Stuart E. Scott, Esq.

Stuart Scott has been a lawyer with Spangenberg since graduating from Ohio State Law School in 1995. He made partner in 2005.

"I have spent my entire legal career at Spangenberg because it is the unique blend of a prestigious and well-respected trial firm with plentiful resources to prosecute cases, but it is small enough so that I can still have a personal relationship with each of my clients."

Stuart represents individuals and families who have been catastrophically injured or killed as a result of negligence, medical malpractice, dangerous products, or defective drugs.

Since becoming a partner, Stu has expanded his practice into Consumer Rights cases. A few examples include class actions on behalf of consumers, unfair bank overdraft fees, diapers that increased skin infection rather than decreasing it as claimed by the manufacturer, and breach of warranty against a company that refused to honor its warranty contract for defectively manufactured residential hot water tanks that leaked.

Stuart became passionate about consumer rights issues after his own encounters with unscrupulous businesses and experiencing firsthand the frustration that consumers can feel. He explains that Consumer Class Actions protect both the consumer and the honest business by identifying and punishing the bad business practices that harm the free market system:

"Consumer Class Action lawsuits are an important judicial mechanism for leveling the playing field against businesses that mislead, deceive, and otherwise view customers as prey. Class actions play a vital part in our free market check and balance scheme that stops bad businesses from succeeding at the expense of the consumer and those businesses that play by the rules and deal with their customers fairly. Without these cases, dishonest businesses would profit through deception rather than by delivering a superior service or product."

Stuart recently concluded Spangenberg's Vioxx and Bextra litigation and is currently involved with the firm in Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella cases.

Vioxx and Bextra are Cox-2 anti-inflammatory pain reliever prescription drugs. However, these drugs demonstrated the dangerous side effect of causing heart attacks and strokes. Stuart and Nick DiCello successfully resolved cases for several dozen clients totaling over $5 million in Vioxx settlements alone. The Bextra cases were settled confidentially.

"These cases really highlighted the unintended consequences when drug companies spend huge money marketing the benefits of a drug directly to the consumer while minimizing the drugs risks. There can be a strong temptation for drug companies to jeopardize public safety when a huge amount of money is at stake."

Some FDA estimates place the number of Vioxx deaths at 28,000 due to heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. "It is the equivalent of a Boeing 777 crashing every week for two years," Stu says.

Stuart is presently heading the firm's Yaz/Yasmin/Ocella drug litigation. The popular oral contraceptive pill has been linked to steeply higher rates of life-threatening blood clot injuries such as pulmonary embolism, stroke and heart attack than other brands of oral contraceptives.

This case has eerily similar parallels to the Vioxx case in that the manufacturer, Bayer, spent an enormous amount of money marketing the drug directly to young women promising birth control, acne prevention, and a better mood while downplaying its risk.

2005–Present

• Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP, Partner - Cleveland, Ohio

1995–2005

• Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP, Associate - Cleveland, Ohio

• 1995: The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law - Columbus, Ohio
• 1990: Ball State University - Muncie, Indiana
• 1986: Upper Arlington High School - Upper Arlington, Ohio

• Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys - Board of Directors 2006–Present
• Ohio Association for Justice – Board of Directors 2002–Present
• American Association for Justice
• Secretary, Lakepointe Townhouse Association

• Preparing the Client for Deposition, 2000 Cleveland Bar Association New Lawyers Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio
• Scott Ponzer Seminar, 2001 Ohio Trial Lawyers Association, Columbus, Ohio
• Maximizing Economic Damages in Tort Cases, 2003 Ohio Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention, Columbus, Ohio
• Voir Dire, 2003 Cleveland Academy Trial Attorney Luncheon Series, Cleveland, Ohio
• Medical Malpractice Nuts and Bolts From the Plaintiff's Perspective, 2005 Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio

• Recognized by Best Lawyers, 2023
• Best Lawyers®, Consumer Protection Law and Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs - 2021
• Ohio Super Lawyers General Plaintiff - 2017
• Ohio Super Lawyers – 2009-2011
• Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star – 2005-2008
• Order of the Coif (top 10% of law school class)

• $28,000,000 verdict in a wrongful death case in 2017.
• $5,600,000 verdict on behalf of a client who was paralyzed from a misdiagnosed spinal abscess caused by MRSA.

When Stuart is not litigating cases and representing his clients, he can usually be found competing in tennis, golf, or sailboat racing. Stuart's mixed doubles tennis team competed for the USTA National Championship and came in 4th place. He has also traveled to San Diego and Newport to learn more about sailboat racing techniques to bring back to Lake Erie.

"I have actually used my knowledge of sailing and boating in my law practice," he says. "I have twice represented families who lost a loved one in Lake Erie because of the negligence of the skipper who was responsible for the safety of the people on the boat."

One of Stuart's most interesting experiences was a weekend course learning to drive and race Formula 2000 race cars at the Bertil Roos Racing School at Pocono International Raceway.

"Of course, driving the car at race speeds was thrilling, but the technical aspect of properly driving the course was even more interesting," Stu says. "It was also surprisingly physically and mentally demanding. I have a much greater respect and appreciation for physical and mental conditioning that professional drivers possess."

An avid baseball fan, Stuart played four years of intercollegial baseball at Ball State University and one year in the minor leagues as a pitcher.

"Without question, my career highlight was striking out Ken Griffey, Jr., in the Connie Mack World Series. Of course, back then nobody knew he was heading to the Hall of Fame."