About Us
Our Firm’s Philosophy, Commitment, and History
We are, first and foremost, experienced and proven trial lawyers.
Not every doctor is qualified to be a surgeon, just as not every lawyer is qualified to be a trial lawyer. An accomplished attorney at trial must have specific skills and experience, plus an ability to prepare for every possibility, to think fast on his or her feet, and to stay focused, especially under intense courtroom pressure.
We are specialized and very knowledgeable regarding certain practice areas. It’s why we feel that we are better qualified than other reputable firms to help you.
However, before retaining the services of any law firm, we recommend that you ask these questions about the relationship you’ll be forming:
- Does the attorney have experience in your particular situation?
- Does the attorney explain things in understandable terms?
- Will you have access to your lawyer throughout your case?
- Does the attorney and firm believe in your case?
And most importantly:
- Do you personally feel comfortable with the legal team?
The fact is most people don’t lose confidence in their lawyer because of legal incompetence. Trust goes away when they lose their personal connection, which is so important in every case. That won’t happen at our firm. When you put your trust in us, we pledge our full experience and resources to win your case.
OUR EXPERIENCED TEAM
Bringing Dedication & Determination To Every Case
What Makes Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman Different?
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Highly Respected in Our FieldOur attorneys are well-established in various areas of practice, including Attorney Lynn R. Johnson, who is a member of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates.
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A Legacy of ExcellenceWe have a longstanding history of exemplary legal representation dating back to 1949, but are committed to leveraging forward-thinking practices and technology for the benefit of our clients.
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Trial-Ready Legal AdvocacyWhile most of our cases result in successful settlements, our willingness to go to trial enables us to secure more favorable outcomes.
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A Network of Support
We work to ensure that you receive the resources you need after an injury, including medical care, access to experts, emotional and financial support.
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Committed to Our CommunityOur advocacy does not stop in the courtroom - it extends into our support for various local organizations that benefit our community.
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Personal, Hands-On Attention
All members of our team, including partners, associates and paralegals, are committed to providing direct contact and clear communication.
THIS IS WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE BELIEVE:
- We are dedicated to ensuring that any person who is injured by the misconduct of others can get justice in the courtroom, even when taking on powerful interests.
- We are determined to protect the legal rights of all our clients and strengthen the civil justice system, so wrongdoers are held accountable.
- We are committed to obtaining a just and equitable resolution of your case, whether by settlement, trial, or appeal.
- We understand the many new problems a serious personal injury, death, or financial loss will cause to you and your family and the emotional toll it can take. We know how to help with these issues.
- We have the resources to successfully handle even the most complicated and challenging cases. This includes an extensive network of consultants, physicians, engineers, life-care planners, and others who can provide the expert analysis and testimony needed to win your case.
- We work as a team, collaboratively, with 2 attorneys, a legal assistant, and 1 or more secretaries as a core group on each case. A knowledgeable team member is always available to you, and we will promptly return your calls.
- We always remember that this is your only case and of the utmost importance, so we keep you informed, educate you, and get you an excellent result.
Our Experience Pays
View Some of Our Successful Verdicts & Settlements
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$23 Million Trucking Accident Verdict
Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman won what is thought to be the largest personal injury verdict in Kansas in a trucking case against Swift Transportation. The $23.5 million verdicts followed a lengthy jury trial in U.S. District Court in Wichita.
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$11.5 Million Massive Bad Faith Judgment
The District Court of Riley County, Kansas, issued a ruling enforcing an $11,588,548 judgment against insurance carrier USAIG for its negligence and bad faith in handling a claim against its insured pilot following a fatal airplane crash. In 2021, the ruling was upheld by the Kansas Court of Appeals.
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$10.25 Million Insurance Bad Faith
An insurance company's failure to timely offer its $100,000 liability policy after a motor vehicle accident resulted in the company's payment of a $10.25 million settlement of a Kansas "bad faith" action handled by Vic Bergman.
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$5.2 Million Drilling Truck Accident
A head-on highway collision caused by an oil and gas driller resulted in a $4 million settlement from the drilling company after a week and a half of trial in southwest Kansas.
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$4.72 Million Preventable Birth Injury
The negligence of an obstetrician and of labor and delivery nurses at Salina Regional Health Center resulted in a $4.72 million settlement. The case, which was handled by Vic Bergman and Matt Birch, exhausted the defendants’ available insurance coverage and included $20,000 of the physician’s personal assets.
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$4.3 Million Preventable Birth Injury
A hospital’s failure to have policies in place to prevent devastating brain injuries to infants led to a $4.3 million Kansas settlement. Vic Bergman represented the family.
Firm History
We Stand on Their Shoulders and Follow Their Example
The trial lawyers of Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, Chtd. carry on the tradition of the legal giants who founded our firm: Joseph Cohen, Charles Schnider, and John Shamberg. These were nationally recognized trial lawyers dedicated to the excellent representation of individuals and families who experienced catastrophic personal injury, economic loss, or death as the result of wrongful conduct or defective products. No matter how big or powerful the wrongdoer, and no matter how small or powerless the injured party, these lawyers did battle for their clients in courtrooms, just as we do now.
Joe Cohen and Charlie Schnider were among the founders of The American Trial Lawyers Association (now The American Association for Justice). In 1949, John Shamberg joined the firm ꟷ and through his vision, skill, and determination ꟷ brought it to new levels of sophistication and success.
In 1966, the firm was reorganized under the name of Schnider, Shamberg & May. This was in the golden age of the development of tort law. During this period, Charlie Schnider and John Shamberg pioneered many trial techniques, and earned a reputation as a regional powerhouse plaintiffs’ personal injury firm.
Lynn Johnson joined the firm in 1970, and Victor Bergman in 1975. Both were trained and mentored as trial lawyers by Charlie Schnider and John Shamberg. Then, in 1995, the firm changed its name to Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, Chtd.
Lynn Johnson and Victor Bergman have continued the tradition of attracting and handling high-quality, high-profile injury and death cases.
Our newest partners, Matt Birch, Scott Nutter, David Morantz and Daniel Singer joined the firm in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2010, respectively. Each partner has added depth and breadth of imagination and skill to maintain the excellence that our firm brings to the representation of our clients.
We have the same focus today as always ꟷ dedication to the excellent representation of individuals and families who have experienced catastrophic personal injury, economic loss, or death as the result of wrongful conduct or defective products.
That is our tradition. Experience pays.
TESTIMONIALS
We've Helped Thousands of People Just Like You
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"Handled all of my concerns with the highest level of professionalism."I highly recommend this practice. Richard Budden was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and realistic with my expectations. He and his team were always quick to respond and handled all of my concerns with the highest level of professionalism. Thank you for all of your help!- Sarah B.
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"With the help of SJB, we were able to get some answers and some peace of mind."
After our son’s birth injury, it was our ultimate goal to determine what had really happened during his delivery. With the help of Shamberg, Johnson, & Bergman, we were able to get some answers and some peace of mind as to what had truly happened that day. In working through this process and dealing with birth injuries, there is so much personal information to divulge and so much trauma to relive, but our lawyers always handled everything with so much grace and professionalism; instead of adding to the trauma of that day, it was the beginning to the healing process for our family. Even though it was a hard first step to take to make that initial contact and to share those very raw and emotional details, it is one of the best decisions we have made to reach out to Shamberg, Johnson, and Bergman, and it has really helped us to be able to move forward. In addition to the answers that we were so desperately seeking, our lawyers also successfully helped us to get financial compensation to truly make a difference in our son’s life, and we will forever be so grateful for what they have done for our family.
- Katy Brown -
"Very helpful and compassionate during an extremely difficult time."David Morantz and his team were so very helpful and compassionate during an extremely difficult time in my life. They were very knowledgeable regarding laws governing our situation and gave perfect advice. If you find yourself in need of a wrongful death law firm, firstly, I'm sorry, and secondly, Shamberg, Johnson and Bergman would be that firm.- Deanna B.
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"Highly recommend this firm."Highly recommend this firm. They were professional and helped us understand the whole process while working with them. David was very down to Earth and excellent to work with.- Amanda H.
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"I couldn’t be more thankful for everything they did."This firm, specifically, David Morantz, was a huge help in the case that I had over the past few years. All the members of the law firm that helped with everything put in tireless hours to give the best outcome they could. This firm will go to bat for you and do what they can to get you the best result. I couldn’t be more thankful for everything they did.- Jeff K.
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"They will put you at ease."This Firm is highly recommended and is far from ambulance chasing. They are highly professional and knowledgeable when representing clients and will put you at ease.- Brant H.
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"Extraordinary diligence and excellent communication."The entire team worked tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome for my case. Extraordinary diligence and excellent communication throughout the full process!- Chantelle B.
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"Very thankful for this law firm."Our case was unique and quite involved. We (and our child) were treated kindly and the staff followed through with us from beginning to end. Add in follow-up calls, and emails and there was a strong bond in helping us help our child.
Difficult case, difficult people on the opposite side, and yet, not once did we ever feel that we were not valued.
I highly recommend, strongly so. Very thankful for this law firm.- Denise S.
John Elliott Shamberg was a very successful trial attorney whose legal career extended over 60 years. He died on July 9, 2009. John was a co-founder of Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman, Chtd. Even more, he was a mentor, advisor, vigorous advocate for legal rights, and still today, a perpetual example of our founding principles. During his distinguished legal career, he engaged in many groundbreaking cases which impacted the way laws were re-written. He also represented hundreds of personal injury victims, many of them children, who suffered due to gross negligence. Most notably, he was part of the designated lead counsel for victims of the 1981 catastrophic collapse of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel skywalks, a tragedy resulting in the death or serious injury of 350 people. John was recognized with many honors and awards for his eminent accomplishments in the legal profession. He also received the Bronze Star medal for his heroic and meritorious service during World War II as a member of the Greatest Generation. He leaves behind an incredible and enduring legacy.
