Mr. Platter has practiced law in Springfield for thirty years. He focuses his practice on work related injury litigation, land use and local government law, administrative law, employment law, and has recently added probate administration and basic estate planning into his practice portfolio. His on the job litigation practice has included workers’ compensation, disability benefit litigation, return to work issues, personal injury, and anti-discrimination statutes. His practice in land use practices includes both litigation and development of land use practices that serve the public interest. He also counsels with employers concerning compliance with employment legislation and regulations.
Over fifty of his cases have been decided by appellate courts and most of those have been published as precedent. Some include:
- Whether a city police training academy can test applicants for personality characteristics under the Americans with Disabilities Act
- The admissibility and use of OSHA investigations in workers’ compensation claims
- The admissibility of surveillance videotape
- That minutes of a Board of Alderman meeting bound a municipality to a disputed contract with a private land developer
- That updated subdivision regulations could not be applied against a property owner seeking additional regulatory permits
- The use of declaratory judgment in quiet title and ejectment claims between faith based organizations
- The extent of liability of an employer under workers’ compensation for a fatal occupational disease
- What constitutes an accident under the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Law
- The amount of remarriage benefits available to a surviving spouse under the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Law
- Indemnification between employers in workers’ compensation
Mr. Platter is the author of Chapter 1 of the Missouri Bar Deskbook on Workers’ Compensation Law (concerning History, Administration, and Jurisdiction). He is also published in the Missouri Bar Journal and also regularly speaks before interested groups on various issues.
Education
- University of Missouri Columbia School of Law, Columbia, Missouri, J.D., 1981
- University of Missouri – Columbia, A.B., Political Science and Economics, 1978
Bar Admissions
- Missouri, 1981
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Missouri
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Missouri Bar Association (past service as Vice Chairman of the Workers’ Compensation Committee) (Workers’ Compensation Committee and Probate Administration Committees)
- Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association (Board of Directors 1997-2000; 2004-2007)
- American Bar Association (Tort Law Section)
Honors and Awards
- Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers (2010 – 2018)
Civic Involvement
- Board of Public Utilities for the City of Springfield (2005-2011/Chairman 2011)
- Springfield Planning and Zoning Commission (1999-2003/Chairman 2000-2003)
- Adjunct Instructor, Ozarks Technical Community College (Business Law 2003-2005)
- Vision 20/20 Planning for Springfield and Greene County/Coordination Committee 2003-2004
- Troop 89 Boy Scouts of America (Adult Leader)
- Child Advocacy Center (Board of Directors)
- Division of Family Services (Child Protection Team)
- Legal Aid of Southwest Missouri, 1989 – 1995 Board of Directors, 1989 – 1995
Representative Classes and Seminars
- 2006 Annual Law Update, Missouri Bar, 2006
- Basic Workers’ Compensation Benefits, Lorman Education, 2006
- How to Manage Your Workers’ Compensation Nightmare, Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield, 2006
- Spotlight on Safety & Workers’ Compensation, Southwest Area Manufacturers’ Association, 2006
- Common Misconceptions in Workers’ Compensation, Skaggs Community Health Center, 2005
- Workers’ Compensation Law Update, Kids Chance Seminar, 2005
- Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use Law in Missouri, National Business Institute, Springfield, Missouri, June 11, 2004
- Expert Testimony in Missouri Civil Litigation, Southwest Missouri Paralegal Association, Springfield, Missouri, April 3, 2004
- Workers’ Compensation Liens in Missouri Personal Injury Actions, Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, February 19, 2004
- Fundamentals of Workers’ Compensation in Missouri-Procedure, Sterling Education Services, Springfield, Missouri, February 11, 2004
- HIPPA Privacy and Workers’ Compensation in Missouri, Lorman Education Services, Springfield, Missouri, December 18, 2003
- The Five Most Common Injuries in Workers’ Compensation, Springfield, Missouri, November 21, 2003
- Interaction Between Workers’ Compensation and ADA/FMLA, Introduction to Workers’ Compensation in Missouri, Lorman Education Services, Springfield, Missouri, March 4, 2003
- Document, Document, Document. . ., Human Resource Conference Associated Industries of Missouri, Lake of the Ozarks, November 7, 2002 – November 8, 2002
- Most Recent Issues in Medical Treatment, Workers’ Compensation in Missouri, Lorman Education Services, Springfield, Missouri, August 27, 2002
- Mediation in Workers’ Compensation, Annual Conference on Workers’ Compensation Issues, Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation, Lake of the Ozarks, June 11, 2002
- Trends in Recent Court Decisions, Southwest Missouri Employers’ Workers’ Compensation Forum Breakfast, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, Joplin, Missouri, April 12, 2002
- Common Misconceptions and Implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Family and Medical Leave Act, Introduction to Workers’ Compensation in Missouri, Lorman Education Services, Springfield, Missouri, January 23, 2002
- Employment Documentation-Avoiding Costly Liability, Associated Industries of Missouri, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, November 9, 2000
- Six Common Misconceptions in Workers’ Compensation, Advanced Workers’ Compensation in Missouri, Lorman Education Services, Springfield, Missouri, August 23, 2000
- Effective Employee Record Keeping, Associated Industries of Missouri, Employment Law Institute, November 11, 1999
- Employment Law 101, A Thorough Review of Federal and State Laws, Associated Industries of Missouri, Kansas City, Missouri, April 6, 1999
- Restoring Injured Employees to Work, Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, 7th Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminar, Case Law Update, April 11, 1997
- Workers’ Compensation in Missouri Including Issues of Self-Insurance – Recent Cases of Employer Liability in Workers’ Compensation, Employer Liability and Workplace Safety Lorman Education Services, September 17, 1996
- Workers’ Compensation in Missouri Including Issues of Self-Insurance – The Future of Workers Compensation, Lorman Business Center Workers’ Compensation Seminar, May 19, 1995
- Workers’ Compensation Seminars, Missouri Division of Employment Security, Employer Committees, West Plains Office, March 22, 1995
- Reshaping Workers’ Compensation Practice in Missouri – Workers’ Compensation Case Law Update 1992 to 1993, University of Missouri Columbia School of Law Seminar, September 9, 1993
- Safety Programs, Loss Control and Timely Investigation of Claims, Lorman Business Center, Inc. Seminar, May 25, 1994
- Coverage of Claims and Other Developments in Missouri Workers’ Compensation, Lorman Business Center Seminar, February 24, 1993
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Ozarks Safety and Health Conference Seminar, Springfield, Missouri, October 17, 1991
- Common Questions of Employers in Workers’ Compensation, Employer’s Committee Program, Missouri Division of Employment Security, Springfield, Missouri, 1990
