About The Lawyers

First Generation Roots

Read Steve's motorcycle and bicycle articles.

Mr. Magas grew up in Cleveland and Mansfield, Ohio, the son of first generation Americans from Italy and Hungary. Growing up in a large ethnically diverse family gave him the tools to relate directly to people of virtually any background, ethnicity, socio-economic status and culture. Steve’s excellent “people skills” have been an important part of every job he has held.

Education & Experience

Steve attended the University of Cincinnati from 1975-1979, where he graduated magna cum laude with two degrees – a B.A in Mathematics from the College of Arts and Sciences, and a B.S. in Education from College of Education. Steve was accepted in Phi Beta Kappa and in Kappa Delta Pi, an Education honorary. In addition to playing trumpet in U.C.’s Marching & Pep Bands, Steve was the co-captain of U.C.’s first NCAA men’s volleyball team, a Resident Advisor in Sander Hall and an active member of Theta Chi fraternity. Steve attended The Ohio State University College of Law and obtained his J.D. in 1982.

Following law school, Steve took a two year position as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Richard N. Koehler in the Twelfth District Court of Appeals. “Judge K” provided numerous valuable lessons on the importance of humor and humility in the practice of law which Steve strives to honor each day. After leaving the Court Steve worked for small law firms working primarily in the areas of litigation, personal injury, insurance, estate planning and medical malpractice before coming to the Phillips Law Firm, Inc. in 2006.

Steve’s Current Practice

Steve’s practice at The Phillips Law Firm, Inc. is based on working with people on a variety of matters – wills and trusts, personal injury and wrongful death matters, new small businesses, adoption, and all types of personal, business and commercial litigation including real estate, contract, insurance and bad faith matters.

Steve has always offered a free consultation to discuss your case. All fees and expenses are always discussed up front in the first meeting. Steve takes pride in being accessible to his clients and strives to return every phone call and email the day it is received.

Steve’s Areas Of Practice:

• Personal Injury - Automobile crashes, Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents, Dog attacks
• Catastrophic Injury & Loss
• Wrongful Death
• Medical Malpractice
• Insurance Law - Bad Faith practices by Insurers
• Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning
• Consumer Law
• Adoptions
• General Civil Litigation & Complex Litigation
• Professional Negligence, including attorney malpractice

Personal/Professional

Steve is an avid bicycle and motorcycle rider, who often commutes to the office on his 2004 BMW R1150RT. He rode 20,000+ miles last year on his 2001 BMW F650gs.

Steve enjoys his shared parenting time with his two boys and has loved his involvement with their school, scouting, sports and other activities. Steve recently remarried and lives with his new bride in an Anderson Township A-Frame, along with her daughter, his boys, two big, hairy dogs, a cat and whatever other critters get invited to stay!

In his free time, Steve leads the horn section of a classic rock band, Saffire Express, which can be found playing numerous festivals, private parties and corporate events around the Cincinnati area.

Steve also writes on bicycle and motorcycle legal issues for several publications, has testified in Columbus before the state legislature on pending bills favoring or protecting bicycle and motorcycle operators, has discussed important national policy issues with Ohio's Congressional representatives in Washington D.C. as part of the National Bike Summit. Steve stays active in virtually all legal and political issues involving bicycles and motorcycles at the local, state and national level.

Significant Cases Handled by Steve Magas

• Estate of Russo v. City of Cincinnati, 953 F. 2nd 1056 (U.S. 6th Circ, 1992) - Police shooting case in which mental patient on pass from institution was shot more than 20 times, and Tasered several times, by Cincinnati Police Officers when he refused to return to hospital. Steve represented the family of the shooting victim in wrongful death claims against the officers and the City. The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s dismissal of key claims and the case later settled on confidential terms.
• State v. Joseph DeCourcey - Steve was appointed Assistant Special Prosecutor in an investigation of the Hamilton County Auditor’s Office. As a result of an exhaustive investigation involving the review of more than 100,000 documents, the former Auditor was charged with over 200 counts of criminal wrongdoing. He later plead guilty to five felony counts - one in each category - which insured that he would never again hold public office. The investigation brought to light numerous inappropriate practices including the intentional under-valuation of real estate throughout the county, the complete lack of procedures and controls for reviewing property owner requests for lowering property values and the falsification of county employee records to make it look as though they were working when they were being sent to work on a public television program.
• Bicycle Law Practice - Steve has handled more than 100 “bike cases” - representing riders injured in crashes caused by negligent motorists, loose dogs, road or trail problems and frame or component failure. Steve has handled cases from the most simple to the highly complex, including cases involving broken bones, scars, catastrophic loss, brain injury and death. He also works as an advocate for cycling, working for free on public interest cases, lobbying and writing articles on “bike law” for numerous publications. His “Bike Law” practice has been recognized nationally by Lawyer’s Weekly USA and locally in the Cincinnati magazine, Cincy Business magazine and the Cincinnati Post. A few of his bicycle cases are described below.
• Doe v. ABC Bicycle Co. - Confidential Settlement - Steve was asked to represent a Florida physician who suffered a brain injury which prevented him from practicing medicine when his bike fell apart after hitting a curb. Experts determined the frame was defective. Steve brought in local trial counsel and a products liability claim against a well-known U.S. bicycle manufacturer required several years of litigation before a confidential settlement was reached.
• Doe v. XYZ Bicycle Co. - Confidential Settlement - Steve was asked to represent a New Jersey rider who suffered severe facial injuries when her bike, a custom made bicycle and one of the most expensive in the world at the time, fell apart as she rode out of her driveway. Steve worked with local counsel in product liability litigation. Steve’s experts determined the cause to be the bike company’s use of the wrong sized head-set and the company paid a significant confidential settlement.
• Hall v. XYZ Pizza - $250,000.00 settlement. A 52 year old active rider was injured when an 18 year old boy driving his dad’s Ford Expedition while delivering pizza for a national chain turned left in front of him. The cyclist’s injuries included a significant leg injury requiring surgery.
• City of Trotwood v. Selz, Steve represented cyclist Steve Selz in a traffic case in which Selz was ticketed for “impeding traffic.” Steve organized a very public response to the prosecution, involving the Ohio Bike Federation, publicizing the case, publishing the pertinent court documents online (including the entire trial transcript), and taking the case to the court of appeals. An important victory for bicyclists was achieved when the appellate court reversed the conviction and held that bicycle operators have a legal right to use the roadway and can not be banned from the roads or ticketed for “impeding traffic” when they are traveling at a reasonable speed for a bicycle. The case further serves as a model for soliciting community involvement in important cases.
• Dog Cases - Dogs continue to be a major worry for cyclists. Steve has handled more the 40 cases in which a dog caused a rider to crash. Injuries typically include serious shoulder injuries, many of which require surgery. Ohio has a GREAT dog law that holds the dog’s owner responsible even if the dog never touched or bit the cyclist, and just wanted to play. Claims against a dog owner are typically covered by most homeowner’s insurance policies.
• Insurance Law Practice - Steve has worked both as in-house trial counsel for a large international insurance company and as an insurance defense lawyer for an aggressive litigation firm. He has handled fire cases, fraud cases, bad faith cases and more. A few of his insurance law cases include:
• Clements v. Ohio State Life Ins. Co., 33 Ohio App. 3d 80 - Case established that an insurance agent could bind the insurance company by telling the potential insured that coverage existed. Here, an agent told Mrs. that she was covered. A short time later the company denied coverage following the discovery of terminal cancer.
• Doe v. ABC Insurance - Steve represented a local builder who purchased a dump truck on the same day as his father [who had the same name as the client] purchased the same make/model of truck. They both had the same insurance agent and the client’s mother handled the books for both father and son, including notifying the insurer of the truck purchases. When the client’s truck accidentally jumped out of gear and rolled down a hill, causing property damage and personal injury, the insurer claimed it had no notice of the son’s purchase and refused to pay the claim, even though it DID have notice of the father’s purchase. Steve was able to defend the son from numerous lawsuits and claims arising from the incident and then obtain a complete confidential settlement from the insurer covering all the claims plus attorney fees.
• Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice - Steve has handled hundreds of auto accident claims over the past 25 years. He also developed significant experience handling medical malpractice claims while running the Cincinnati office of Wolske & Blue. Some of Steve’s significant personal injury and medical malpractice cases include:
• Silz v. ABC Insurance Co. - $1.9 Million Settlement - Steve represented a young, single father of two who suffered a severe brain injury when struck by a vehicle. Through a carefully crafted settlement, a trust now provides money for the man’s care, and the care of his children. The trust also bought a home for the family and the monies obtained will provide a lifetime of benefits for the injured father and his children.
• John Doe v. ABC Hospital - Confidential Settlement. Steve was co-trial counsel on a medical malpractice claim in which a young child with a rare neurological condition died following surgery. The claim was that the hospital and surgical or post-surgical team failed to appreciate a change of condition that represented a cardiac event leading to the child’s death. The case resolved for a significant confidential settlement at mediation and prior to trial.
• Jane Doe v. ABC Hospital - Confidential Settlement. The client, born with spina bifida, was treated for a broken leg. A significant bedsore developed due to the hospital’s failure to move the young lady, whose condition prevented her from feeling the sensation of the developing sore. A significant confidential settlement was negotiated.