Accident lawyer Lewis S. "Mike" Eidson has been involved in leadership roles in many of the most important product liability cases in the United States during the past three decades. His first important product verdict was against Ford Motor Company in the infamous Ford Pinto case. Additionally, he was national co-lead counsel in the Ford Firestone tire tread separation rollover multidistrict litigation in Indianapolis, Indiana, federal court. In that capacity, he was involved in hundreds of cases involving the Ford Explorer and Firestone defective tires. He continues his leadership role in the Toyota sudden acceleration litigation and other important defective product cases. Furthermore, Mike has written two textbooks about handling product liability cases and routinely appears on television locally and nationally to discuss current product issues. He also lectures across the country to trial lawyers about this subject. He was also the founding chairman of the Institute for Injury Reduction, a national organization dedicated to reducing injuries and wrongful deaths caused by dangerously defective products.
Experience with Vehicle Safety and Personal Injury Practice Areas
While much of his practice has been in the area of vehicle safety and product litigation, Mike has earned substantial verdicts and settlements for clients affected by aviation accidents, medical malpractice and general litigation. He has tried many cases involving business, such as a recent class action involving employee rights. Mike has also had extensive experience in handling mass torts and class actions. In addition, Mike has and continues to represent victims of aviation accidents involving commercial flights all over the world, general aviation actions and military accidents. At this time, he is handling cases that occurred in places as far apart as the Netherlands, Turkey, Israel, Jamaica, Venezuela, Guyana and many other locations, including, of course, the United States.
Personal Injury Attorney with Decades of Legal Experience
Mike entered law practice in 1974 with Colson Hicks Eidson, and he is currently the president of the firm. Recently he served as president of the 60,000-member Association of Trial Lawyers of America (now named the American Association for Justice, or AAJ), which speaks for trial lawyers all over the world and is located in Washington DC. Mike served as an officer in the Association for six years and chaired many committees there. He headed the AAJ Political Action Committee for two years. He recently received the prestigious David Shrager Award at the Association's annual convention, and he has received the Stephen Sharpe Award for his work in consumer safety. Mike has also served for many years as a member of the board of directors of Public Justice, the Attorney's Information Exchange Group and the Florida Justice Association, which awarded him its Masterson Professionalism Award. He served as the President of the Miami Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and as President of the Miami Dade Justice Association. Mike was elected a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, limited to 500 members worldwide, and was elected as a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has also been selected as one of the "Best Lawyers in America," "Super Lawyers in Florida," "Most Effective Lawyers in Civil Litigation" by the Daily Business Review, one of the "Best Lawyers in Florida" by Florida Trend Magazine, "Leading Lawyers of America" many times, and has received many other distinguished recognitions by leading trial lawyers publications and organizations. Education and Community Involvement Mike is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he was selected Student Athlete of the Year in 1968 and graduated cum laude. He also studied at Warwick University in Coventry, England. He served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army following college. He attended Emory University Law School where he was a Lamar Scholar. He has co-endowed the Kessler Eidson Trial Technique Program at Emory University and has endowed scholarships at Emory and AAJ to encourage women to pursue trial practice for a career. The Miami Dade County community has also benefited from Mike's commitment to the arts and public service. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, the second largest performing arts center in the United States. He served for many years both as President of the Miami City Ballet and on the Cleveland Orchestra Residency. He has received many awards through the years for his service to the arts and to other charities, among them the Kristi House and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. For more information about Mike and his firm, contact our personal injury lawyers by submitting a brief case review. You can also call us at (305) 476-7400.
Professional Associations and Memberships
International Academy of Trial Lawyers Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers American Association for Justice President Member, Board of Governors Past Parliamentarian Treasurer Secretary Aviation Section Past Chairman Products Liability Section Past Chairman Dade County Trial Lawyers Association Past President Florida Justice Association Member, Board of Directors Past Continuing Legal Education Director Institute of Injury Reduction Founding Member Past Chairman Attorneys Information Exchange Group Board Member Trial Lawyer for Public Justice Board Member
Honors and Awards
The Al J. Cone Lifetime Achievement Award Florida Justice Association Masterson Award for Professionalism, 1999 American Association for Justice Stephen Sharpe Award, 2001 Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Lott Award, Miami-Dade Cultural Alliance, 2002 Civic and Community Activities Miami City Ballet President, Board of Trustees Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Chair-Elect, Board of Directors
Publications
Product Defect: Evidence to Verdict, Michie Company, Book, 1995 Florida Practice Guide: Personal Injury (Co-Author), 1997
