Steve Yerrid learned early that hard work, persistence and service to others would become the moral compass that would guide his life both professionally and personally. Raised by a divorced mother in very modest circumstances, Yerrid’s humility and tenacity shaped a career that would carry him from Georgetown University Law Center back to Tampa, where he has built one of the most successful plaintiffs’ firms in the United States.
Under his leadership, the firm has secured more than 350 verdicts and settlements of $1 million or more, including numerous eight- and nine-figure recoveries across catastrophic injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, product liability and other complex civil litigation.
“I’ve always felt compelled to stand up for people who feel powerless against large, well-funded adversaries,” Yerrid says. “Our clients always come first, and we strive to give every client our very best efforts.”
Yerrid also spent some of his formative years as an undefeated amateur boxer. In 2011, he was voted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame based upon his record (17-0), chairing the 2000 Olympic Qualifiers, as well as years of assistance to retired and impaired boxers. His years as an undefeated amateur boxer continue to influence his approach to trial work: “Always give it your all and never stop fighting for what is right.”
“Preparation, timing and desire matter most,” he says. “Before a jury, only my best efforts are acceptable. Driven by the client’s welfare and worthy causes, the pursuit of justice is truly a wonderful journey.”
- From modest beginnings to headline-making litigation, Steve Yerrid built a plaintiffs’ firm with more than 350 seven-figure verdicts and settlements.
- Read how his courtroom work influenced bridge safety, hospital stroke protocols and national tobacco advertising restrictions.
- The article revisits major cases including the Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster, Florida’s $17 billion tobacco settlement and a record $217 million malpractice verdict.
- For readers evaluating trial counsel, the story highlights decades of high-stakes advocacy, public impact and complex civil litigation results.
An ‘Act of God’ and Making Courtroom History Throughout His Career
One of the cases that first brought Yerrid international attention involved the collapse of Florida’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge in 1980, one of the most devastating maritime tragedies in American history. At the time, virtually no one believed the defense of the vessel’s pilot could be successful. Despite widespread public opinion, Yerrid used an “Act of God” strategy to secure the complete exoneration of Capt. John Lerro, who had been piloting the huge 608-foot freighter when an unexpected storm with hurricane-force winds pushed the vessel sideways, well off course, and into the bridge’s unprotected anchor pier.
The collision brought down more than 1,200 feet of the main center span and killed 35 people. The tragedy became international news and ultimately led to construction of the new Sunshine Skyway Bridge in 1987, and its preventative design has influenced bridge construction worldwide. Utilizing modern protective design features meant to prevent a similar disaster, the spectacular and modern Skyway has been used as a template for bridge construction in many parts of the world. A well-received documentary, “The Skyway Bridge Disaster,” aired on satellite, cable and in theaters in 2019, further memorializing the event’s place in legal history.
Yerrid later chronicled the case in his 2003 nonfiction book “When Justice Prevails,” which recounts both the trial and Lerro’s lifelong struggle, even after the legal victory.
In the book, he described Lerro as a man whose self-condemnation remained deep in his soul and stayed with him throughout his life, despite the exoneration.
The incredible and unexpected result of the case further established Yerrid as a formidable trial lawyer with an ability to handle cases that many consider unwinnable.
Taking Down an Undefeated Giant
Early courtroom successes led Yerrid to establish The Yerrid Law Firm, where he built a reputation for representing underdogs in precedent-setting litigation.
From the outset, Yerrid refused to accept the notion that “justice” only belonged to the rich and powerful. He quickly earned a reputation for consumer advocacy and precedent-setting results that inevitably favored the underdog.
In the 1990s, the late Gov. Lawton Chiles appointed him to Florida’s “Dream Team” composed of 11 private and elite trial lawyers. As the youngest member of the team, Yerrid accepted a leading role in Florida’s landmark lawsuit against Big Tobacco by handling the “RICO” (racketeering) aspects of the case against the cigarette cartel.
“After years of discovery, the case settled during the third week of trial for $17 billion,” Yerrid recalls. At the time, it was the largest monetary settlement in U.S. history and the first courtroom defeat against Big Tobacco. “The settlement imposed sweeping advertising restrictions, eliminated youth-focused marketing and funded anti-smoking initiatives including The Truth Campaign.”
With that breakthrough victory, the once undefeated powerful world of Big Tobacco began to crumble. Armed with the very incriminating “smoking gun” documents uncovered in Florida’s litigation and disclosed to the nation, a unified effort by legal teams across the country resulted in the historic $200 billion-plus multistate settlement. Each state in the nation received billions in settlement funds and, more importantly, all the advertising bans and numerous advertising restrictions achieved by the Dream Team.
“Pandering to children stopped,” Yerrid notes. “The Truth Campaign boomed and cigarette smoking, as my generation knew it, began a drastic decline as a much healthier America emerged.”
Historic Medical Malpractice Verdict
In 2006, Yerrid, Richard Gilbert and partner David Dickey represented Allan Navarro, a former professional basketball player, who suffered the results of a devastating stroke that went undiagnosed after an emergency room visit. Navarro sought emergency care with classic stroke symptoms but was misdiagnosed and discharged with “sinusitis.” By the next day, he was a quadriplegic.
After several weeks of trial, the jury rendered a $217 million verdict, the largest medical malpractice award in Florida history and the top jury verdict of its kind nationwide that year.
“That case still resonates more than 20 years later,” Yerrid says, “because it pushed hospitals across the country to adopt stronger diagnostic policies requiring an appropriate physician’s examination before discharging emergency room patients.”
Building One of the Nation’s Top Trial Firms
Yerrid’s work has also extended to tragedies on a national scale. In 2017, he and partner Jeff Murphy were among the lead attorneys retained to represent victims of the Las Vegas mass shooting, one of the deadliest in modern U.S. history. Fifty-eight people were killed and more than 500 injured by a gunman on Oct. 1, 2017. The wrongful death and personal injury cases arising from this horrific tragedy ultimately settled for an $800 million payment by MGM to victims and their families. As a result, the casino industry revised and improved many of its security measures.
“Trial lawyers can effect lasting change so future generations don’t suffer preventable tragedies,” Yerrid says.
Yerrid was honored to be appointed and act as special counsel to the Office of the Chief Judge (13th Judicial Circuit) and the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges. He successfully argued before the Florida Supreme Court to protect confidential records and internal communications within the judiciary from public disclosure.
He also served pro bono as special counsel to the president of United Way Worldwide, helping support a $3 billion fundraising effort and several national initiatives.
In 2010, confronted by one of the largest environmental catastrophes in history, Gov. Charlie Crist appointed Yerrid as special counsel to the governor. In contributing his time, expenses and efforts pro bono, he served the people of Florida regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster and its aftermath. Subsequently, he was retained by the City of Tampa and obtained a $27 million settlement from BP. It was the largest amount recovered by any city.
In recognition of his lifelong pursuit of justice, Yerrid has been the recipient of the Legate Award, Perry Nichols Award and the EAGLE Excalibur Award, the three highest honors that can be bestowed by the Florida Justice Association. In 2016, he was voted and inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Trial Lawyers Association.
A Law Firm Dedicated to Justice for All
Yerrid’s practice areas may have evolved over time, but his philosophy remains unchanged: through thoughtful, ethical lawyering, a case can become more than a legal dispute. It can become a cause that enhances the welfare of many and serves as a pathway for others to follow.
Steve Yerrid’s career has been marked by a consistent theme: He wins. Not only do clients benefit, but changes in safety standards occur, and public policy has often been reactive by taking measures to better protect our society and reinforce the fundamental concept of Equal Justice Under Law. Yerrid says: “I think such an approach should be the motivator for all plaintiffs’ lawyers who seek true success.”
“You get what you give,” Yerrid adds. “Representing a client is a great honor, and we give our all to every case.”
