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steve crell

Steven M. Crell

Partner

Steve is a personal injury lawyer, aggressively representing his clients in all areas of litigation for over 35 years. Named an Indiana Super Lawyer in the area of plaintiff personal injury, he focuses on personal injuries and wrongful death involving auto and truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, animal and dog bites, premises liability, and nursing home negligence/abuse. He also represents clients in cases involving real estate and business and labor disputes.

Steve is a life member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a membership awarded to less than 1% of attorneys in the United States who have won at least one verdict or settlement of $1 million or more.

As a registered civil mediator with the Indiana courts, Steve has been an innovator in the use of pretrial and pre-lawsuit mediation to assist clients in achieving settlements. When a settlement is not possible, he competently defends the claims of his clients with his jury trial, court trial, and arbitration experience in federal and state courts.

It is his passion to give his clients personal attention, helping injured people and their families restore their lives and lost income due to injury or wrongful death. Away from his office, Steve serves as a member of the faculty of an intensive trial skills building program for younger lawyers. He has taught classes on navigating the superior and small claims courts, managed health care, and other business-related topics. Steven is also an active member of the community, serving on the board for organizations such as nursing homes & rehabilitation centers, homeowners associations, and more. In his free time, he enjoys listening to live music and traveling with his family.

  • Business, Labor, and Wage Disputes (20% of practice)
    • Business Law
    • Business Litigation
    • Civil Litigation
    • Employment Law
    • Enforcement of Trade Secrets
    • General Litigation
    • Insurance and Liability
    • Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement
  • Personal Injury Settlements & Litigation (80% of practice)
    • Auto & Truck Accidents (50%)
    • Premises Liability (10%)
    • Wrongful Death (10%)
    • Nursing Home Liability (10%)
  • Indiana University School of Law, JD
  • Ball State University, Accounting, BS
  • Dean’s List
  • Beta Theta Pi Fraternity
  • Indiana, 1988
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana, 1988
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana, 1988
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 1990
  • U.S. Tax Court, 1989
  • Indiana Supreme Court
  • Indiana Appellate Courts
Personal Injury And Wrongful Death
  • Auto accident — Obtained pretrial settlement for auto accident victims of car crash involving car going wrong way on interstate highway for $1.25 million.
  • Truck crash with car – Obtained wrongful death settlement for family of driver killed by negligent truck driver of $1.3 Million.
  • Car crash with truck — Settled case in pretrial mediation for seriously injured client with orthopedic injuries for $700,000.
  • Wrongful death of child — Settled claim for $500,000 against landlord of mother whose child was killed in fire of rented trailer.
  • Bicycle accident — Recovered $350,000 for bike rider who suffered traumatic brain injury from poorly fitting helmet.
  • Bicyclist struck by car – Obtained pretrial settlement of $180,000 for bicyclist struck by a car while riding on public street.
  • Passenger in auto accident with underinsured driver — Recovered additional $325,000 from client’s previously undiscovered business insurance policy after recovering $105,000 insurance policy limits from negligent driver.
  • Passenger in single-car crash — Settled case involving orthopedic injuries for insurance policy limits of $300,000.
  • Car rear-ended by truck — Settled case involving injury to client’s lumbar spine for insurance policy limits of $250,000.
  • Wrongful death of spouse — Obtained settlement of policy limits of $250,000 for husband whose wife was killed by a negligent driver on an Indiana highway.
  • Animal attack — Obtained $250,000 settlement for Carmel, Indiana, resident who was bitten by a neighbor’s dog.
  • Slip and Fall at Restaurant–Obtained pretrial settlement of $430,000 for restaurant patron who slipped on wet flooring and broke her leg.
  • Nursing home abuse — Obtained $200,000 settlement for nursing home resident who fell from wheelchair after staff forgot to attach restraint.
  • Traumatic brain injury — Obtained $200,000 settlement for college professor who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a passenger in a taxi cab crash.
  • Auto accident — Obtained $185,000 for driver who sustained torn ACL from his knee striking dashboard when struck in rear-end auto crash.
  • Nursing home abuse — Recovered $175,000 for victim of alleged rape in assisted living facility.
  • Dog bite — Obtained $150,000 for parents of daughter attacked by friend’s dog.
  • Motorcycle crash — Recovered insurance policy limits of $100,000 for motorcycle driver struck on city street by pickup truck.
  • Pedestrian injured by car — Obtained $138,000 settlement for parade participant struck by automobile, causing broken bones.
  • Sports injury — Recovered $100,000 settlement for customer of indoor climbing facility who fell from climbing wall.
  • Uninsured motorist — Obtained $100,000 uninsured motorist insurance coverage limits for innocent bystander struck by car evading police chase.
  • Slip and fall at apartment complex — Obtained $75,000 settlement for tenant injured from wet floor on common area floor.
  • Work injury — Secured $75,000 for trucker who slipped and tore quadriceps muscle on unplowed parking lot.
  • Intersection car accident — Secured settlement of $73,750 for injured college student with broken collar bone from collision.
  • Premises liability — Recovered $70,000 for customer of mobile home park who broke wrist from fall on uneven pavement.
  • T-bone intersection accident — Recovered $50,000 from negligent driver’s insurance company for client who sustained broken hand.
  • Rear-end auto collision — Secured $48,000 jury verdict for client who was offered only $2,000 to settle prior to jury trial.
  • Soft tissue whiplash — Settled case for personal injury client in auto accident involving soft tissue injuries with little medical expense and no broken bones for $40,000.
  • Medical malpractice — Recovered $40,000 for patient whose breast implant was perforated during mammogram.
  • School classroom injury — Achieved settlement of $27,500 for student whose arm was broken in physical education class.
  • Dog bite while working — Settlement of $23,000 for a roofing contractor employee who was bitten by a customer’s dog while on the job.
  • Hit-and-run bike accident — Recovered $10,000 for young bike rider who was hit by a car that left the scene — used uninsured motorist
  • coverage on bike rider’s auto policy.
  • Medical malpractice — Settled claim of client for confidential amount when surgeon operated on wrong foot.
  • Fall down stairs at local store — Recovered $350,000 for shopper who fell down unmarked steps at a local store.
  • Dog bite in Carmel, Indiana — Settled claim for $250,000 against homeowner whose dog knocked down a neighbor and injured her spine.
  • Dog bite in Indianapolis, Indiana — Recovered $100,000 for woman bitten on face by neighbor’s dog.
  • Motorcycle crash — Recovered policy limits for wrongful death of motorcyclist killed by a negligent driver in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Civil Litigation
  • Injury to business — Arbitration award of over $500,000 for business owner claiming injury to business from wrongful conduct of corporation.
  • Claim against estate — Secured inheritance of $275,000 for grandson who was excluded by trustee of grandfather’s trusts.
Representative Appellate Opinions
  • Kroger V. WC Associates, LLC — Obtained and upheld on appeal a substantial monetary judgment for real estate developer against tenant who modified sign pylon without consent.
  • H & G Ortho, Inc. v. Neodontics Intern., Inc. — Successfully upheld Trial Court Judgment exceeding $1 million for purchaser of business claiming breach of noncompete contract and other wrongful conduct of the seller.
  • Rogier v. American Testing and Engineering Corp. — Successfully presented oral argument to Indiana Court of Appeals and upheld claims of business broker against seller of business.
  • Robinson v. Century Personnel, Inc. — Successfully defended employer in resisting substantial monetary claims of former employee.
  • Knauf Fiber Glass, GMBh v. Stein — Represented trucking company in obtaining the largest jury verdict ever recorded in Bartholomew County, Indiana, at the time, in claim against shipper — matter resolved following appeal.
  • Valinet v. Eskew — Convinced Indiana Supreme Court to adopt new premises liability law resulting in upheld verdict for auto accident victim.
  • Slavin v. C.I.R. — Argued to the United States Court of Appeals after getting a judgment against the taxpayers for over $1 million set aside in the United States Tax Court.
  IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in any particular case does not constitute a promise, prediction, or guarantee regarding the outcome of any other case. I represent my clients to the best of my ability, and those efforts over the years have resulted in substantial settlements and verdicts on behalf of my clients and positive changes in the law to benefit future injury victims. However, each case involves many variables and results will always be different from case to case. For that reason, the result I obtain in one case is no guarantee that I will achieve the same or a similar result in any future case. Every case is dependent upon its unique facts and the laws of the jurisdiction where a lawsuit is filed.
Personal Injury And Wrongful Death
  • Auto accident — Obtained pretrial settlement for auto accident victims of car crash involving car going wrong way on interstate highway for $1.25 million.
  • Truck crash with car – Obtained wrongful death settlement for family of driver killed by negligent truck driver of $1.3 Million.
  • Car crash with truck — Settled case in pretrial mediation for seriously injured client with orthopedic injuries for $700,000.
  • Wrongful death of child — Settled claim for $500,000 against landlord of mother whose child was killed in fire of rented trailer.
  • Bicycle accident — Recovered $350,000 for bike rider who suffered traumatic brain injury from poorly fitting helmet.
  • Bicyclist struck by car – Obtained pretrial settlement of $180,000 for bicyclist struck by a car while riding on public street.
  • Passenger in auto accident with underinsured driver — Recovered additional $325,000 from client’s previously undiscovered business insurance policy after recovering $105,000 insurance policy limits from negligent driver.
  • Passenger in single-car crash — Settled case involving orthopedic injuries for insurance policy limits of $300,000.
  • Car rear-ended by truck — Settled case involving injury to client’s lumbar spine for insurance policy limits of $250,000.
  • Wrongful death of spouse — Obtained settlement of policy limits of $250,000 for husband whose wife was killed by a negligent driver on an Indiana highway.
  • Animal attack — Obtained $250,000 settlement for Carmel, Indiana, resident who was bitten by a neighbor’s dog.
  • Slip and Fall at Restaurant–Obtained pretrial settlement of $430,000 for restaurant patron who slipped on wet flooring and broke her leg.
  • Nursing home abuse — Obtained $200,000 settlement for nursing home resident who fell from wheelchair after staff forgot to attach restraint.
  • Traumatic brain injury — Obtained $200,000 settlement for college professor who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a passenger in a taxi cab crash.
  • Auto accident — Obtained $185,000 for driver who sustained torn ACL from his knee striking dashboard when struck in rear-end auto crash.
  • Nursing home abuse — Recovered $175,000 for victim of alleged rape in assisted living facility.
  • Dog bite — Obtained $150,000 for parents of daughter attacked by friend’s dog.
  • Motorcycle crash — Recovered insurance policy limits of $100,000 for motorcycle driver struck on city street by pickup truck.
  • Pedestrian injured by car — Obtained $138,000 settlement for parade participant struck by automobile, causing broken bones.
  • Sports injury — Recovered $100,000 settlement for customer of indoor climbing facility who fell from climbing wall.
  • Uninsured motorist — Obtained $100,000 uninsured motorist insurance coverage limits for innocent bystander struck by car evading police chase.
  • Slip and fall at apartment complex — Obtained $75,000 settlement for tenant injured from wet floor on common area floor.
  • Work injury — Secured $75,000 for trucker who slipped and tore quadriceps muscle on unplowed parking lot.
  • Intersection car accident — Secured settlement of $73,750 for injured college student with broken collar bone from collision.
  • Premises liability — Recovered $70,000 for customer of mobile home park who broke wrist from fall on uneven pavement.
  • T-bone intersection accident — Recovered $50,000 from negligent driver’s insurance company for client who sustained broken hand.
  • Rear-end auto collision — Secured $48,000 jury verdict for client who was offered only $2,000 to settle prior to jury trial.
  • Soft tissue whiplash — Settled case for personal injury client in auto accident involving soft tissue injuries with little medical expense and no broken bones for $40,000.
  • Medical malpractice — Recovered $40,000 for patient whose breast implant was perforated during mammogram.
  • School classroom injury — Achieved settlement of $27,500 for student whose arm was broken in physical education class.
  • Dog bite while working — Settlement of $23,000 for a roofing contractor employee who was bitten by a customer’s dog while on the job.
  • Hit-and-run bike accident — Recovered $10,000 for young bike rider who was hit by a car that left the scene — used uninsured motorist
  • coverage on bike rider’s auto policy.
  • Medical malpractice — Settled claim of client for confidential amount when surgeon operated on wrong foot.
  • Fall down stairs at local store — Recovered $350,000 for shopper who fell down unmarked steps at a local store.
  • Dog bite in Carmel, Indiana — Settled claim for $250,000 against homeowner whose dog knocked down a neighbor and injured her spine.
  • Dog bite in Indianapolis, Indiana — Recovered $100,000 for woman bitten on face by neighbor’s dog.
  • Motorcycle crash — Recovered policy limits for wrongful death of motorcyclist killed by a negligent driver in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Civil Litigation
  • Injury to business — Arbitration award of over $500,000 for business owner claiming injury to business from wrongful conduct of corporation.
  • Claim against estate — Secured inheritance of $275,000 for grandson who was excluded by trustee of grandfather’s trusts.
Representative Appellate Opinions
  • Kroger V. WC Associates, LLC — Obtained and upheld on appeal a substantial monetary judgment for real estate developer against tenant who modified sign pylon without consent.
  • H & G Ortho, Inc. v. Neodontics Intern., Inc. — Successfully upheld Trial Court Judgment exceeding $1 million for purchaser of business claiming breach of noncompete contract and other wrongful conduct of the seller.
  • Rogier v. American Testing and Engineering Corp. — Successfully presented oral argument to Indiana Court of Appeals and upheld claims of business broker against seller of business.
  • Robinson v. Century Personnel, Inc. — Successfully defended employer in resisting substantial monetary claims of former employee.
  • Knauf Fiber Glass, GMBh v. Stein — Represented trucking company in obtaining the largest jury verdict ever recorded in Bartholomew County, Indiana, at the time, in claim against shipper — matter resolved following appeal.
  • Valinet v. Eskew — Convinced Indiana Supreme Court to adopt new premises liability law resulting in upheld verdict for auto accident victim.
  • Slavin v. C.I.R. — Argued to the United States Court of Appeals after getting a judgment against the taxpayers for over $1 million set aside in the United States Tax Court.
  IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in any particular case does not constitute a promise, prediction, or guarantee regarding the outcome of any other case. I represent my clients to the best of my ability, and those efforts over the years have resulted in substantial settlements and verdicts on behalf of my clients and positive changes in the law to benefit future injury victims. However, each case involves many variables and results will always be different from case to case. For that reason, the result I obtain in one case is no guarantee that I will achieve the same or a similar result in any future case. Every case is dependent upon its unique facts and the laws of the jurisdiction where a lawsuit is filed.
  • Francis Feeney, Jr. Tax Award, 1988
  • President’s Award for Pro-Bono Committee Work, Indianapolis Bar Association, 2003
  • Indiana Super Lawyer in the area of Plaintiff Personal Injury
  • Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Life Member
  • Registered Civil Mediator with Indiana Courts
  • Indianapolis Bar Association, Pro-Bono Standing Committee, 2003-2006
  • American Inn of Courts, Barrister and Charter Member, 2000-2006
  • American Bar Association, Torts and Litigation Sections, Member, 1988-Present
  • Indiana Bar Association, Member, 1988-Present
  • Indianapolis Landlord/Tenant Association, Volunteer Attorney,1990-2000
  • Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Past-President and Board of Directors
  • Various Homeowners Association, Past-President
  • Hooverwood Nursing Home, Past-President and Board of Directors, 1998-Present
  • Indiana Cancer Research Foundation, Board of Directors and Member, 2003-2006
  • Kiwanis, Vice President, 1989-1995