Steven Campora came to the firm as an associate in July of 2002. In December of 2008, Mr. Campora became a partner, and in January of 2012, the name of the firm was changed to Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, LLP.
Steve began his career defending large corporations in personal injury and construction cases. However, for the last 18 years he has had the honor and privilege of representing injured clients or heirs in personal injury and wrongful death cases arising from auto, trucking and construction accidents, as well as product failures.
Steve grew up in the foothills of California and was a high school and college football player. He attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento, and, with honors, from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.
"My dad had been a professional football player and was a college football coach. My mom was a librarian. Competing, working hard and studying hard were a given in my home when I was growing up. I think those traits translate well to the practice of law and benefit my clients."
For 10 years, Steve has been AV Preeminent peer-review rated,* the highest rating, through Martindale-Hubbell. In 2010 he was named Advocate of the Year with his partner, Robert Buccola, for their work on behalf of injury victims. Steve has consistently been recognized by Sacramento Magazine as a "Top Attorney" in Sacramento and has been selected for inclusion in California Super Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyers in Northern California, in each of the last six years. In 2010 Steve was a finalist for the Consumer Attorneys of California Trial Lawyer of the Year.
In 2009, Steve and Robert Buccola on behalf of their clients, were able to require Simplex Grinnell to change its business practice regarding the impairment of life safety systems as part of the settlement in a wrongful death suit against the company. This suit arose from the disconnecting of a fire alarm system for 70 days. The terms of this settlement will help to minimize the chance that a wrongful death might occur in the future.
Steve and Catia Saraiva represented the Botell Family in an action arising from the death of Tommy Botell, age 9, and injury to his sister, Katrina, age 13, at Lassen Volcanic National Park. In Botell v. United States. The government denied liability and refused to compensate the family for their loss. The conduct of the United States, specifically park management, resulted in the United States being sanctioned for destroying evidence. Steve and Catia were able to establish that the park superintendent had not complied with mandatory park policies and ultimately the court struck the defense of the United States and ruled that negligence on the part of the United States was the cause of the death of Tommy and injury to his sister, Katrina. The case settled, on the eve of trial, on the issue of damages, for a substantial amount.
Steve represented victims of the San Bruno/PG&E tragedy that occurred in September 2010. Eight people were killed in the blast, and hundreds of others were injured and lost their homes. More than 200 lawsuits were filed, and Steve was selected as a lead counsel for the plaintiffs. Those cases resulted not only in recovery for his clients, but in changes to the way in which PG&E manages their gas transmission pipelines. For his work on behalf of the San Bruno injury victims, the California Consumer Attorneys of California recognized Steve as the Consumer Attorney of the Year in 2013.
Steve was selected as a lead counsel for litigation resulting from the Butte Fire in Calaveras County, and his clients have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for losses they sustained.
"Our first job is to do our best to make sure our clients receive full compensation for their injuries or loss, but it is also our job to do our best to protect people from becoming the future victims of unsafe conduct or practices. I do not know of another firm whose clients have, as part of a settlement, required a defendant to change its behavior."
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.
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