilege.” says Stephen Schultz, “I take that responsibility very serious and remember how helpless I felt when my crash occurred. So when someone calls me requesting legal advice, even in areas beyond personal injury or wrongful death, I take whatever time necessary to visit with them to understand their situation. Unlike the public perception of most injury attorneys, the personal gratification I get is not economical. Instead, it is the gratification expressed by both clients and non-clients of our firm that appreciate the personal attention I provide in their time of uncertainty.”
Honors and Awards
Stephen was recognized early for his legal ability and dedication to personal injury and wrongful death victims. Just a few years into his career, he was honored as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Association. On a national level, Stephen was inducted into the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. This organization is limited to the top 1% of trial lawyers in the country.
Martindale-Hubbell awarded Stephen Schultz with an AV-Preeminent Rating: an honor awarded to less than 10% of practicing lawyers in the country. This ranking system is based on peer reviews of practicing lawyers and how others perceive your skill as a trial lawyer. Simply put, the only way to achieve this honor is to be considered one of the best personal injury attorneys in the community. Personal injury lawyers throughout the country specifically seek out Stephen Schultz to assist as co-counsel in a complex commercial vehicle accident, dram shop, and wrongful death litigation.
Stephen has been featured in the Best Lawyers in St. Louis edition of St. Louis Magazine for the past eight years. His legal accomplishments have been published in the Missouri Lawyers Weekly, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Countian, and several national legal periodicals. Stephen has been interviewed on television and has provided expert legal commentary on various radio talk shows.
Catastrophic and fatal tractor-trailer accident cases are what Stephen focuses the majority of his time on. He has extensive knowledge of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and state laws that govern commercial trucking companies and their drivers. Stephen has handled injury and death cases against trucking companies in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Ohio, Texas, and Indiana. He is a member of several tractor-trailer litigation advocacy groups and mentor to lawyers seeking to participate in this complex area of injury law.
