Myron Shapiro: Reflections Of 40 Years As A Trial Lawyer
A partner in the Miami Office of RumbergerKirk, Myron Shapiro...
Myron Shapiro has been a practicing trial lawyer for more than 40 years and has been lead counsel in more than 50 complex product liability trials. These trials include defending American, Japanese and European automobile and truck manufacturers involving airbags (aggressive deployment/non-deployment frontal and side), rollover roof crush, sudden/unintended acceleration, lack of ignition inter-lock, inertial release of occupant restraint system, carbon monoxide affixation, door latch integrity, post-collision fuel system integrity, front seat/backrest strength in rear-end collisions and aerodynamic/handling characteristics (oversteer/understeer) in cases involving brain damage, including diffuse axonal brain injuries, quadriplegia/paraplegia, wrongful death, ruptured aorta, traumatic amputation, severe burn injuries, crushed internal organs and persistent vegetative state.
Myron also defended a number of off-road industrial vehicle/material handling equipment manufacturers (fork lifts, front-end loaders, skid steer loaders, walkie straddle truck) involving allegations of inadequate rollover protection systems (ROPS), lack of audible alarm/visual strobe light, warnings, lack of occupant restraint and “belly button” reversing switch defects.
In addition to his extensive representation of automobile and truck manufacturers in complex product liability cases, Myron has also handled general auto/truck personal injury casualty matters involving single and multiple vehicle crashes as well as multi-vehicle pile ups, Federal Motor Carrier (FMC) regulations including matters of alleged sleep deprivation.
Non-vehicular products defended by Myron include extensive litigation in elevator and escalator cases, stainless steel armored phone cables for public telephones in which severe hand & arm lacerations have occurred during acts of vandalism, telephone acoustical trauma, power station insulation materials resulting in electrical burns, insecticide/pesticide-crop contamination (toxic tort), commercial litigation and intellectual property cases. Myron also served as national coordinating counsel.
Additionally, Myron handles complex civil litigation matters including class actions, large multi-party construction defect litigation representing developers and general contractors, and is a skilled appellate practitioner.
In 2014, Myron was selected to serve on the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Committee’s Professionalism Panel. The panel members are charged with receiving, screening, and acting upon complaints of unprofessional conduct by attorneys practicing within the Circuit.
Myron was involved in the historical precedent setting United States Supreme Court case on personal jurisdiction. World-Wide Volkswagen Corp. v. Woodson, 444 US 286 (1980), including its trial in the USDC N.D. of Oklahoma, before Judge James O. Ellison, which resulted in a complete defense verdict.
Summary Judgment granted in favor of Briggs & Stratton on alleged defective high-pressure hose of pressure washer on the grounds the Georgia Statute of Limitations was applicable since that jurisdiction had the most contacts and the accident occurred in Georgia.
459 Fed. Appx. 865 (11th Cir. (Fla.) 2012)
Summary Judgment on issue of Coblentz Agreement Affirmed.
Plaintiff attempted to enforce Coblentz Agreement entered into with Miami-Dade County on issue of liability and consent judgment. District Court, Judge James King, determined Miami-Dade County violated the terms and conditions of the indemnity the provision of the service contract with Schindler. Judge King further determined the Coblentz Agreement entered into by Miami Dade County was null and void.
444, US 286 (1080)
Supreme Court determined Oklahoma lacked jurisdiction over New York Distributor and New York Dealer who did not have sufficient minimum contacts with Oklahoma consistent with due process of the Fourteenth Amendment to exercise personal jurisdiction..
The trial of this matter involved a post-collision fuel fed fire with allegations of design defect in the placement and thickness of the fuel tank and design of the fuel filler neck. After three weeks of trial, the jury determined there were no defects that caused Plaintiffs’ extensive burn injuries and found in favor of the manufacturer and importer.
Obtained defense verdict for this wrongful death roof crush/pillar support case. The trial took place over three weeks in the U.S.D.C. S. Dist. of Fla., WPB Div. The Freightliner tractor was hauling dual trailers when its driver lost control and the entire unit overturned and slammed into a large diameter steel pole supporting overhead signs on I-75. Accident reconstruction, design and biomechanical experts testified for each side. Jury reached verdict in 3 hours. Judge Daniel Hurley presided.
Plaintiff lost control and her vehicle which rolled over four times off the road and she was rendered paraplegic. Defect allegations were lack of crashworthiness in that there was excessive roof crush, roof support pillars were not sufficiently strong and the restraint system released allowing Plaintiff to make significant contact with the roof. Trial took five weeks and the jury found in favor of the manufacturer and importer as to all defect allegations. Judge James C. Paine presided.
Plaintiff alleged her Mazda Miata’s frontal airbag should have deployed when the vehicle in front of the Mazda was rear-ended. After three days of trial, the judge was recused. Subsequently, Summary Judgment was granted in favor of Mazda importer.
Court granted Summary Judgment in favor of Komori and granted $15,000 in attorneys’ fees based upon failure to timely dismiss.
Plaintiff alleged when she opened refrigerator, 16 oz bottle tipped over and bottle cap ejected striking her in eye causing injury. After two weeks of trial, jury found in favor of Pepsico and against Plaintiff on all defect allegations. Judge Norman C. Roettger presided.
Personal injuries were sustained (crushed leg) when visitor at auto dealership was struck when rear of demonstrator Audi (manual transmission) lurched rearward and struck Plaintiff. Alleged defect was failure to equip vehicle with ignition safety interlock. Trial Court Judge, Stanley Marcus, granted Directed Verdict.
New York Law School — J.D.
Indiana University — B.A., History