14109 Overbrook Road, Suite B. Leawood, KS 66224 PHONE: 913.214.5100 FAX: 913.214.5191
Steven A. Ediger | Of Counsel | Carpani and Gordon P.A. | Personal Injury Of Counsel | Leawood, KS
Steven A. Ediger
Steven A. Ediger has been working with Carpani and Gordon, P.A. since its formation. The relationship was formalized in 2014 when Steve joined the firm as “Of Counsel” in 2014. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas and Washburn University School of Law. He served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1982 through 1985 and was formerly General Counsel of Wilcox Electric, Inc., in Kansas City, Missouri.
Steve’s practice has included public contract law, construction law, and employment litigation. However, the primary focus of his practice over the last twenty years, he has focused on personal injury litigation on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants. Steve has litigated and served as first chair on dozens of personal injury jury trials and conducted numerous mediations, arbitrations and appeals. Steve is a member in good standing of multiple bar associations, is distinguished as a writer and speaker and has been a litigant in a myriad of published cases, all as set forth more fully below.
Areas of Practice:
- Personal Injury Litigation
- Worker’s Compensation
- Medical Malpractice Litigation
- Construction Litigation
- Employment Litigation
- Product Liability Litigation
Bar Admissions:
- Kansas, 1982
- Missouri, 1990
- U.S. District Court District of Kansas, 1984
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri, 1990
Education:
- Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, J.D.
- University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, B.A.
Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
- Kansas Bar Association
- Missouri Bar Association
- American Bar Association (Member, Tort Litigation Section)
- Kansas Association for Justice
- America Association for Justice
Published Cases
- Hilyard v. Estate of Clearwater, 240 Kan. 362, 363 (Kan. 1986)
- State v. Walker, 239 Kan. 635, 636 (Kan. 1986)
- Farmers Ins. Co. v. Jokan, 30 Kan. App. 2d 1213, 1214 (Kan. Ct. App. 2002)
- Rodarte v. Kan. DOT, 30 Kan. App. 2d 172, 173 (Kan. Ct. App. 2002)
- Bonnell v. Bank of Am., 284 F. Supp. 2d 1284, 1285 (D. Kan. 2003)
- Sherar v. Zipper, 98 S.W.3d 628 (Mo. Ct. App. 2003)
Published Articles
- “Standing in Missouri Bid Protests”
Missouri Bar Journal, Vol. 49, No. 5, Sept-Oct 1993, pp. 347-356.
Of Counsel
As our estate planning and tax practice naturally aligns itself with the needs of clients who receive major settlements or verdicts from personal injury, medical malpractice, workman’s compensation, tort and business litigation, our firm is proud to affiliate with our Of Counsel, Steven A. Ediger. We believe this affiliation allows our firm to provide a superior personal injury, medical malpractice and related litigation experience with the added benefit of tax and estate planning as a corollary aspect of that broader representation.
For our clients who utilize the personal injury/medical malpractice litigation services of the firm and whose cases generate awards in excess of $100,000.00, Carpani and Gordon, P.A. provides a full service customized probate avoidance trust plan and attendant powers of attorney and living wills as part of our contingency fee. We believe this best assures that a client who has successfully replaced lost wealth associated with a tragic life event protects those resources for the benefit of their families. Recovery of losses from a personal injury, coupled with tax and estate planning strategies to help preserve those recoveries, is the difference personal injury and medical malpractice clients have when choosing Carpani and Gordon, P.A to assist with these life changing cases.
We understand that personal injury can be a devastating event physically, emotionally, and financially and can affect all aspects of a person’s life, from the ability to work to caring for family. The effects of a personal injury often presents significant challenges and the legal system is complex in the area of personal injury. Rigid timelines exist in which to sue or make a claim and those statutes of limitations are different depending on the nature of the action and the state in which the injury occurs. An individual’s failure to act timely to protect him or herself can become a complete barrier to the right to recovery. It is always wise to confer with a personal injury lawyer as soon as the injury occurs to educate yourself on your legal rights and the remedies available. Your first goal should be to attempt to preserve and maximize your rights to recovery, whether they are for physical damages, loss of consortium claims, wage and other property losses, or other recovery theories.
Carpani and Gordon, P.A.’s Of Counsel attorney is available to provide a free consultation regarding potential cases immediately. Steven Ediger, the firm’s Of Counsel who handles the litigation representation of our personal injury or medical malpractice clients, has been involved in the handling of injury claims for over 20 years. Collectively, our firm has the background to understand the issues presented in a personal injury or related medical malpractice matter and to focus on providing a solution that best meets the client’s needs, both in terms of resolution of the underlying case and tax and estate planning to preserve that wealth at the conclusion of a matter. We are experienced in all aspects of settlement negotiations, mediations, alternate dispute resolutions, and Steve has first chaired dozens of trials and appeals. We understand how important it is to our clients to reach resolution by experienced representation and we have experience in assisting with the calculation of the financial impact of a personal injury, as well as the financial planning and tax planning attendant to certain recoveries.
Carpani and Gordon, P.A. offers personal one-on-one consultations and represents clients with prompt, responsive, and experienced guidance in a variety of serious personal injury or wrongful death claims, such as those involving the following:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: We are experienced handling cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, or uninsured/underinsured motorist claims resulting from various forms of motor vehicle accidents, such as:
– Auto accidents;
– Truck accidents;
– Motorcycle accidents;
– Accidents resulting in victims of drunk driving/DWI; and
– Bicycle/pedestrian accidents - Medical Malpractice: We work to hold medical professionals accountable for negligence and substandard care that leads to serious personal injury, or wrongful death, such as:
– Nursing home abuse;
– Hospital mistakes;
– Surgical errors;
– Negligent treatment; and
– Wrong diagnosis - Worker’s Compensation: We handle cases such as the following:
– Worker’s compensation;
– Workplace injury and retaliation; and
– Construction Accidents - Other Personal Injury: We also handle cases involving the following:
– Dog bites or animal attacks;
– Premises liability/slip and fall;
– Defective and dangerous products;
– Slip and fall
If you are injured by someone else’s negligence, the law entitles you to recover various types of damages, such as the following:
- Pain and Suffering: An important component of your bodily injury claim can be the right to compensation for physical pain and mental anguish you have suffered and will endure in the future because of your injury. These general damages are in addition to lost earnings and medical expenses.
- Medical Expenses: The costs of all past, current and future reasonable and necessary medical expenses incurred because of your injury are recoverable. These expenses include those which are the product of the original injury or that result from an increased susceptibility to future injury.
- Loss of Earnings: You are also entitled to recover the loss of earnings suffered from your injuries, including, wages, commissions, bonuses and all other earnings or fringe benefits.
- Future Loss of Earnings: If your injuries permanently limit your ability to earn a wage, you can recover the value of the reduction in your earning capacity. A person who has been injured by the fault of another is entitled to recover for his or her loss of earning capacity, in addition to actual lost wages. The award for loss of future earnings does not require an actual loss, but may instead be based on loss of the person’s ability or potential to make money.
- Death: Damages for wrongful death may be available for the spouse, parent and child of the deceased person. Damages may include economic loss or damages for mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, loss of society, companionship, comfort, protection, marital care, parental care, filial care, attention, advice, counsel, training, guidance or education.
- Disfigurement: If the injury causes scarring or other unsightly marks, you are entitled to recover for the disfigurement and humiliation or embarrassment caused by the disfigurement.
- Damage to the Marital Relationship: Serious injuries to one spouse may cause damage to the marital relationship. If this occurs, you may recover for the loss of society, affection, assistance, conjugal fellowship and loss or impairment of sexual relations that occurs.
- Damage to Your Vehicle or Other Personal Property: You are entitled to seek recover for damage to personal property and for actual expenses incurred as a result of an accident, including prescriptions, prosthetics and for physical property lost or destroyed in the accident itself.