About
Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
While a serious personal injury can change your life in an instant, the proper guidance from an experienced lawyer can provide you with the immediate and long-term solutions you need on which to rely. The Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd. protects the rights of personal injury victims throughout Southern Illinois, Metro East, Missouri, and the St. Louis Metropolitan area.
Experienced Lawyer. Exceptional Results. Contact the Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd.
With over thirty years of legal experience, attorney Stephen C. Buser personally handles every case that comes into his Columbia office. Having handled over fifty jury trials in Illinois and Missouri, he has represented clients in personal injury and wrongful death claims in Southern Illinois, the St. Louis Metropolitan area, as well as clients from several other states across the country.
Without adequate personal injury and trial experience, many lawyers agree to accept the insurance company’s first settlement offer, failing to obtain the maximum amount of compensation available to clients. Attorney Stephen C. Buser is prepared to file suit and take the case to trial when the settlement offer is unreasonable or inadequate.
Attorney Buser understands how insurance companies operate and how they attempt to use the system to minimize payments to personal injury victims. He knows from over thirty years of experience when his clients are getting a fair settlement offer and when they should stand up and fight for their rights in court and to be fairly compensated.
In addition to his knowledgeable and dedicated staff of two legal secretaries, an associate attorney, and a registered nurse, attorney Stephen C. Buser works with a large network of experts to fight for your interests. From doctors and safety experts to economists and vocational rehabilitation experts, he will conduct a thorough investigation into what is necessary to evaluate the case so that a successful recovery can be achieved by settlement, or if necessary, by trial.
Contact a Law Firm that Can Help
The Law Office of Stephen C. Buser, Ltd. can answer questions you have about your personal injury claim or wrongful death of a loved one. Handling all personal injury and nursing home abuse and/or neglect cases on a contingency basis, you will pay no attorney’s fees until we resolve your case successfully. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.
Education
University of Kansas B.S. Journalism May 1975
St. Louis University School of Law Juris Doctor May 1978
Licenses To Practice Law
Illinois Supreme Court (1978)
United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois (1979)
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (1981) Missouri Supreme Court (1996)
United States Supreme Court (2005)
Professional Organizations And Memberships
Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness (2015-2024)
Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Jury Instructions Civil Cases (2006-2015)
ISBA Civil Practice and Procedure Section Council (1995-1996; 2006-2008; 2012-2013)
ISBA Chair, Tort Law Section Council (1987-1988) ISBA Young Lawyers Division (1980-1983)
American Association of Justice Nursing Home Litigation Group (2010-2024)
American Bar Association Chair, General Practice Section Litigation Committee (1992-1994)
Miscellaneous Memberships:
Monroe County Bar Association (1978-2024) President
St. Clair County Bar Association (1978-2024)
Illinois State Bar Association (1978-2024)
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association (1978-2024)
Missouri Trial Lawyers Association (2006-2024)
American Association for Justice (1987-2024)
Western Trial Lawyers Association (2013-2024)
Editorial Positions
Editor-in-Chief, Illinois Bar Journal 1998-2000
Editor and Co-Editor ISBA Section Council Publications for Tort Trends, Young Lawyers, Family Law and Trial Briefs
Advisory Committee Illinois Tort Law Reports (1987-1988)
Editorial Board The Compleat Lawyer General Practice section of the American Bar Association (1990-1991)
Publications
Illinois Bar Journal:
"Strict Product Liability in Review" 70 ISBA Journal Vo. 3 November 1981
"Illinois Residential Burglary Statute: A Need to Redefine When an Invaded Structure is a Dwelling" 73 ISBA Journal Vol. 5 January 1985
"Illinois Tort Law in Review" 77 ISBA Journal Vol. 1 September 1988
"Illinois Premises Liability: Update and Review" 77 ISBA Journal Vol. 15 November 1989
"Jury Forms Handbook Makes Drafting Instructions Easier"81 ISBA Journal Vol. 3 March 1993
"Lawyers and Shakespeare" 82 ISBA Journal Vol. 1 January 1994
"Illinois Nursing Home Litigation" Vol. 88 June 2000
Illinois Trial Lawyers Journal
"Division of Pension Benefits Between Parties Under The Illinois Dissolution of Marriage Act 2 ITLA Journal Vol. 3 Spring 1981
"Ilinois Domestic Violence Act in Review" 5 ITLA Journal Vol. 2 Spring 1983
"Tort Actions for Economic Loss: The Continuing Saga of the Moorman Doctrine" 5 ITLA Journal Vol. 2 Spring
"Views from the Bench: Interview with Judge Charles Chapman" ITLA Journal Vol. 1 Winter 1985
Trial Magazine American Association of Justice
"Failure to Warn in Toxic Tort Cases" 23 Trial Magazine Vol. 10 October 1987
The Complet Magazine General Practice Section ABA
"Trial Preparation Checklist for the General Practitioner" Vol. 4 The Compleat Lawyer Winter 1986
Barrister Magazine American Bar Association
"A Primer on the Use of Structured Settlements in Litigation Practice" 1 Barrister Magazine Vol. 4 Fall 1984
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
"Update on Supreme Court Rule 220 and Petrillo" 137 Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Vol 244 December 13, 1991
"Disclosing Experts: Trial Lawyers' Bugaboo" 138 Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Vol 76 April 17, 1992
American Jurisprudence
"Structural Damage to Residential Buildings" AmJur Trial Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Vol. 15 Fall 1994
Callaghan and Company
"Medical and Hospital Medical Malpractice: Law and Litigation: Statute of Limitations" (1987)
St. Louis Post Dispatch
"Don't Judge Juries by Political Correctness" March 25, 1993
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury" August 8, 1994
"New Limits on Suing for Injury" April 4 1995
Memberships
American Association of Justice Nursing Home Litigation Group 1999-present
Illinois Trial Lawyers Association 1978-present
Illinois State Bar Association Civil Practice Section Council 1978-present (Past Chair)
Illinois State Bar Association Tort Law Section Council 1978-present (Past Chair)
Illinois State Bar Association Trial Briefs Co-Editor 2008-2010
Illinois Bar Journal Editor 1998-2000
Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys 2006-present
U.S. District Court of Southern Illinois Lawyer Association 2017-present