Patrick J. Platter, Attorney

Patrick J. Platter attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, earning his bachelor degrees (A.B., Political Science and Economics) in 1978 and his law degree (J.D.) in 1981. Mr. Platter has practiced law in Springfield for over twenty years. He was a law clerk for the Honorable George M. Flanigan of the Missouri Court of Appeals-Southern District from 1981-1982 and was an assistant prosecuting attorney for Greene County from 1982-1983. He has been in private practice since then and joined Neale & Newman, L.L.P. January 1, 2002.

Mr. Platter focuses his practice upon work related injury litigation and planning models for employers, land use law, administrative law, and a general trial practice. His on the job injury litigation practice includes workers' compensation, disability benefit litigation, return to work issues for injured employees, personal injury, and litigation in various settings such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and federal and state antidiscrimination statutes. This practice also includes planning with businesses to develop employment policies concerning these areas. His practice in land use law includes both litigation and work with governmental entities to develop land use practices in the public interest. Some of the notable cases he has litigated that are reported include Miller v. City of Springfield, 146 F.3d 612 (8th Cir. 1998); (personality characteristics of police academy applicants and the Americans with Disabilities Act); Hillenburg v. Cox Medical Center, 879 S.W.3d 652 (Mo.App. S.D. 1994) (notice to employers in workers' compensation); Loyd v. Ozark Electric Cooperative Inc., 6 S.W.3rd 579 (Mo.App. S.D. 1999) (the significance of OSHA violations in workers' compensation claims); and Banks v. Springfield Park Care Center, 981 S.W.2d 161 (Mo.App. S.D. 1998) (authorization of treatment in workers' compensation).

Mr. Platter is the author of Chapter 1 (History, Administration and Jurisdiction) of the Workers' Compensation CLE Deskbook for the Missouri Bar Association, has published in the Missouri Bar Journal, Workers' Compensation Law Review and regularly speaks before interested groups on topics concerning workers' compensation, employment law and return to work issues.

Mr. Platter has donated considerable time over the years to various public volunteer agencies. These include the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Springfield (Chairman, 2000-2002), the Traffic Advisory Board for the City of Springfield, the Board of Directors of Legal Aid of Southwest Missouri, the Board of Directors of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, and Child Advocacy Council. He has also been active with the Workers' Compensation Committee of the Missouri Bar Association (Vice Chairman, 2002, 1997-1998).

Mr. Platter is a member of the Missouri Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, the American Bar Association, and is also licensed to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the United States Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.