Steven A. Amjad has represented both large and small corporate clients and private individuals; he has represented shareholders, consumers, retailers, individuals, property owners, and product manufacturers. He has been an advocate for clients involved in contract disputes, land disputes, farming issues, statutory violations, title issues and creditor collections. Steve has resolved many cases through settlement before, during and after trial. Steve's MBA in finance gives his clients an added, unique area of additional expertise that many other business litigation attorneys lack.
The term “personal injury” covers a large segment of the civil legal system. It encompasses any injury to your body, physical or mental, that you have gotten as a result of a fall, car accident, fight, sexual abuse, physical abuse, or the use of faulty products. Lawyers use the term "personal injury" to cover any injury you have suffered at the hand of another that causes you mental anguish, physical pain, or suffering. Your goal after any accident should always be to heal first; Steve's goal as your attorney is to get you enough money to cover the cost of the treatment to get you better, along with a payment for the mental anguish, physical pain, or suffering that you are going through. It is often difficult to deal with life after a serious accident or fall and Steve is here to help you navigate your interaction with, not only your medical and automobile insurance carrier, but also with the health care providers that help you heal.
Steve's motivation is seeing you heal from your injury. Steve will represent you by keeping you involved and allowing you to make all the decisions along the way that involve your well-being. He has expertise to asses your accident and injury with a realistic, “no-nonsense” approach that focuses on meeting your needs first. Steve's personal injury practice has included a wide array of cases from damages related to car accidents to slip and falls to general negligence to incidents of sexual abuse.
Steve's practice does not include the defense of large insurance companies. He focuses his efforts on getting you compensated after an accident and will not settle any cases without your permission. Steve has helped clients assert claims with their own insurance carrier (through uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage) in addition to representing them in actions against other individuals and insurance companies. There are many issues to keep in mind in evaluating a claim for injuries after an accident, including doctors’ bills, time lost from work, medical costs for ongoing injuries, pain and suffering and a change in lifestyle. Steve represents Plaintiffs (injured persons) in this area of the law - not insurance companies. He will help you value your loss and obtain compensation for your injuries.
Steve is an active member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association along with being a member of the Illinois and Missouri State Bar Associations.
The criminal law practice is an area of law that requires the assistance of a competent criminal defense attorney with experience in negotiating a plea or handling a criminal trial. In most cases, hiring an attorney that understands the nuances of the county where you have been charged is helpful rather than using counsel that is not local. Steve has handled cases in Champaign County and most of the counties in central Illinois including those near Mattoon, Danville, Decatur, Peoria and Springfield. His criminal defense practice includes felonies and misdemeanors on a wide range of crimes from traffic to DUI to drug offenses to more serious felonies like aggravated battery and theft.
As a former prosecutor, Steve understands the expectations the prosecutor has in approaching your criminal case. He has also served as a special prosecutor in Champaign County in addition to current his criminal defense practice.
Whether your case is for a traffic violation, a DUI or other crime, it will begin with an arrest or notice to appear on a petty, misdemeanor, or felony charge. From there, you will attend a hearing called an arraignment at which time your charges will be read to you and you will be asked whether you plead either guilty or not guilty. For the most part, everyone pleads not guilty at this stage and the case is continued. For a more detailed explanation of this process, see Steve's Legal Guide - The Criminal Process in Illinois.
From that time forward, the prosecutor shares your evidence with you as your case progresses to a plea of guilty or a trial in front of either a judge or a jury. As your misdemeanor or felony criminal case progresses through this process, Steve will be with you the whole way gathering evidence for your criminal defense, guiding the negotiations for a plea and preparing you criminal defense if a trial becomes your only acceptable option.
Steve is an active member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers along with being a member of the Illinois and Missouri State Bar Associations.
Steve has experience in the Fourth District Appellate Court of Illinois and has co-authored an Amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court. He has handled appeals of his own cases, as both the appellant and appellee. In addition, Steve has taken on appeals of cases without having handled the underlying trial.
Steve brings extensive experience in many aspects of legal practice to the clients of Meyer Capel. Over the last several years he has specialized his area of practice in litigation including complex commercial litigation, personal injury, toxic tort defense and criminal defense.
Steve's office is located in Champaign County, however, he frequently travels to litigate cases in central Illinois including travel to Coles County, Cumberland County, DeWitt County, Douglas County, Edgar County, Effingham County, Ford County, Iroquois County, Macon County, McLean County, Sangamon County, Shelby County, Tazewell County and Vermilion County.
