Scott E. Nutter

Scott E. Nutter is a skilled trial lawyer and partner at Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, Chtd. At the firm, he represents individuals who have been seriously injured in accidents, as well as the families of those wrongfully killed.

Scott decided to become an attorney because of the immense pride he feels in helping others. This is something that was ingrained in him, in large part, from being raised in a small community in which everyone knew everyone and people helped each other in times of need. Now, Scott is motivated to help people who have been seriously injured through no fault of their own and whose lives have been turned upside down.

Since joining the firm in 2001, Scott has played a key role in some of Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman Chtd.'s largest and most successful jury verdicts. He served as co-counsel alongside Attorney Lynn Johnson in Frederick v. Swift, a semi-truck accidents cases in which the jury returned a verdict of $23.5 million. The verdict is believed to be one of the largest personal injury verdicts in Kansas history.

Scott also served as co-counsel with former partner Steve Six in Pronald v. Firestone, a case involving a Firestone tire tread separation that ended in an $8.3 million verdict. It is believed to be the second largest personal injury verdict in the history of conservative Johnson County, Kansas.

More recently, Scott received a $3 million verdict as lead trial counsel in Burnette v. Eubanks, a Johnson County, KS medical negligence wrongful death case in which the defendants refused to make a settlement offer. It was the largest Johnson County medical negligence verdict in decades. Scott also received a $1.6 Million verdict in Wilson v. Image Flooring, a Kansas City trucking accident case. In Wilson, we made a final pre-trial demand of $1 Million. Defendants offered $900,000. We refused to settle at a discount, went to trial and won.

Just in 2019-2020, Scott has received:

• $7.5 million settlement in a Missouri slip and fall case
• $7.5 million settlement in a Kansas bad faith case
• $6 million in a Midwest trucking wrongful death case
• $4.5 million in a Kansas trucking wrongful death case
• $2 million in a western KS medical negligence case
• $2 million in a central KS medical negligence wrongful death case
• $1.4 million in a Missouri auto wrongful death case
• $1 million in a Missouri trucking case

Although he has handled dozens of cases resulting in verdicts or settlements exceeding $1 million, Scott brings the same level of personal attention and commitment to all his cases, big or small. For example, in a Kansas City motorcycle wreck case, Scott and his client refused a settlement offer of $62,000, tried the case to a jury and received a $200,000 verdict. Scott also tried a “no offer” medical negligence case in Kirksville, Missouri, which ended in a $263,000 verdict for a client who suffered an ankle injury. After that verdict, the trial judge informed Scott that it was only the second medical negligence verdict for the plaintiff in Kirksville history. These cases were not about the money. They were about giving Scott’s clients their day in court, fighting to obtain fair compensation whether big or small, and holding wrongdoers accountable.

Scott considers many of his clients through the years to be close personal friends. He routinely talks to past clients and their families from cases resolved many years ago. Along with the entire firm, Scott takes great pride in developing meaningful, lasting relationships with the people he represents.

Scott earned his undergraduate degree summa cum laude in 1996 from the University of Missouri – Columbia. In 1995, he was one of only five juniors at the university to be inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. Following his undergraduate education, Scott went on to earn his law degree from the same university, graduating cum laude in 1999. During law school, he served as managing editor of the Missouri Law Review and was inducted into the prestigious Order of the Coif and the Order of the Barristers. He also received the highest marks in six different courses, including contracts, constitutional law, and federal courts. As a law student, he was active in the regional moot court and negotiation competitions and received the Roscoe Anderson Award for excellence in moot court, as well as the Judge L.F. Cottey Award for outstanding performance in oral and written advocacy.

Although he is currently based in Kansas City, Scott has handled numerous cases near his small hometown of Kahoka and the nearby areas. He takes great pride in helping people from his local community and is a diehard fan and supporter of the Mizzou Tigers.

Scott is married to his college sweetheart, Susie, and together they are the proud parents of twins, Lilly and Luke, and son, Sam.

Areas of Practice

• Product Liability
• Medical Negligence
• Automotive and Trucking Accident Litigation
• Premises Liability
• General Tort Law

Bar Admissions

• Missouri
• Kansas

Education

• University of Missouri Columbia School of Law, Columbia, Missouri – 1999
  • Honors: Cum laude
  • Honors: Order of the Coif
  • Honors: Order of the Barristers
  • Honors: Mock Trial Program, Regional Moot Court
  • Honors: Roscoe Anderson Award for Excellence in Moot Court
  • Honors: Judge LF Cottey Awards, Outstanding Performance in Oral and Written Advocacy
  • Law Review: Missouri Law Review, Managing Editor
• University of Missouri-Columbia – 1996
  • Honors: Summa cum laude
  • Honors: Phi Beta Kappa (1995)

Honors & Awards

• Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers 2013 – 2020
  • Super Lawyers Rising Star 2009 – 2012

Professional Associations & Memberships

• American Association for Justice, Member
• Missouri Association for Justice, Board of Directors
• Kansas Trial Lawyer Association, Board of Directors

Past Employment Positions

• Hon. D. Brook Bartlett, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Judicial Law Clerk