Steve Yerrid believes in the law and the broader positive impact it can make when properly applied. Ever the underdog, it would have been easy for him to be a jaded lawyer. But he has seen the benefits of advocacy driven by strong morals and a sense of responsibility, and it has shaped his own philosophy, reflected by the words above the main entrance to the Supreme Court building: “Equal Justice Under Law.”
By providing justice for those with limited means and holding responsible parties and entities accountable for negligence, malice or recklessness, The Yerrid Law Firm has inspired improvements to Florida’s infrastructure, the products bought and sold here and the buildings in which we live and work.
Headquartered in Tampa and serving clients throughout Florida, as well as other parts of the nation, The Yerrid Law Firm has secured billions of dollars in verdicts, settlements, and judgments. This includes Yerrid’s more than 300 individual verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million in catastrophic injury, product liability, construction defects, medical malpractice, premises liability, vehicle accidents, commercial disputes and a broad range of civil litigation.
Knowing how his results have impacted these and other landscapes is what keeps him moving forward after more than 40 years in practice.
“Why would I stop? I love what I do,” Yerrid says. “I wanted to become a trial lawyer since I was a young boy. I am grateful to have outlived my wildest dreams… so now I just need to dream new ones. But I know for certain that helping others is the treasure of a life well-lived.”
The Immeasurable Impact of Advocacy: Infrastructure, Public Health and Safety
Yerrid has represented people from all walks of life with the dual goals of helping secure monetary recoveries that will enable their physical and mental healing, and also to use those results to help prevent tragic recurrences and improve society in grand as well as subtle ways.
His reputation among the legal profession started with an unbroken string of courtroom victories in the 1970s including his participation in a three-month Federal RICO Trial. In 1980, as a very young lawyer, he received international recognition for his central role in one of the world’s largest maritime tragedies. Despite a virtually unanimous consensus that the trial could not be won, Yerrid utilized an “Act of God” defense to secure the complete exoneration of the accused Captain John Lerro. Lerro was in command of a large 608-foot bulk freighter which, during an unpredicted storm packing hurricane force winds, was blown off course and struck the mammoth but unprotected anchor pier of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning Tampa Bay. The impact collapsed more than 1,200 feet of its center span and tragically claimed 35 innocent lives.
“As a result, a new bridge was constructed with a modern, state-of-the-art design that featured protective piers and elaborate fendering,” says Yerrid, who has been continuously included in Best Lawyers®. Additionally, he has been named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in Tampa for both Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs (2014) and Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs (2015) on behalf of plaintiffs on numerous occasions. “The catastrophe and the courtroom result changed the way engineers and architects strategize. This new design, inspired by the evidence unveiled in our case, has since been utilized as a template for bridge construction worldwide.”
Another lasting achievement occurred in the 1990s, when Yerrid was selected by the late Gov. Lawton Chiles as the youngest member of the 11-member “Dream Team” of private lawyers and took a leading role in Florida’s landmark lawsuit against the previously unbeaten cigarette industry. The case resulted in the biggest monetary settlement in U.S. history at the time, ultimately topping $17 billion.
I believe our impact in the courtroom has a ripple effect and it is my hope some of those ripples turn into tsunamis of beneficial changes that help others."
“The Dream Team was the first of its kind to truly expose the horrific costs of cigarette addiction,” says Yerrid. “I was proud to have helped lead Florida’s charge in securing the drastic advertising restrictions against the cigarette cartel and imposition of severe prohibitions against pandering to America’s youth. Florida’s unprecedented result is credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives over the last two decades.
His commitment to safety has also elevated standards in high school and college athletics. Following more recent on-the-field football tragedies, Yerrid’s advocacy and collaborative abilities resulted in many Florida schools instituting effective new concussion protocols and extensive safety protocols that deal with head injuries, required increased hydration measures, rest periods, and prompted appropriate medical presence at athletic practices as well as the games themselves.
And though he has led his firm in recovering billions in verdicts and settlements, one can look to Yerrid’s representation of a movie theater employee to illustrate the legacy of his career.
Anthony “Tony” Verran was making a deposit for his employer at a St. Petersburg bank after midnight on Feb. 26, 1986. The bank was the site of a nighttime robbery months earlier, and unfortunately tragedy struck again when an assailant in hiding, shot Verran in the head – mere millimeters from his brain – for what amounted to a $630 deposit. He suffered catastrophic injuries and lost sight in his right eye.
Yerrid represented Verran in the premises liability case in one of the very first actions brought against banks for newly installed outdoor ATMs and night depositories. He contended the bank was liable for third-party criminal assaults at its outdoor facilities because it had chosen aesthetics – such as high foliage and dim lighting – over safety, concrete and bright lights. In his memoir, When Justice Prevails, Yerrid recalls several dramatic turns and rejected settlements during the trial.
Yerrid ultimately secured a $1 million jury verdict and, as a result, banks nationwide paid attention and took drastic measures to improve the safety features around ATMs and outside night depositories.
“Banks cut down high-foliage, and installed concrete and proper lighting, thereby eliminating what had been a haven for criminals to hide and prey upon after hours customers,” Yerrid recalls. “The case remains one of my most treasured victories because of its widespread effect on the nation’s banking industry and the tragedies these protective measures have prevented.”
Philanthropic Efforts Benefitting Florida and Beyond
Yerrid is also humbled to be recognized as one of Florida’s most well-known philanthropists. Since his beginnings as a trial lawyer, Yerrid knew that his monetary achievements at trial could transcend the courtroom.
“By putting the wrongdoer’s money to good use,” he says, “it reaches deserving people and causes that truly make a positive difference in people’s lives.
As his million-dollar successes mounted, his desire and increased ability to give back resulted in the formation of The Yerrid Foundation. Over the decades, the self-funded family foundation has made significant donations to more than 500 causes and charitable organizations locally, nationally, and even internationally.
The philanthropy has reached Africa, war-torn Lebanon, those suffering in Haiti, as well as catastrophic events in other parts of the world. Many of those charitable efforts are directed toward causes, such as pediatric cancer treatments, clinical trials and research, multiple sclerosis, domestic abuse prevention, the Special Olympics, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Miami Project, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Boys and Girls Club of America, UNICEF, The Salvation Army, Metropolitan Ministries, and a variety of organizations that provide food, clothing, shelter, and essentials for the disadvantaged.
“I believe our impact in the courtroom has a ripple effect and it is my hope some of those ripples turn into tsunamis of beneficial changes that help others,” Yerrid says. “We have been extremely fortunate to succeed in our efforts to channel our successes into brighter days for children and families facing unimaginable challenges.
Several of the verdicts were 8 and 9 figure results. Among those is a $216 Million medical negligence verdict, the largest in Florida’s History.
