About R. Steven Shisler, Esq.

Trial attorney since 1985. Opened own law firm in 1996, after prior associations with other firms. Areas of concentration: Plaintiffs' personal injury and other matters involving complex regional pain syndrome/reflex sympathetic dystrophy, other neurological injuries, and other serious injuries. Obtained numerous six and seven figure verdicts and settlements representing plaintiffs in personal injury matters in Pennsylvania and as co-counsel in other states.
Faculty member of American Association for Justice (Association of Trial Lawyers of America ) education department since 2000. Co-founder of the Association's Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group. Frequently invited speaker on complex regional pain syndrome for legal and medical organizations and on television and radio talk shows.
Was instrumental in drafting and causing enactment of Social Security Policy Ruling for disability claims involving reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome.
Elected to board of directors and as secretary of the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association in 2013. RSDSA is an international non- profit corporation which provides education, assistance, and funding of medical research concerning reflex sympathetic dystrophy/complex regional pain syndrome.
Click here to read an article about Steve Shisler and about how CRPS changes lives.
Education
Dickinson College (B.A.)
Villanova University School of Law (J.D.)
Licenses
Pennsylvania teacher’s certification (inactive)
Pennsylvania attorney’s license, November 1985 - Present
Bar Admissions
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, November 1985 - Present
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1988 - Present
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, November 1989 - Present
Memberships
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association. Member, member of board of directors, and secretary of international non profit corporation raising awareness, providing education, and funding medical research for a cure for neurological condition, complex regional pain syndrome/reflex sympathetic dystrophy.
Organizations
American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America)
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice (Co-founder)
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (Member, 1999-Present; Member, Board of Directors, 2013-Present; Secretary, 2013- Present)
Speaking Engagements by Invitation
Social Security Disability Benefits and Workers’ Compensation for the Claimant with RSD
Help Stop the Pain RSD Support Group’s First Conference on RSD
Philadelphia, PA, September 1996
Obtaining Compensation
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association’s Third National Conference,
Atlantic City, NJ, October 15, 1999
Obtaining Social Security Disability and Workers’ Compensation for the Claimant with RSD
Philadelphia RSD Conference
Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, May 20, 2001
Discovery in Gun Litigation: How to Get What you Want
Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Firearms and Ammunition Litigation Group
Montreal, Canada, July 17, 2001
Cross-Examination of the Defendant’s Medical Expert in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Cases
Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Boston, MA, July 4, 2004
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy - The Latest Developments
Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group
Washington, D.C. April 9, 2005
Overcoming Defenses in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Cases
Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Toronto, Canada. July 24, 2005
Fibromyalgia: Trauma and Disability
Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Toronto, Canada, July 24, 2005
Workers’ Compensation, Social Security, Government Benefits, and the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Case
Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Seattle, WA, July 16, 2006
Overcoming Obstacles in Trying the RSD Case
Association of Trial Lawyers of America, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Chicago, IL, July 15, 2007
Cross-Examination of the Defendant’s Medical Expert in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Cases
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Philadelphia, PA, July 13, 2008
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in Workers’ Compensation and Social Security Matters
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
San Francisco, CA, July 28, 2009
Using Medical Literature in Cross-Examination of Defense Medical Experts in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Cases
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group,
Vancouver, Canada, July 12, 2010
Cross-Examination of the Defendant’s Medical Expert in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Cases
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
New York, NY, July 11, 2011
Defeating the Defense Medical Expert Through Medical Literature
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Chicago, IL, July 30, 2012
Preparation and Trial of a Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Case
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
San Francisco, CA, July 22, 2013
Cross-Examining the Defense Doctor in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Cases
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Baltimore, MD, July 27, 2014
Tips and Tactics for Success from the CRPS/RSD Superstars
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Montreal, Canada, July 12, 2015
The Art of War: Using the Military Principles and Strategies of Sun Tzu and Von Clausewitz in Cross-Examination of the Defense Medical Expert in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Cases
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Los Angeles, CA, July 22, 2016
Cross Examination of the Defendant's Medical Expert in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Cases
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Boston, MA, July 22, 2017
Cross Examination of the Defendant's Medical Expert in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Cases
American Association for Justice, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group
Denver, CO, July 8, 2018
Publications
How to Lose Your Case in Twelve Easy Steps, RSDSA Review
(Reprinted in Association for Repetitive Motion Syndromes, January 2001)
Workers’ Compensation 101: An Overview of Workers’ Compensation for Employees with Work Related Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, RSDSA Review
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Diagnostic Tests: Approach with Caution, Trial
(Washington, D.C., October 1, 2008)
Cross-examination of the Defendant’s Medical Expert in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Cases, Defense Medical Examiner: Defusing the Testimony, American Association for Justice (2010)
Published Opinions
Terra Nova Insurance Company, Ltd. v. 900 Bar, Inc. 87 F.2d 1213 (3d Cir. 1989)
(Insurance Coverage)
Rosen v. Rucker, 905 Fed. 2d 702 (3d Cir. 1990) (Damages)
Television and Radio Appearances
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Central New York Morning
Radio station WSYR
Syracuse, New York. July 1999
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Your Morning
CN 8 Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA. October, 2003
Cited as a Reference
Hodge, Jr. S.D., et al. Understanding Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, The Practical Litigator (July 2008)
Hodge, Jr., S.D., et al., Complex Regional Pain Syndrome—Why the Controversy? A Medical/Legal Overview, 13 Mich. St. Med & Law 1 (2009)
Paul & Perkins, PA, Cited as authority on complex regional pain syndrome on website of Orlando, FL law firm (2015-present)
Quoted
Jacobs, D., CRPS Suit Resolved on Day of Scheduled Trial-Constant “Stinging” Pain Affects
up to 1.2 M People, The Daily Record (Baltimore, MD, September 8, 2008).
Interviewed and quoted by journalist on topic of complex regional pain syndrome, in newspaper article concerning medical malpractice case handled by another attorney.
Other Activities
Co-founder of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now American Association for Justice)
Atlanta, GA, July 23, 2002
Chair of the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Litigation Group of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America/American Association for Justice
2004-2005, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2017-2019
Was instrumental in changing the Social Security disability regulations for RSD, resulting in Social Security Ruling, SSR 03-2p: Titles II and XVI: Evaluating Cases Involving Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome/Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Federal Register, Vol. 68 No. 202 (October 20, 2003)
Top Skills
- Complex Regional Pain...
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Amputations/Phantom Pain
- Birth Injuries
- Wrongful Death
- Product Liability
- Personal Injury
- Injury
- Legal Writing
- Medical Malpractice
- Personal Injury...
- Trial Practice
- Arbitration
- Civil Litigation
- Workers Compensation
- Social Security...
- Appeals
- Policy
- Litigation
- Firearms Litigation
- Pain Management
- Chronic Pain
- Insurance Law
- Trials
- Courts
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