John Stalzer | Cleveland Personal Injury Lawyer

I grew up in Lakewood, Ohio, the younger brother of two sisters and the son of immigrants.  My mom was born in Germany and my dad was a Gottscheer.  Gottschee was once a settlement of Austrians in what's now Slovenia; a settlement of German speakers that existed for about 600 years until 1941

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I started my legal career working as a law clerk for the Hon. Judge Harry Hanna and the Hon. Judge Leo Spellacy and visiting Judges assigned to preside over civil Jury Trials.  During my time with the Court, I gained valuable experience observing lawyers handling Trials and insight in how Judges preside over Trials.  As a law clerk, I assisted Judges with legal issues arose during those Trials.

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After working for the Court, I practiced law for more than 18 years with a large regional defense firm representing insurance companies and insureds in a wide-variety of civil lawsuits including cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, mass tort, retail and hospitality, trucking and commercial transportation, commercial litigation, creditor's rights, and condominium law.  

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A few years ago, I had an opportunity to represent a woman who suffered a wrist injury and a unique, but serious condition when an airbag caused abrasions on her neck and face.  Over-the-counter medications used to treat the abrasions caused my client to develop an allergy to propylene glycol.  When I first got involved, the insurance company for the individual who caused that accident offered a mere $5,000 and denied that her condition was related to the accident.  After working on the case, I obtained a significant six figure settlement.  I gained a satisfaction that made me realize I wanted to represent individuals and families.