Dev Sethi
Dev Sethi litigates and tries a wide-range of complex injury and death cases throughout Arizona. He has Martindale Hubbell's highest rating, AV, and he is listed in "Best Lawyers." Dev is also recognized as an Arizona Super Lawyer in the area of plaintiff's personal injury, products liability, and medical malpractice litigation. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and Past-President of the Tucson Chapter. In 2017, Dev was inducted into the International Society of Barristers.
Most recently, Dev secured a $15,000,000 settlement on behalf of a client left paralyzed after a commercial vehicle struck him as he was in a cross walk.
He obtained a $5,600,000 in a wrongful death case, representing the family of a bicyclist killed by an impaired driver while she was stopped at a red light and struck from behind by a work truck. Dev's investigation uncovered a culture of drug use and other bad acts at Scott Roofing. He identified several witnesses, including former employee whistleblowers who provided sworn testimony critical of Scott Roofing and its operations. Dev also assisted the family through the parallel criminal prosecution of the driver. On the eve of being sentenced to 10.5 years in prison for his acts, he finalized a 5.2 million dollar settlement for our clients. You can watch Dev discuss the case here.
Dev continues to work with his former client, Brendan Lyons, in his bike safety non-profit, Look! Save a Life. Dev represented Brendan and his fiancé who were struck from behind by a distracted driver as they rode their bicycles on Skyline Rd. Brendan, who was forced out of his career as a firefighter because of his serious injuries, continues to work as a safety advocate through his organization, Look Save a Life. Brendan's advocacy was a leading factor in Arizona's adoption of a texting-while-driving prohibition.
In 2021, Dev represented the family of a bicyclist who was killed by an inattentive driver who attempted a left turn in Madera Canyon, a popular hiking and biking spot. The driver, who was visiting Arizona, had substantial assets, which he contributed to a settlement of the case above and in excess of the available insurance policy limits.
Currently, Dev is representing a Southern Arizona bicyclist who was significantly injured in the 2021 Show Low Bike the Bluff race, which was held in Show Low in June 2021. As in many of his cases, Dev's advocacy includes investigating and prosecuting the civil case while also serving as a liaison between his client and the County Attorney, who is responsible for the criminal prosecution.
Dev has been at the forefront of auto product defect litigation. He played a key role in uncovering the Goodyear Load Range E tire scandal and worked to hold Ford Motor Company responsible for the danger posed by their now notorious 15-passenger vans. Dev is currently representing families in product liability suits against the nation's largest corporations including General Motors, Ford, and Pentair Pools. He has represented families in several wrongful death claims against Sierra Tucson.
In addition to his work in the area of products liability, Dev has represents vulnerable individuals in abuse cases; individuals and families in suits against state, local and federal government agencies in a wide range of issues; and individuals involved in trucking and bicycle accidents. A focus of his practice is representing those injured in commercial vehicle collisions, and he has resolved several notable case against North America's largest trucking companies and brokers.
In recent years, Dev has successfully represented the victims of sexual abuse and assault in claims against public and private schools, as well as adult victims of sexual assault.
Dev successfully negotiated the largest single personal injury settlement paid by the City of Tucson. Dev's client, a University of Arizona student, was struck by a City garbage truck while he was riding his bicycle. You can read more about that case here.
Dev obtained and collected a $5,000,000 judgment against a Tucson hospital that discharged his client, who was under the influence of hospital administered morphine, without an escort. Dev tried that case to a Pima County jury, obtained a complete victory for his client, and worked to defend the jury's decision in the Arizona Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Arizona. You can read more about Dev's landmark victory here.
Prior to joining the firm, Dev worked in Nevada and Arizona as a defense lawyer representing insurance companies and other corporations. Like Ted Schmidt, Dev worked for O'Connor Cavanagh, a large defense firm that was recognized by Arizona Business Magazine as "The Best Firm in Arizona". This experience provides Dev with unique insight into the tactics and strategies of defendants, and he is proud to put this knowledge to work for people harmed by the very companies he once defended.
A graduate of Duke University (A.B. 1994) and the University of Arizona College of Law (J.D. 1997), Dev served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of International and Comparative Law. He remains active in the law school community, serving as an Adjunct Professor and as a member, and former President, of the Law College Association Board of Directors. In 2004, the University of Arizona Alumni Association recognized Dev with the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.
Dev is active in the community and many professional and legal organizations. He is member of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors and President of the Arizona Minority Bar Association. Dev frequently volunteers his time to serve as a faculty member teaching continuing legal education courses.
Dev is also an active Board Member of the Children's Museum Tucson and Ben's Bells, and he is a member of Angel Charity for Children's Advisory Board.
Dev is married to Olivia and they have two children.
Click here to read client testimonials for Dev Sethi
Click here to read more about Dev's cases.
- Representative Cases:
- Hughes v. Scott Roofing
- Dart v. City of Tucson
- Doe v. Tucson Unified School District
- Beatty v. Oro Valley Hospital
- Litwack v. Sierra Tucson
- Barajas v. Amphi School District
- Areas of Practice:
- Products Liability
- Medical Malpractice
- Premises Liability
- Automobile Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Governmental Liability
- Elder Abuse
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- Honors and Awards:
- American Board of Trial Advocates, President Tucson Chapter
- International Society of Barristers
- Martindale Hubbell AV Rated
- Best Lawyers, 2010-Present
- Southwest Super Lawyers, 2010-Present
- University of Arizona Alumni Association Distinguished Young Alumni Award, 2004
- Inside Tucson Business Up and Comer, 2006
- Arizona Daily Star, 40 Under 40, 2008
- Pima County Young Lawyers Division Outstanding Member Award, 1998 - 2003
- Litigation Percentage:
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
- Bar Admissions:
- Nevada, 1997
- Arizona, 1998
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1998
- Education:
- University of Arizona College of Law, Tucson, Arizona, May, 1997
J.D.
Law Journal: Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law, Note and Comment Editor, 1995 - 1997 - Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 1994
A.B.
Major: Public Policy Studies
- Published Works:
- Ten Tips for Settling a Case, Arizona Attorney, September, 2007
- Successfully Handling the Products Liability Case, The Advocate, March, 2006
- Politics Threaten Arizona's Independent Judiciary, Inside Tucson Business, January 23, 2006
- Liability Waivers and Releases: Worth the Paper They Are Printed On?, American Bar Association Journal for Small Firms and Solo Practices, May, 2004
- Please Release Me: Prospective Exculpatory Covenants in Arizona, Arizona Attorney, March, 2003
- Classes/Seminars Taught:
- Speaker, All India Institute of Medical Science Forum on Indians in America
- Speaker, City Of Las Vegas Arts Council, 1998
- State Bar of Arizona Mandatory Professionalism Course (Trial Practice and Diversity Sessions)
- Chair, State Bar of Arizona CLE by the Sea, 2008
- Proving the Product Defect, American Association of Justice Annual Convention 2007, 2007
- Chair, The Curmudgeon's Guide to the Law, State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention 2007, 2007
- Chair, Trial Practice Section Presentations, State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention
- Chair, Civil Justice and the Power to Do Good, State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention 2005, 2005
- Chair, Hot Issues in Trial Practice, State Bar of Arizona Annual Convention 2004
- Winning Short Trial Strategies
- Successful Deposition Strategies
- Negotiating and Settling Injury Cases
- I Know What You Did Last Summer - What Secrets Social Networking Sites Hold
- Prosecuting and Defending UM/U1M Cases
- Handling Automobile Accidents - A to Z
- Topics in Complex Litigation, State Bar of Arizona CLE by the Sea
- State Bar of Arizona 2004 Bench and Bur Roundtable
- Advanced Legal Writing
- Writing to Win
- White Mountains Trial Skills Seminar, 2003
- White Mountains Trial Skills Seminar, 2004
- Advanced Cross-Examination and Impeachment Techniques
- A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words - Developing and Using Visual Themes
- Effective Representation in the Mandatory Arbitration System
- Cross-Examination of Economic Experts in Personal Injury and Death Cases
- Joint Tortfeasor Liability in Arizona
- Employer Obligations for the Acts of Employees and Independent Contractors
- Please Release Me: The Application of Liability Waivers in Arizona
- Winning Your Case in Opening Statement
- Medical Malpractice 101 - A Primer for Fourth Year Medical Students
- Professional Associations and Memberships:
- Fox Theatre Foundation - Bollywood, 2004 - 2007
- Member, Fox Committee
- Tucson Children's Museum, 2006 - Present
- Board of Directors
- Tucson Children's Museum, 2008
- Golf Tournament Chair
- Tucson Children's Museum, 2008
- Executive Committee
- University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 2001 - Present
- Adjunct Professor
- University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, 2007 - Present
- Law College Association Board, Executive Committee
- University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
- Friend of the Dean
- University of Arizona College of Fine Arts, 2005 - 2006
- Dean's Advisory Board
- Arizona Trial Lawyers Association, 2005 - Present
- Board of Directors
- Arizona Minority Bar Association, 2000 - 2002
- Secretary
- Arizona Minority Bar Association, 2002 - 2003
- V.P.
- Arizona Minority Bar Association, 2004 - 2006
- President
- State Bar of Arizona - Consumer Information and Education Task Force, 2008
- State Bar of Arizona - Diversity Task Force, 2006 - Present
- State Bar of Arizona - Leadership Institute
- Board of Directors
- State Bar of Arizona - Trial Practice Executive Council, 2002 - Present
- State Bar of Arizona - Trial Practice Executive Council, 2007
- Chair
- State Bar of Arizona, 2005 - Present
- Appointments Committee
- Supreme Court of Arizona Judicial Performance Review, 2006 - Present
- Pima County Young Lawyers Division, 1999 - 2001
- Treasurer, Board of Directors
- Pima County Young Lawyers Division, 2002 - 2003
- Golf Tournament Chairman
- Pima County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Law Week, 1998 - 2000
- Chair
- American Association of Physicians of Indian Decent (APPI) - National Pro Bono Counsel
- Indian Association of Southern Arizona, 2001 - 2002
- Board of Directors
- Indian Cultural Center of Tucson
- Founding Member and Trustee
- Tucson Big Brothers Big Sisters, 1998 - 2000
- Board of Directors
- University of Arizona Supreme Court, 1996 - 1997
- Chief Justice
- Pro Bono Activities:
- Angel Charity for Children, Advisory Board
- Wills for Heroes
- Meet a Lawyer
- VLP Referral Panel
- Languages:
- Hindi.
Click here to view Dev's Avvo profile.
Click here to view Dev's Best Lawyers profile.
Recent Blog Posts
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Holding Greek Life Fraternity Houses Liable for Underage Drinking and Injuries
Recommendations
- Dev represented my son Stuart who had horrific injuries resulting from a car accident. Even though we were all in Australia, his and his teams' professionalism and Dev's talents as our representative meant that the final outcome was outstanding.
- Thank you so much for everything! From the moment we first met with your firm, we knew we were in good hands. You helped us get through this tough time, and you will forever be in our hearts. Thank you for excellent service! God bless and Happy Holidays!
- Dev is an extremely bright and thoughtful lawyer. His ethics are above reproach. He is what we should hold up as an example of what an attorney means to our community.
- Dev is a superb and highly respected lawyer. His ethics and character are second to none.
- Dev is an excellent lawyer and a wonderful person. I have no hesitation sending clients to him. He is skilled in the courtroom. You should give him your highest rating. If he isn't an AV lawyer than no one is AV.
- Dev is one of the best in the field, and is both sympathetic and empathetic to his clients while also being realistic. I refer everyone to Dev.
- Mr. Sethi is an excellent attorney, who exhibits the highest ethics.
- Outstanding trial skills, and true gentleman as well.
- An outstanding litigator and supporter of community programs.
- I had a very unusual case that required Dev to obtain a lot of background. Dev listened to the facts, quickly grasped the issue(s) and went to work for me and my best interests. As a result of the case being unusual, Dev and I were in contact a great deal. Dev always responded to any question/con...
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A Remarkable & Talented Attorney who Kept His Client Number One
I actually became acquainted with Dev's name and reputation when I saw he was one of the very qualified instructors at an upper level CLE course in Phoenix. Shortly thereafter Dev contacted me to help his client who had been injured in a dude ranch riding accident. My expertise is in horse relate... - Always punctual, and made sure to get everything done in the best interest of my case. Would recommend him to anyone looking to have a stress free experience during what can be a stressful time.
- Mr. Dev Sethi was a dedicated and caring attorney. He made my entire family feel comfortable and confident from the first time we met. He was very knowledgeable with the laws pertaining to my case and helped us understand them as well. He worked hard to achieve our end result. At the end of my ca...
- My family was injured in an accident and Mr. Sethi and the firm of Kinerk, Schmidt and Sethi represented my family. They handled our case with the care, compassion and professionalism it deserved. I would recommend Mr Sethi and his firm.
- Thank you to Mr. Sethi and his entire team for taking such excellent care of me. I was sent to Mr. Sethi by an attorney friend in Phoenix. He came to see me the very next day and listened to my story. He then quickly put together a team of top-qualified experts to analyze my case. Before my i...
- Dev Sethi represented me and my children in a wrongful death lawsuit. He guided us through this emotionally difficult period with skill and empathy, keeping us informed and promptly answering all of our questions and concerns. We will always be grateful for his help.
- Dev, congratulations on settling this difficult case. I can't tell you what a pleasure it was to work with you on this case. Your integrity, competence, and professionalism are truly outstanding. Even more important to me was your kindness and sensitivity to the needs of your clients. From st...
- We were lost, scared and uncertain for what the future held after one motorist’s momentary distraction would turn our lives upside down. While in the hospital at our most vulnerable time, we agreed to speak to Dev Sethi, who was referred to us by a mutual friend. Finding someone who would take ca...
- From our very first interaction, I knew Dev was very empathetic. After working with him through the legal process, I knew I made the right choice by asking him to represent us. Not only did he have great interpersonal skills, but he was extremely efficient in his work. He promptly replied to all ...
- This May is two years since my unfortunate accident. On a weekly or bimonthly basis I think about how fortunate I was to have such excellent legal representation. It is because of your hard work on my case that I was able to reach a nice settlement. I know I have said it before, but I just wan...
- Dev, you were such a calm, comforting support throughout this whole ordeal. From the moment we called to dealing with the insurance companies to closing this chapter in our lives. We are so grateful and appreciative. Dan N.
- Dear Dev, We cannot thank you enough for all of your help and generosity. It was wonderful to have your calm, reassuring voice in the darkness after the collision. Thank you for everything. Mark and Kerry F.
- When my family was involved in a car accident, we turned to Dev Sethi for help. Not only did Dev do a great job of handling our case, but he also did a great job of keeping us in the loop the whole time. He was there fighting for us the whole time even through arbitration to ensure that the ins...
- Dev and his team were great. I was the unfortunate victim of medical malpractice in a Tucson hospital. My care was reported as a "never event" and a "sentinal event." Even with that, the process was long, but Kinerk Schmidt & Sethi had the tools and knowledge to make it easy on me and get the ...
- Dev Sethi came into our lives at a very stressful time. We had been involved in a hit and run autoaccident that left Donna badly injured. Dev was able to devise a strategy and involve otherprofessionals to present the strongest claim to our insurer. He was also able to predict the insurancecompan...
- Dear Dev, We are grateful for your thoughtful guidance and exemplary counsel as we navigated some very turbulent waters together. Your willingness to listen patiently as we worked though deep and painful stretches sets you apart in a league of your own. Thank you for caring and for guiding us s...
- A little over a year ago I hired Dev Sethi to represent me in a civil suit where I sustained bodily injury from a dog bite. He came recommended to me through a friend of mine in Tucson who had once been deposed by Mr. Sethi in a separate case. She had told me she felt he was a very thorough and a...
- Dear Dev, Donna and I would like to thank you for your dedication and hard work on our behalf. I got the impression that my case was not exactly cut and dried (due to extenuating circumstances), and yet you continued and got us a very favorable seven figure settlement. Again, we thank you and ...
- My siblings and I hired Dev Sethi for a wrongful death lawsuit for our mother. He came highly recommended to us and we were very pleased with the results, settling out of court. Mr. Sethi walked us through every step of the way, coaching us on how depositions and mediation proceedings would go. H...
- On June 19, 2021, I was competing in the AZ Road Bike State Championships in Show Low, AZ. Minutes after the race had started, a large truck plowed/t-boned the group that consisted of approximately 450-600 cyclists. Myself and some 14-16 cyclists were injured. Myself and the cyclist next to me we...
- Working with Dev and his team, has been a wonderful experience. His professionalism, and the way he cares about the people he is helping, made us feel as ease through the entire process. Thank you once again for all the hard work, dedication, and long hours you and your team put in to resolve my ...
- My experience with Dev Sethi and his firm has been one of the most positive life changing experiences of my life! In a very dark and difficult time in my life that were caused by circumstances that have changed my life forever in a very negative way, Dev and his team were a shining light! In my ...
- Dear Dev, Thank you so much for all your support these last 20 months. From calling you five days after to ask for help to the millions of questions I have asked since, you have been so supportive and patient. I am forever grateful to have had you by my side. Please know that the time and care...