Steve Knapp
sknapp@brettlaw.com
800-925-1875
I am a lifelong resident of the Greater Seattle region. My family moved here in the 1880’s, even before Washington was a state. My great-great grandfather brought his family west in a covered wagon from Illinois on the Oregon Trail. He became the U.S. Marshall in Salem, Oregon, and was later the first Chief of Police in Spokane. My other great grandparents emigrated here and homesteaded in east King County. They were a hard working family of dairy farmers and loggers.
I am a third generation attorney, raised in a family that values hard work. Throughout my 23 years of personal injury law experience, my goal for every case is to get the best results possible for my clients. I have handled seven figure wrongful death and serious personal injury claims, premises and products liability cases, all types of motor vehicle accidents, and construction site injury cases. I have been a solo and/or lead attorney on more than 40 jury and bench (judge) trials and more than 150 arbitrations and mediations. I have served as an Arbitrator and Settlement Guardian Ad Litem in King County.
My background includes criminal prosecutions as a deputy prosecuting attorney, as well as experience prosecuting and defending civil litigation. Both jobs require considerable amounts of jury trial work, and as a result, I am fully able and prepared to take every case to trial, to deliver the best possible results in cases where opposing counsel is unreasonable or uncooperative in agreeing to an appropriate settlement. My preferred approach to litigation is to try to work cooperatively with opposing counsel. However, I have the experience to take a case from inception all the way through a jury trial and to the Court of Appeals, if necessary.
While this trial experience is crucial in reaching favorable verdicts, most cases settle prior to trial. I learned long ago that being cordial and professional is the most effective way to get the best results for my clients. I am approachable and available to my clients and all parties associated with my cases, but I am a tough and driven negotiator during litigation.